Anyone used Abprazole for gastric ulcers?

[MissieSFW]

If so - did it work and how long did it take before you saw an improvement? My TB mare has been on 3 sachets a day for 12 days now, having been diagnosed with low grade gastric ulcers from scoping exam at the end of Jan. She isn't insured so Gastroguard is out due to cost, and having heard about Abprazole via this forum it seemed like the perfect option. However - after 12 days I haven't seen any improvement in her symptoms (poor condition, dull coat, loose droppings...) except possibly a small reduction in teeth grinding when ridden and a small (so minute in fact that I may have imagined it) improvement in her appetite for hay. I'm bitterly disappointed as was expecting great things, having noticed a dramatic improvement in the consistency of her droppings after just 2 tubes of Gastroguard (prescribed by the vet as a short term thing during an episode of diarrhoea just prior to her diagnosis with ulcers).
Am now worried that this stuff is just not as good as Gastroguard and I've wasted my money on a cheap and ineffective alternative Very confused and unsure what to do from here. I have a tub of Feedmark Ulcer Calm and some Meadowsweet and Slippery Elm in my feed room ready to start at the end of the Abprazole treatment, but not sure whether I should start that now seeing as I've not had much results from the Abprazole? Or should I stick it out a bit longer??
Any advice much appreciated! thanks

 

[SCMSL]

I use Abgard (also from Abler but in paste form) and I'm actually doing a "study" type of thing, and I've scoped, been using it, and will scope again in about a month after 45 days at full dose and 45 days at 1/2 dose. She had grade 4 ulcers with 5 hemorrhagic ulcers, so pretty bad.

I can post the results here if people won't kill me for using an "illegal" drug.

 

[Holidays_are_coming]

I used it too after the insurance ran out and stopped paying for gg, plus u can't syringe my mare so had to mix gg with feed!

I found it worked just as well, the food did have to be dry though or mix it with molasses

 

[philamena]

(Aside from the debate you'll undoubtedly get about whether or not the drug's ingredients are reliable etc etc... )


Omeprazole works best on as empty a stomach as possible. Can you get it into the horse in a different way 30 mins before brekkie?

 

[philamena]

PS my vet suggested cracking on with the Ulcer Calm etc while treating rather than waiting til the end, so I'd start them. They won't be so effective that you will see anything miraculous, so you'd still be able to tell if the Abprazole's working.

 

[MissieSFW]

Ok that's interesting thanks, maybe i'm feeding it wrong then? Been doing 1 sachet mixed with breakfast and 2 sachets mixed with tea. She gets calm and condition which is soaked so I've been wondering if it's a bad idea feeding abprazole with that as its obviously wet and it says on packet not to feed with a water based feed due to the enteric coating?

 

[MissieSFW]

Ps SCMSL I'd be v interested to see the results- thank you

 

[philamena]

Omeprazole works over 24 hours so feed it all in one go.
Keep it dry / not in water.
Aim for an empty stomach and to wait 20-30 mins before food or water...

...and see how you get on.

 

[millitiger]

If you feed the granules, how are you meant to feed on an empty stomach?

I feed it with quite dry hard feed and some molasses added right before feeding to bind it altogether.

It made a big difference to the horse I fed it to.

 

[MissieSFW]

Ok I guess I could try it with handful of chaff or something first thing, and then give breakfast later?

 

[Holidays_are_coming]

Yes the key is dry feed with molasses, I used to mix the granules with the molasses at the bottom of the bucket with a handful or 2 of dry chaff, on as empty a stomach as possible I used to feed it when she came in, as she used to not eat for a while before she came in, she would then get another tea later

 

[MissieSFW]

I don't have any molasses...? Is there anything I could use instead?

 

[Holidays_are_coming]

Treacle or golden syrup, you need something which will make the granules stick to chaff without being runny and melting the coating of the granules

 

[MissieSFW]

Ok perfect thanks v much!

 

[philamena]

If you feed the granules, how are you meant to feed on an empty stomach?

Start with as empty a stomach as poss (ie first thing) and use as little feed as poss to get it in. Then wait 20-30 min before proper breakfast.

It's about having as little as poss in the stomach to slow the granules passing through to where they get activated, so they have best chance of getting through with active ingredient intact as poss. Although they act on the stomach, they do so by being absorbed beyond it

 

[HappyHooves]

research work has shown that the healing of some ulcers can be enhanced by corn oil. 100mls of corn oil twice daily in feed though with a good doer beware of weight gain!

 

[MissieSFW]

Ok I'll see if I can get hold of some, thanks! Any idea where you can buy it? Mine def not a good doer so no probs there!

Ps thank you for the explanation philamena- makes more sense now. Altho having reread the packaging it does say you can feed it with a mash, which is prob why I assumed it was ok to feed with a soaked feed like calm & con...?

 

[philamena]

Sainsburys do own brand corn oil for about 1.69 a litre. Otherwise lots of supermatkets sell Mazola for a bit more. Plus it makes them super shiny!

Re the omeprazole, it's about best chances rather than definite do or don't...

 

[MissieSFW]

Perfect thank you.. Sorry last question- roughly how much corn oil would she need per day?

Have followed your instructions for the omeprazole this morning, altho couldn't manage the 20 mins without food or drink as she had to go straight out with hay as I had to go sort kids out, but at least she had it all in one go in a small amount of dry feed on an empty stomach....! Thanks again x

 

[philamena]

My vet advised 100ml a day. It's not going to hurt if, once you know she is ok with it, you're giving more. Mine got a generous glug in each feed so was on more. xx

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

its very palatable, mine would eat 2 sachets in a tiny handful of feed and would lick every last granule from the scoop!

 

[lyndsayberesford]

mine was having 4 sachets with his tea daily for 4 weeks, always in dry feed

noticed a difference in 3 days with him, less swishy tail, less aggravation when tacking up etc.

he is not on anything now as different things i have read say that their diet should be able to control it once the ulcers have been treated.

If symptoms return he will be back on the sachets for another 4 weeks treatment

 

[Erin]

research work has shown that the healing of some ulcers can be enhanced by corn oil. 100mls of corn oil twice daily in feed though with a good doer beware of weight gain!

You only need to feed 45ml per day
http://www.researchgate.net/publica...ntent_before_and_during_pentagastrin_infusion

 

[swellhillcottage]

I use Abgard (also from Abler but in paste form) and I'm actually doing a "study" type of thing, and I've scoped, been using it, and will scope again in about a month after 45 days at full dose and 45 days at 1/2 dose. She had grade 4 ulcers with 5 hemorrhagic ulcers, so pretty bad.

I can post the results here if people won't kill me for using an "illegal" drug.

I just came across this after googling Abprazole - how did the Abgard work out if you don't mind me asking?

 

[swellhillcottage]

Anyone?

 

[Firewell]

It really worked for my horse. Must be fed dry though. I mixed mine with a handful of his normal pellet feed and fed it in the scoop before I gave him his 'proper food', he ate it up fine I don't think he could even taste it.
He had 4 weeks full dosage and then I cut it down by half for 2 weeks and then 1/3rd for a week as I heard you need to wean them off of it to encourage normal acid production again.
I dunno if this helps but I have suffered from acid reflux and here in the US you can buy omeprazole (sp?) Over the counter. I bought the drug stores own brand and it worked great but it did take 4-5 days for me to notice a difference.

 

[Pigeon]

Equishure is the only thing (apart from gastroguard) that made a noticeable improvement in my horse. It started to help within about 3 days, so it's worth trialling.

Also, feed before riding, feed corn oil, make sure horse has constant access to forage, use multiple hay nets when stabled. I'm not sure management alone is enough to kick them though.