UlcerGard/Gastrogard dosage

[stryder]

A little help, please. I need to convert Gastrogard to Ulcergard levels. If I want my mare to get one preventive dose, using Gastrogard, and she weighs 1300 lbs., is that one-quarter tube? One-eighth? Or less?

The back story is that I have one tube of Gastrogard at her barn. I have 200 packets of Blue Pop Rocks sitting at home, but can’t get any to the barn until Thursday. I’m in my office, and need to give directions to the barn help.

I’m not interesting in buying anything, shipping anything or trying something different. Just need a little help with the math, from someone who can actually look at a label, or who can steer me in the right direction. It’s just one day.

thanks!!!

[Simkie]

One quarter tube of either ulcergard or gastrogard is the preventative dose.

One full tube of either ulcergard or gastrogard is the treatment dose.

The ONLY thing different about the two tubes is the labeling. They contain identical amounts of omeprazole.

[stryder]

Thanks, Simkie. For some reason I thought they were different, but I hadn’t looked into it.

[CatPS]

At 1300lbs, the maintenance dose is actually 1/2 tube. I can’t remember if 1100 or 1200 is the cutoff where they recommend the higher dose, but if your horse is truly 1300 then she is definitely in the half-tube territory.

[Simkie]

Interesting, CatPS. The package insert says over 1200.

But the dose for prevention is 0.45 mg/lb, which would be 585 mg for a 1300 lb horse, versus the 570 mg in 1/4 of the tube.

I never really thought about it and always treated my 1300 lb horse with 1/4 tube for prevention. Worked fine for us!

[stryder]

thanks to you both!

I’m content to go a little light, so will ask the barn help to shove in a quarter tube. I don’t think she’s actually eating every single granule, either. So likely equivalent.

[TheJenners]

Do they really??? I thought UG was half dose of GG? Interesting!

[netg]

[QUOTE=TheJenners;6553754]
Do they really??? I thought UG was half dose of GG? Interesting! :)[/QUOTE]

Yep. My vet said his understanding was that the regulations involved didn’t want to allow them to label the same product as both preventative and curative. And GG costs more since it’s prescription - he told me he couldn’t get it for me at as low a price as he knew I could get UG, so use that instead.

A 1/4 tube isn’t enough for preventative for my TB which is how we developed problems - I have to give him 1/2 tube. He was estimated at 1300 lbs prior to putting on a lot of muscle, so I don’t know what he would be now…

[Gnomeland]

How often do you guys administer the preventative dose?

[rlb]

What makes GG prescription and UG not??

[Simkie]

[QUOTE=rlb;6813541]
What makes GG prescription and UG not??[/QUOTE]

Because of those dosing instructions.

It’s not really any difference than “prescription” ranitadine, for example, and OTC ranitadine. The dose size–the mg in the pill–is higher in the RX product. But you can easily replicate the RX dose by taking multiple pills of the OTC product.

[rlb]

prescription?

Why is Gastrogard prescription and Ulcergard not??

[rlb]

Thanks… I was hoping thats all it was… thank you!

[deltawave]

[QUOTE=rlb;6813673]
Why is Gastrogard prescription and Ulcergard not??[/QUOTE]

For the same reason 800mg ibuprofen is prescription only and 200mg ibuprofen is not. The OTC dosages are decided upon and regulated by the FDA.

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=Gnomeland;6559457]
How often do you guys administer the preventative dose?[/QUOTE]

You set the syringe dial to 1/4 tube and dispense into the mouth just like you would the treatment dose…only the dial will stop the plunger where it needs to be so that only 1/4 of the tube goes down the hatch.

[JB]

LOL - “howoften”

As often as necessary, ie, for the duration of bute treatment plus a couple of days, for example.

[LauraKY]

What are the downsides for long term use? Is it the same as a proton pump inhibitor in humans?

[deltawave]

[QUOTE=LauraKY;6815487]
What are the downsides for long term use? Is it the same as a proton pump inhibitor in humans?[/QUOTE]

Probably.

[Bugs_s_Mom]

I know this is an old thread but trying avoid yet another thread on the subject. I know during treatment phase GG/UG have to be given on an empty stomach, does this apply to prevention as well? What if the horse is maintaining well on Outlast? The reason I ask is moving to a new barn, my guy was successfully treated for both squamous and glandular ulcers that I would hate to have return! I know my vet told me to give him GG/UG a few days before and after any stressful event but if he is on Outlast I wouldn’t want to double up here so would need to stop that to give GG/UG. I am more concerned if it matters whether the stomach is empty or not if it is just for prevention.

Thanks!

[Feathered_Feet]

The stomach being empty is better for absorption of the drug, therefore improving efficacy. This is true for GG and UG. So really the question is “how much do you need the full dose of UG/GG?” According to the drug label, 67% is absorbed when administered under fed conditions (versus 100% when fasted), which is somewhat significant (thought it was a small study - 13 horses, so take it with a grain of salt as the label does not report any measure of variance associated with the reduction). Does that 33% reduction in efficacy matter to you? In my experience and in my situations, the answer is usually no - I’d rather my horse have all the hay she can eat 24 hours a day, which also minimizes the recurrence of ulcers, rather than stress about restricting food so she is fasting and give it then. Alternatively, you give a little more GG/UG to account for the 33% reduction, but keep the horse fed.