Treating ulcers in a grass kept horse on DIY?

[Charlie31]

I'm thinking of taking my horse to be scoped for ulcers. We've had a lot of change at our yard recently that he hasn't coped well with at all and there are just a few things about his behaviour that makes me wonder if it's all affected him a bit too much.

If he does turn out to have them I'm just wondering how I will manage the treatment as he is now out 24/7 and we are on DIY. My understanding is the omeprazole is meant to be given on an empty stomach and if he has sucralfate too you have to give that separately and before the omeprazole or something like that? This is just from reading up on line as I've been lucky enough to never have a horse with ulcers before. Given that he's out at grass and we're on DIY and I'm not always able to be there for several hours at either end of the day I'm just wondering how best I'd manage this. Or am I worrying unnecessarily?

Obviously it will all depend on if ulcers are actually found and what treatment they give if they are and I will ask the vet about this too. I just find that vets aren't always that in tune with the realities of managing horses around work and so on, so people who have actually experienced this first hand might be better placed to give advice.

Thanks!

 

[Widgeon]

All the horses on our yard are 24/7 grass kept and several have been successfully treated for ulcers on arrival, so it definitely can be done - I think our YO gives them their treatment just before their breakfast bucket. Obviously it's not on an empty stomach because they're out at grass all the time, but it seems to work anyway. She's treated three new horses (usually stressy youngsters who haven't had any turnout in their last home) in the last year or two and it's worked well for all of them. It certainly doesn't take her several hours at the end of each day - she's far too busy for that! I wouldn't panic too much.

 

[Charlie31]

Thanks, I did wonder about the empty stomach thing as I'm not aware that omeprazole in humans has to be taken on an empty stomach and I'm sure that not all horses who are stabled overnight finish their hay with four hours to spare before the morning comes! Perhaps I'll just have to give it and then give fifteen minutes before the feed or something like that. He has that many supplements it probably takes that long to make his feed anyway!

 

[sassandbells]

I was in the same situation with my mare, my vet asked what her living arrangements were like and when I said she was out 24/7 he suggested using the weekly injections instead as he’d found them more effective with horses who live out. Might be worth asking your vet if this is an option?

We did a month at full dose & she scoped clear and then we did another month at a half dose just to be sure, and again she scoped clear so it can work

 

[Zoeypxo]

As above ask about the omeprazole injections, much easier and works well

 

[Charlie31]

Thanks both, I hadn't realised injections were an option.

Can you give them yourself or does the vet need to come and do it?

 

[olop]

Mine lives out 24/7 on grass livery. He was fed his omeprazole with a handful of food first then an hour later he had his proper breakfast with the sulfracate added. It was a bit of a pain but it worked.

 

[Charlie31]

Mine lives out 24/7 on grass livery. He was fed his omeprazole with a handful of food first then an hour later he had his proper breakfast with the sulfracate added. It was a bit of a pain but it worked.

Thanks, I think that's probably doable. I'm sure I can rejig jobs to get the omeprazole into him first and then faff a bit before giving him his food.

 

[Zoeypxo]

Thanks both, I hadn't realised injections were an option.

Can you give them yourself or does the vet need to come and do it?

The vet comes and does it

 

[Fransurrey]

I used to give my mare haylage balancer to help with her ulcers (she wasn't fed haylage), as it contains bentonite clay. You could give bentonite clay alone of course, but you'd have to work out the safe dosage.

 

[AandK]

Mine is out 24/7 and was treated for ulcers last summer with the omeprazole paste. I gave him the syringe on my way in to the yard, then gave him his breakfast 30min later. Vet said it was fine to give if living out on grass.