Something I saw today on FB

poiuytrewq

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There was a post about someone’s horse not eating all his hard feed.
Some one commented and said quite a lot but cut short it was that the horse had ulcers, gastroguard was no good and to try the Ranatidine protocol
This turns out to be 3x 20mg tablets per day for a month then the following month a tapering dose.
Now, call me cynical but surely this is way too low a dose for actual improvement in a horse?
Would any difference at all be seen?
 

Regandal

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Are you sure it wasn’t esomeprazole? I’m on one of the fb horse ulcer pages and it is recommended a lot. You can buy it over the counter as Nexium.
A few posters have said that their vets suggested it, the rationale behind the dose is that it only targets the stomach, it’s not a med given in mg‘s per kilo of body weight.
 

poiuytrewq

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Maybe? I did go off on a brand google so may well have switched names in my head! Would that work then at that dose?
I was half considering scoping mine but would far rather try something like that. It just sounded a very low dose
 

poiuytrewq

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I had to feed ranaditine once and it was quite a lot of tablets about 3 times a day. Never tried Nexium tho
Yes, this is what searching was coming up with, that is works but huge amounts are needed.
Ive only heard of omeprazole so am keep to hear more about esomeprazole
 

Scotsbadboy

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Interesting that a horse who doesnt finish hard feed could potentially have ulcers! I have a new horse and he seems rather disinterested in hard feed but he also doesnt care much for mints, wont finish a whole apply and rather likes pears. He's a stoic hunter type so likely i understand the not know what a mint/ treat is (Im terrible for giving treats!)

He shows no signs of ulcers though so it hadnt even entered my head! I just thought he might be a fussy eater (a first for me)
 

CanteringCarrot

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If I had a horse that always finished his hard feed straight away like clockwork, then I would be concerned if that changed. However, I have a horse that always leaves some feed and comes back for it later. He switches over to hay, does whatever, then comes back and eats it at some point. It is all gone by morning or late evening sometimes.

With him my theory is that it just isn't that interesting. Feed him some "junk food" with high sugar and starch and he will scoff it up, but this soaked grass nuts, linseed, vit/min mix is just not terribly tempting for him...possibly because it is good for him ? I've changed the nuts or the vit/min with the same result. He will get a bit more interested in oats.

I don't fuss it since he doesn't act stressed or displeased and it is gone by morning.

I did try nexium with this horse and had no results...but I also don't know that he actually has or had any ulcers. Shows no other signs really.

Some claim that Nexium really does work and it is inexpensive enough to try, so why not, type of thing.
 
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joelb

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One of mine has ulcer history in pevious home, usually good feeder but she has been picky with bucket feed over last 3 weeks, hay intake unaltered so I assumed ulcer flair up despite supplements etc. Had teeth checked last week and vet ran bloods as precaution and was surprised to find liver enzymes sky high so we're on a month of antibiotics, steroids and laminitis watch. Just highlighting there are other issues that result in typical ulcer symptoms.
 

Annagain

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Interesting that a horse who doesnt finish hard feed could potentially have ulcers! I have a new horse and he seems rather disinterested in hard feed but he also doesnt care much for mints, wont finish a whole apply and rather likes pears. He's a stoic hunter type so likely i understand the not know what a mint/ treat is (Im terrible for giving treats!)

He shows no signs of ulcers though so it hadnt even entered my head! I just thought he might be a fussy eater (a first for me)

Charlie (hunter from Ireland) doesn't understand mints and I've only just weaned him onto bananas and swede (in his feed). He doesn't get anything from the hand as he got a bit muggy for the herbal treats I was giving him when he first arrived. He wolfs his (tiny) tea down though and is very adept at removing anything he doesn't think should be in there without wasting the slightest bit of the rest of it.
 

Squeak

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Would there be any side effects/ negatives of trying the Nexium? From reading the linked thread on COTH it sounds like you need to be careful to wean them off it but it doesn't mention anything else.

I just wonder about the risk of trying a horse that otherwise seems relatively happy on it - could you be creating a bigger problem than the one you're trying to solve?
 

LEC

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Lets hope none of your horses are insured because feeding non designated drugs would invalidate your insurance especially if long term complications arose. Just pointing out the boring facts from feeding stuff you have read about on the internet but havent spoken to a professional about.
 

Regandal

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Lets hope none of your horses are insured because feeding non designated drugs would invalidate your insurance especially if long term complications arose. Just pointing out the boring facts from feeding stuff you have read about on the internet but havent spoken to a professional about.
Luckily I am not insured. ?
My horse has been subject to a lot of investigations lately, I’m not about to fast him for 12 hours. I know how PPI’s work, quite happy to give him them.
 

Alibear

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Human with ulcers here, just going on what GPs told me, I'm not an expert. My ulcers were resilient, so they moved me off omeprazole onto esomeprazole. Apparently they're the same drug but esomeprazole is more bioavailable so easier for the body to use. Hence switching to esomeprazole can help and is what I had to do. Both forms are protein pump inhibitors.
Ranitidine is not a protein pump inhibitor its and H2 blocker, and it didn't help me. But that's not to say it would help others.
For horses I follow whatever the vets recommend. There's such a variation on types of ulcers and their locations that's its not 1 treatment works on all. Same as with me above :)
 
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