Help please with ulcers.

[doodle]

Trying to work out how to give Robin his meds. Vet said give in morning, don’t let him eat while you muck out then feed and turnout. All good but Robin wants to be out as soon as I arrive. This morning the tantrum started when his buddy next door went out. There were still horses beside him. By then it was feed time, He ate a little of his feed interspersed with spinning, grunting and bucking round the stable. I refused to let him out till he settled. Field is close but I knew as soon as I let him go he would gallop madly up the field. Not ideal. So walked him to top of field and had to remind him twice not to barge with his shoulder. Let him go and he galloped off but only a few strides.

This is going to be a long 28 days. I could go up earlier so that all the horses are still in (and hope he is ready to go out when the others do) but then he will still be eating hay so kind of dosnt work for the empty stomach thing.

So I could give him meds when he comes in at night, leave him tied and then feed him and give hay later. But then IF he comes back into work I can’t ride on an empty stomach so would mean bringing in earlier so I could give meds, wait, feed and give hay, wait then ride. So this would mean him coming in alone and he won’t appreciate that either.

Ideas? He takes the meds happily and actually seems to like it.

 

[Littlewills]

Ask for the injections. You dont want him stressed, but it really does have to be on an empty stomach.

 

[doodle]

I already have the meds for the 28 days or I would think that.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Get to the yard super early before anyone there to give him medication, wait 30 minutes and feed him.

 

[doodle]

I thought of that but he will be full of hay?

 

[milliepops]

Mine was diagnosed on Tuesday so I'm a couple of days ahead of you. I was told to let her hay run out early morning so she has a smaller net than usual overnight, I give the gastroguard at 6, she then has to wait 45 mins for sucralfate, then 30 mins wait then she has feed/hay and goes out. It's still dark when I am doing most of this so the yard is super quiet and they don't all start kicking off, I turn the lights out again after the gastroguard and they go back to dozing.

 

[bouncing_ball]

I thought of that but he will be full of hay?

Give him enough hay to run out less than 4 hours before you arrive.

IME most horses eat majority of hay before early hours of morning.

Alternatively if there isn’t much grass in the day time turnout field, give it to him in the field, 30 minutes before he comes in.

 

[P.forpony]

Mine was on omeprazole and sucralfate twice daily so omeprazole in the tiniest handful of chaff, wait as long as I could without being late for work (45mins to an hour) then sucralfate in the same, evening omeprazole as soon as I got there do all jobs then sucralfate just as I left.

I didn’t withdraw haylage at all because she’s a picky feeder even without the ulcers so wasn’t ever really full of anything at those times of day. I did have a friend put in her real feed at midday so that didn't mess up the doses and I just resigned myself to giving her the full month off to try and maximise chances of improvement.

It seemed to do the trick though no issues at all in the last 12 month since ?

For yours I’d be inclined to do as others suggest and just give a bit less hay overnight and arrive early enough that you can feed and turn out with the others as normal. Hopefully that’s less stressful for you both!

 

[doodle]

Think I am going to give it in the morning and stick him out then a bit later feed by just taking out of field gate then popping back in. If I wait till slightly later (not late but not super early) he will have stopped eating hay.

 

[Muddywellies]

Having had recurring ulcers, I've had long stretches of very early mornings. Meds had to be administered in the morning on an empty stomach. Sucralfate first. Wait half hour. Then gastroguard. Wait half an hour. Then feed. Its certainly 'character building' ?

 

[doodle]

He seems to be getting round to new routine. I go up earlier and give meds and then he stands tied up while I muck out round him. He then gets his feed and out. So he is going out around the same time and he is being less dramatic! The gallop off up the field was more a canter rather than straining every muscles to go faster!