I’ve read the other threads (a lot of it but there were MANY pages) on here about people using Nexium to treat ulcers. It seems like a much more economical way for those of us that can’t afford the $35 a day of ulcergard or gastrogard. I got a bottle and going to give it a try but my question is… has anyone used the generic and had the same good results? Tablets vs capsules?
Tried ranitidine and started ulcergard but it’s costly and she refuses to eat… especially if she suspects there’s something in her food. I plan to use a balling gun to administer the nexium… or generic.
Yes, if you read the long thread, people have used the generic. You don’t need to use a balling gun, just drop it in the feed.
Ditto to what Simkie said. I used generic capsules and mixed in with food and had no issues.
Yup. Same here. Cheapest at Costco, or WalMart.
Abprazole is probably still the cheapest if you’re buying enough. It’s also more effective than nexium/generic because it’s specifically designed for horse consumption. It’s easy to feed and cost efficient. It’s also the treatment course that was recommended to me by both of my vets.
One warning, it does take awhile to ship, though you can rush shipment for added cost.
I get 28 capsules of generic Nexium at Walmart/Target for about $12, which is $1.28/dose if you’re using 3 capsules for insurance. That’s $38 for 30 days.
Abprazole granules are, at their cheapest, $1.36/packet (if you buy 500), and you need 3 packets for most horses, so that’s $4/day, $122 for 30 days. Definitely WAY cheaper than UG/GG, but about 3x more than generic Nexium.
There is a bit of valid research showing esomeprazole magnesium (Nexium) is effective for horses. It’s not so about “designed for horses”, and entirely about how properly it’s encapsulated or buffered to make it past the stomach. The Nexium is a capsule, but inside that are tiny little encapsulated granules, similar to Abprazole granules.
And yes, just add to the top of the food. I soak all their breakfasts, so right at the end I put a small handful of dry alfalfa pellets on top in the middle, and put the capsules on top of that, just so they don’t end up sifted to the bottom of the slop
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I use the Costco/Kirkland brand and stuff them in a Pill Camo.
This is a helpful cost breakdown! I wasn’t sure what the dosing would be for the nexium, but it’s good to know that it is the cheapest option.
When I said ‘designed for horses’ what I really meant was that I have heard conflicting reports on the coating on nexium tablets and whether that is effective for horses.
I will also add that there have been many reports that omneprozle at 1/4th dosage is just as effective as full dosage. I’ve had good results with one packet of abprazole granulars. But of course, if the nexium works just as well and is cheaper, definitely the way to go–it also definitely wins in terms of being the easiest to buy.
It sounds you don’t know anything about the use of Nexium in equines. Here’s the long thread the OP is talking about that will be educational for you.
lol, there is probably a nicer way to say all of the above, no reason to be snarky. Linking the thread is helpful, but you know, niceness goes a long way.
I’ve actually read that thread. My comment about coating was based on what my vets have told me v. that thread. That thread clearly gives a lot of good information about the use of nexium in horses. Both my vets told me to avoid it because of the coating, which does not break down effectively. Hence ‘conflicting information’.
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We are also taking a somewhat sketchy foreign company at their word that the granules are appropriately coated…so I think the same concern about it getting through the stomach applies to both.
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I definitely can’t speak to the tablets - not even sure if I realized, or remembered, there were any :lol:
I will also add that there have been many reports that omneprozle at 1/4th dosage is just as effective as full dosage.
Those are all based on 1 study done in Australia, using an Australian product that is similar to (in that it’s omeprazole) but different enough (different preparation) UG/GG. The study was also done on horses who were fasted prior to dosing. Fasting is the ideal for a lot of things - ulcer treatment and deworming among them. But reality dictates we manage things otherwise, and the UG/GG were approved based on “normal” use of non-fasted horses, so that higher amount (full tube for the average horse) really is needed for treatment.
The tablets may be a different story - I’m interested now to see how they are made. My guess is that the issue is - people can swallow those tablets whole, but horses…:lol: I’d guess the instructions on the tablets say “do not chew”, because the instant they are broken, the unprotected inside is degraded in the stomach. I’d guess there’s a protective layer around the tablets that survives intact long enough to get past the stomach. The equine stomach is very acidic, so there’d be no problem breaking down that exterior coating.
The capsules are full of little encapsulated granules. Tiny granules. The odds of a horse crunching all 3 capsules, and crunching a significant number of the tiny granules, is…tiny :lol: But that’s why a lot of people will use 3 capsules, instead of the 2 they could use based on the 40gm dosing for most horses, for insurance against some % of the tiny granules being crunched and ruined.
One COTHer, a professional chemist, did a home-study to look at how long the granules would last in an environment like the equine stomach. They passed with flying colors. And, there are several people now who have scoped before and after Aprazole (one might have been using the paste), to prove healing.
For sure there are people who have not gotten (full) results with Abprazole, but that applies to UG/GG too. Some horses need more than 30 days, up to even 90 days. Some horses also have hind gut issues which hadn’t been addressed. But there are a great many people who have totally resolved issue with the Aprazole (most people I’ve run across use the granules, so much easier to use especially when boarding), so that says a lot 
Just pointing out that you obviously meant “$38 for 30 days” as I sure found this confusing when I read it the first time.
Had me struggling with the math for a moment as I have the flu and am working on no sleep.
:lol: :lol: :lol: YES, 30 days LOL! I will go back and edit that, thank for catching it!
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Thanks, @JB, all super helpful information!
Also good to clarify capsule v. tablets. It was the tablets I was advised again. They’re not gigantic but definitely could get chomped on the way down as they’re larger than the average grain pellet.
I am a person who has done a scope pre and post abprazole with a horse, but I did a 90 day treatment because the horse’s original ulcers were so bad that the vet suggested we do more than 30 days, so I just went ahead and did 90 to be safe before rescoping to check. So, I’m not sure whether we truly needed 90 days or not.
Will definitely look into the capsules for future.
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@JumpingAddict93 I accidentally ordered the tablets for my boy so I used them. They really helped him a lot but if I had to do it all over again I would double check to make sure I had the capsules, just to ensure if they were to chew one up…
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