Curious as to how many of you give your horses gastrogard before/during/after a show for ulcer prevention? If you do, what dosage and have you noticed any differences?
I know some people who give a full tube every day, and some people who give a tube just on show days. One horse looked noticeably happier on it, better coat, better weight, more relaxed, you name it. He showed a big improvement within a week or two of starting on it.
I read something online recently about a study that showed it was just as effective on a 1/4 tube dose, but I don’t recall where I saw that article. Maybe someone else remembers?
Yes, every time. We usually do a half tube in the three days leading up to the show, a full tube every day of the show, and then half a tube for three days after.
since GG/UG is a PPI, how does it work when you give them a full dose before a show/travel and then don’t wean down after for a while? i was always surprised that wasn’t included in the literature…
Yes, always. 1/4 tube day before, again morning of, then finally day after.
(I also do 1/4 tube a day for a week once a month.)
I’ve posted a lot about my experiences with Gastroguard. Used it just at shows for one season with great success (made my horse a different horse during the show - calm and relaxed and focused versus spazzy and over reactive to the environment in general). It also kept him from losing his “horseshow hundred” every time we went away for a week. I liked it so much that I opted to put him on the maintenance dose for the whole summer the following year (after reading lots about the whole rebound issue - which never showed any apparent effects on my guy). It was a bad decision that led to my guy going through 2 bad gas colics that the vets attribute to being on gastroguard long term. Pulled him off and really wrestled with what to do the following year.
Ultimately opted to go back to the gastroguard during each show with no weaning after. I do one full tube the morning we haul out on my vet’s advice (I realize that it’s supposed to take a couple of days to start doing anything, but I notice a big difference in my horse’s attitude about loading and hauling with that tube) and then half of a tube each morning of the show. He gets his last dose the morning of my last class and no gastroguard the days in between weeks that we don’t show (if we’re there for more than a week).
I wish I hadn’t read everything I’ve read here because I’ve second guessed that schedule every minute since reading the first posts I found here about it, but that schedule seems to work well for my particular horse.
My compromise, though, in order to feel comfortable with having him on omeprazole, is that I have him on SmartGut Ultra, apple cider vinegar (both full time - at home and shows), and add a Chinese Herb called Stomach Happy only at the shows.
Typically, a 1/4 tube (prevention dose) 3-4 days prior to and during the show should be enough for most horses. If your horse likes them, 6-10 TUMS before a class (ONCE daily) is also helpful (told to me by a hunter stallion owner who actively competes the stallion). My horse doesn’t like the TUMS - only eats when hidden in food- but her horse eats them up like candy).
My vet’s recommendation was 1/4 tube daily before any grain for 3 days before shipping and while traveling. They said if a full tube is given, the next day a half tube should always be given to allow the acid production to rebound slowly. They also recommended giving 4cc’s of milk of magnesia about 45 minutes before showing. I haven’t noticed any difference with the MOM so I don’t use it anymore. With my horse traveling almost every week now, I’m trying the Abler version to hopefully get the same results on a budget (yes, I know not FDA approved, etc).
Does anyone know how long they say it takes to take effect? I.e if I did 1/4 tube daily starting 2 days before the show and then half a tube the day of the show (one day show) would that be at all helpful or does it take longer than that to make any difference?
I am also interested in knowing how many days before we leave for the show do I give 1/4 a tube? How long after we get back to give a 1/4 tube? My horse has been treated for ulcers earlier this year and is better now and on smartpaks smartgut ultra supplement for prevention. But I was wondering what dosages & time lines are appropriate for showing on ulcer guard?
I have a call into my vet for her opinion as well.
TIA
my vet told me to use a full tube the day before and the day of and a half a tube the day after. My mare is super ulcer prone so we always err on the side of caution.She also told me, that a tube of Ulcergard is the SAME as gastrogard, big pharma just patented a new one that could be generic with different dosing instructions to maintain the patent/monopoly on the product. (hence the price).
[QUOTE=MoonLadyIsis;8152960]
She also told me, that a tube of Ulcergard is the SAME as gastrogard, big pharma just patented a new one that could be generic with different dosing instructions to maintain the patent/monopoly on the product. (hence the price).[/QUOTE]
I was told the same thing. Exact same product with a different label.
Similar to many others, I start a daily does of 1/4 tube of UG 2 days before we leave, continue it through the show and for another 2 days once we are home. It has made a difference with my gelding and his nervous nelly personality- no more bucket chewing or pacing. I also keep a hay bag in front of him at all times.
I hugely prefer the granuales… but my protocol is 1/2 of a full treatment dose the day of travel, 1/4 of a dose every day thereafter that he’s at a show, 1/4 of a dose for the first few days back.
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We have a horse in the barn that was a very stomach-y horse. Super picky eater, hated the girth being tightened, lost a TON of weight at every horse show, generally just an unhappy guy. And when I say super picky eater, I mean the pickiest eater I have EVER EVER met. When I first met him, he was a on a daily 1/4 dose of GG, which he hated and dreaded.
First order of business was to hang him a haynet, to keep hay in front of him all day. At least he would eat on that all day. Anyway to make a long story short - I took him off the GG immediately. Played around for months with what kind of grains he liked - which was extremely frustrating, let me tell you. I’d find one he dove into and ate up all 3 meals for the day for a week and then would decide he didn’t like it anymore. I also started him on Natural Plan Stomach Soother (which is just papaya juice). Best thing that ever happened to that horse. A year later - he is FAT FAT FAT, happy and relaxed all the time, his coat is amazing, he has a voracious appetite, never stops eating at the shows, holds his weight, his performance has increased ten-fold and he is essentially a different horse. I know it might not work for every horse, but for a lot of them I think it’s worth a try.
Any PPI takes several days (5 - 7 days) to work so I don’t understand the point of giving it a couple days before, during the show and a day or two after the show and then just stopping (or using it for any time frame less). It is definitely not how the medication is intended to be used and PPI’s do not come without risks. It surprises me that so many people use it “prophylactically” for their horses…
Regarding its “calming” effect… isn’t that one of the side effects of PPI’s and other acid reducing medications? I mean, doesn’t it make you feel less energetic, sometimes even lethargic? I had to be on it for a short while (thankfully!) and this is exactly how I felt…
[QUOTE=Mistysmom;8154438]
Any PPI takes several days (5 - 7 days) to work so I don’t understand the point of giving it a couple days before, during the show and a day or two after the show and then just stopping (or using it for any time frame less). It is definitely not how the medication is intended to be used and PPI’s do not come without risks. It surprises me that so many people use it “prophylactically” for their horses…[/QUOTE]
It may take a couple of days for the stress to kick in though. My horse isn’t particuarly stressed by trailering, I don’t think. It’s the lack of turnout/disruption of routine at shows that would stress him out. Which is why I start treating the day of travel and continue until home and back into the routine.
I’ve been using 5mg a day of the generic omeprazole paste for about two weeks now on my young horse and it made an immediate difference. I read the study about low dosages being effective so figured I would give it a shot. He had a very long trip down to Aiken and back this spring and was a bit ribby and not his usual hay-gobbling self. After a few days on the omeprazole he returned to normal, he has now put his weight back on, and eats all the hay he can get his big fat mouth around. I decided to do a month of it and thereafter only a few days before and during times of stress, and see how that gets us through the summer.
I can’t find the original study for some reason, but here is a synopsis of it: http://www.thehorse.com/articles/34581/study-low-dose-omeprazole-and-gastric-ulcers
ETA: I remember now- the original study is only available with a subscription to Wiley Journals, which I have through my job. The Horse.com site has a good synopsis of it, though.
Where do you get generic omeprazole paste ?
