Ulcer management after omeprazole

[stimpy]

My pony is currently 3 weeks into a 4 week omeprazole treatment after having ulcers diagnosed with a gastroscope. Vet has already said my management is as good as it could be (fibre diet, very low sugar/starch, hay before exercise etc) but am now looking to long term management to help her. She is only 5 and is an extremely good doer so management is a challenge, especially since I have cut out my normal feeding of barley straw for low calorie fibre between rationed hay in case it is a factor. I am currently researching the likes of Equisure, Coligone etc before I have a discussion with the vet.

What have people used after omperazole with sucess?

 

[HobleytheTB]

I think that really depends on the cause! If it was low level pain/ lameness related, obviously you need to elimate that. Reducing stress levels - as much turn out as is possible with appropriate company, using a low dose of omeprazole in the days before/ during/ after a stressful event (e.g. travelling, competing, moving yards etc). Making sure some amount of forage is always available, soaked hay in a slow feeder net for example.

I don't know how much the supplements really help. I know aloe vera juice has some scientific evidence behind it, but not a massive amount. If you go on the ulcers group on facebook you will find literally hundreds of different supplements and ingredients being discussed. Some people will say X is absolutely amazing and transformed their horse, others will say it is awful and should never be fed!

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Had a lengthy chat with my vet today about this. She is firmly of the view that ulcers are secondary to another problem. Either someyhing acute/temporary like travel or injury or a lifestule or diet issue. Also receent research shows that ulcers develop and heal all the time. The idea that you have to inhibit the acid production to treat an established ulcer and that the supplements are only preventive not curative is outdated. So she does not scope or treat ulcers until she has a pretty good idea of what triggered them and also how the management will differ one they are gone, or they will just come back.

The supplements that increase mucus in the stomach and buffer the acid do work but she said that the balance is quite fine so not much needs to tip one way or another to either solve the problems or trigger it again. I would definitely try some of the supplements. The one I have just ordered for Lottle (Equine74 Gastric) is of the type that have evidence to baclk it up. They all seem about £75 a month to tsrt aith and then a reduced maintenance dose. Obviously I can't vouch for the stuff as I have not tried it yet but my vet qas 100% in support. I am also increasing turnout. She also suggested feeding a small amount of chaff before riding.

 

[SEL]

I feed chaff with a scoop of limestone powder before riding. She's also on a slippery elm based herbal supplement that has really made a difference. It took me a while to realise beet and linseed seemed to trigger an upset so now it's pretty much grass based feed.

The pony's were likely caused by stress, surgery and antibiotics.

When my big mare had them it was really hard to shift because the underlying cause was likely her muscle disease. I worked my way through every supplement out there. She also responded really well to slippery elm and calcium carbonate. If she has a flare up now I use Nexium because she's vile to handle when her tummy hurts.

 

[ycbm]

Aloe Vera is a cheap and clinically proven healer/preventer of ulcers. It's my goto in any horse I suspect them in.
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[JGC]

Had a lengthy chat with my vet today about this. She is firmly of the view that ulcers are secondary to another problem. Either someyhing acute/temporary like travel or injury or a lifestule or diet issue. Also receent research shows that ulcers develop and heal all the time. The idea that you have to inhibit the acid production to treat an established ulcer and that the supplements are only preventive not curative is outdated. So she does not scope or treat ulcers until she has a pretty good idea of what triggered them and also how the management will differ one they are gone, or they will just come back.

The supplements that increase mucus in the stomach and buffer the acid do work but she said that the balance is quite fine so not much needs to tip one way or another to either solve the problems or trigger it again. I would definitely try some of the supplements. The one I have just ordered for Lottle (Equine74 Gastric) is of the type that have evidence to baclk it up. They all seem about £75 a month to tsrt aith and then a reduced maintenance dose. Obviously I can't vouch for the stuff as I have not tried it yet but my vet qas 100% in support. I am also increasing turnout. She also suggested feeding a small amount of chaff before riding.

This really resonates with me, as I spent a fortune in treating ulcers in one of mine, but they kept coming back because I don't think we ever pinpointed all of the physical problems (full lameness work up at vet hospital, bone scan etc. were done, we did try, but he died in the field from a heart attack at 14 - retired at that point, so we never fully got to the bottom of it).