Feeding Sucrabest / Sucralfate to Fussy Horse (Ulcers)

Esme

Esme

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I've been prescribed a few weeks of Sucrabest tablets for my horse (alongside Omeprazole) however he's on 7 tablets twice a day and absolutely hates it!

I'm wary of the usual molasses, apple juice etc. as it seems counter-productive to treat ulcers with a tonne of sugar?! Does anyone know if this is the case? I could take the risk of sitting on him full of sugar :D but I'm not keen to suddenly reintroduce the very thing I've been actively avoiding.

Any other suggestions for getting tablets/paste into a fussy and smart horse? I initially tried dissolving into a paste and syringing but since can't get near with a syringe and he's even cautious taking treats/feed off me now I've tricked him a few times :o. Needless to say he's sussed when they're crumbled/dissolved into wet feed too.

Thanks in advance!
 
A token amount of whatever he will eat, molasses/ juice etc should make little difference to him, far better to get the drugs in than not and it should hardly take a ton to administer it, the benefits of a well horse must outweigh the slight risk.
 
Well no I wasn't going to give it by the bucketload and of course want to get them in him, but 4 weeks of molasses twice a day feels like a lot more molasses than if there was an option with none! He's just not very food-orientated and I can't think of anything more tempting though - why is the good stuff always bad for you...
 
I fed it with copra and grass nuts soaked, with some grass chaff.

Copra is quite good for disguising things.

My horse didn't seem to mind taste.
 
Does he like eat anything strong smelling - fenugreek / garlic / mint etc. as if add that to a normal feed, and he eats it, he possibly wont then notice the tablets.

When you add tablets, are you adding them just before feed, as I find if soak, and leave medicine in it taints feed if left too long.
 
Thanks for the ideas. I've been Googling away and the yellow stuff seems to be more common - not sure why I got these big white tablets.

Unfortunately he won't go near garlic, fenugreek or dried mint (only likes the Trebor variety!). The vet did say they should be fed straight away (i.e. don't make up the paste for later in the day) so it hasn't been sitting around for too long either, he's just not having it. This morning I tried in Calm & Condition garnished with crushed polo :D which he tucked into.. then promptly spat out all the bits that tasted of medicine.

Have looked at putting him on Copra anyway so that could well be worth trying. Thanks again!
 
I had the liquid form, not tablets, but I know there are times it can be impossible to get hold of so maybe that's why you've not got it.

I'd have a go at crushing the tablets and mixing with some carrot puree (look in baby food isles), don't use apple as that can be too acidic for guts with ulcers. I'd also smear the outside of the syringe with something he likes the taste of, yes it's a bit messy but I found it really helped in the past when I needed to syringe. Mind you mine got so used to drugs being syringed that he'd open his mouth on command & let me do it!
 
The only thing (and I tried EVERYTHING!!!) that got mine eating his ulcer meds was Saracen Releve. Prior to that I tried molasses, juice, jam sandwiches, marmite, golden syrup, yoghurt, apples, carrots, mint, fenugreek, honey, everything I could lay my hands on. I wasted weeks worth of meds as he would just point blank refuse to eat at all.
 
The abler stuff is much more palatable. I can't get vets subscription stuff down mine but he slurps up abler from a syringe with no trouble at all.
 
Thanks very much for all the suggestions! Off to try the carrot puree this afternoon and if all else fails I'll give the Abler one a try :)
 
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