Thursday, July 24, 2008

Equine Ulcers

So what am I doing on my summer vacation??? Dealing with Equine Ulcers in Princess and Annie. I have learned a ton. A lot of horses (like 70%) have them, especially endurance/performance horses. Bottom line is that if you have a horse that is showing mild colic, attitude, weight loss, not eating well, and stress, they probably have ulcers. Omeprazole (Gastrogard/Ulcergard) is the best way to treat the ulcers. I have been doing a Maalox/bellysoother type treatment for years, but I am to the point that I have to do the full dose of Omeprazole for 28 days on both horses. The bad news - it is anywhere between $35-$45 a DAY per HORSE to treat. Hmmm.... you can see my hesitation and my willingness to look for alternatives. I found an alternative - generic omeprazole - 3 dose syringe for $9.75 a tube. Oh my goodness. You need a perscription from your vet, or they can call and ask. http://www.myprecisionpharmacy.com - it is a realible phamacy in Bakersfield, CA. So far after a week of treatment, the appetites are up and the stress levels are down. I would like to treat Feather next, or at least do the 1/4 dose treatment before we go camping. She is not showing too many symptoms, but she does yawn a lot and make funny faces with her mouth, which could be a sign of belly discomfort and ulcers.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Tracey,
I have had some limited experiance with equine ulcers. I have found Dynamite's Miracle Clay to be very effective in treatment of mild ulcers and Great as a preventative. ( not sure of blog ettiquete but, I have used Dynamite for many years with my endurance horses & am a distributer), Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
(916) 743-1577
Victoria
longtrottr@yahoo.com

Tracy Browne said...

I am a Dynamite Dealer too. I have used Miracle Clay, but it hasn't healed the ulcers. It is more of a preventative to absorb the acid before a ride or trailer ride.