What to do...

[Connemara24]

My vet wouldn’t prescribe gastroguard or sucralfate without scoping first unless the horse had previous ulcer history. He said he needed to know he exactly what he needed to treat.

Luckily In my circumstances my vets will. But I understand your vets thinking completely.

 

[Connemara24]

We treated a horse of mine for ulcers without scoping, although the vets did try to scope him, but he put someone in an ambulance when he came down on their head. He was deemed too dangerous to continue to try and scope, but they agreed to treat him based on his symptoms.
We didn’t call him the hooligan for nothing!

That story did make me smile I'm afraid to say, I hope he was okay and the person injured.
Thanks

 

[Connemara24]

Another quick question, I've never treated a horse for ulcers before. Do I need to withhold food from him for 30mins - 1hr before giving him the omeprazole

 

[Pinkvboots]

Another quick question, I've never treated a horse for ulcers before. Do I need to withhold food from him for 30mins - 1hr before giving him the omeprazole

I believe it is more effective on an empty stomach.

 

[Connemara24]

I believe it is more effective on an empty stomach.

Okay thank you

 

[scats]

That story did make me smile I'm afraid to say, I hope he was okay and the person injured.
Thanks

I was mortified! The person had a seizure and an injury to their jaw, but I believe made a full recovery. I later found out they had been air ambulanced to hospital.
Picking him up a couple of days felt like the walk of shame.

 

[Connemara24]

I was mortified! The person had a seizure and an injury to their jaw, but I believe made a full recovery. I later found out they had been air ambulanced to hospital.
Picking him up a couple of days felt like the walk of shame.

Oh dear that's terrible I didn't think it was that bad otherwise I wouldn't of smiled when I read it😳.
I'm sure they wouldn't of blamed you though.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Another quick question, I've never treated a horse for ulcers before. Do I need to withhold food from him for 30mins - 1hr before giving him the omeprazole

Ask your vet, not well meaning randomers on a forum.

 

[Connemara24]

Yes was planning on ringing them on Monday should of stated that! As they are closed today. Thanks

 

[Connemara24]

Also I was just wondering what people did with their horses. Thanks

 

[rabatsa]

The one I had scoped and treated for ulcers last year we timed for his hay to run out about 4 hours before being given omeprazole paste and then sucralfate was given 20 minutes later. He was allowed his food after a further 10 minutes. He had sucralfate again in the evening but was not starved for that. He had this regime for 28 days. As there was no improvement to the main problem/cause of the ulcers he was pts.

 

[Connemara24]

The one I had scoped and treated for ulcers last year we timed for his hay to run out about 4 hours before being given omeprazole paste and then sucralfate was given 20 minutes later. He was allowed his food after a further 10 minutes. He had sucralfate again in the evening but was not starved for that. He had this regime for 28 days. As there was no improvement to the main problem/cause of the ulcers he was pts.

Thank you for the reply that's very helpful.
I'm so sorry about your boy it's never easy.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Thank you. I'll give him a week on gastrogard and see then I'll scope.
He is girthy, very grumpy when being brushed touched rugged, poor performance, his coat isn't in the best shape but it's not dreadful.
He doesn't have cushings.

Usually an improvement isn't expected until after 4 weeks on GG.

 

[Connemara24]

UPDATE!
He has been on gastrogard since Saturday. So not a week but did his girth up today to see if had improved because he has been a bit less grumpy.
I'm not riding him at the moment. And he didn't put his ears back once or even move I'm a very happy that he seems to be improving!!

 

[Ashleigh02]

I know im a little late to the party and you have probably made the decision but my lad started getting really moody while tacking up and some friends suggested ulcers. I was a little sceptical of spending money on tests when he only had one symptom so i rang the vet and asked them. He came to check him out and told me we were just going to treat him as if it was confirmed he had them since he was 17 and a thoroughbred and it was most likely that he did have them so i put him on this liquid medication smelt like chalk powder. I just brought it in a tack shop after he recommended it. After that bottle was used he was better so i put him on a pro biotic, seaweed and a gut balancer powder and hes 100 percent better now and its been 6 months

 

[SO1]

My pony was scoped twice a day for 6 days and didn't colic.

Bit of long and expensive experience but after a really bad colic we decided to get him scoped. His stomach was still full and it turned out he had a gastic impaction that was in an unusual place.

He went into the clinic and it took 5 days of starving and tubing with water and coke to clear the blockage. He was scoped twice a day for 6 days and didn't colic once.

His colic was caused by the impaction which would not have been picked up on if we had not scoped as it was in a place that could not be felt on a rectal.

He does have an ulcer but the vets believe this was due to the impaction rather than the cause of the colic.