This will depend on the severity or grade of stomach ulcers at the time of diagnosis. Ulcergard, on the other hand, is used to help prevent your horse from developing stomach ulcers. GastroGard is the FDA approved omeprazole product manufactured by Merial for the treatment of gastric ulcer syndrome in horses.
The drug is stable in the paste form and guaranteed to deliver the labeled strength of drug if handled properly until the expiration date is reached. They are not permitted for use in the competition horse at any time.
Replace cap if any unused doses remain in the syringe. USES: For the prevention of gastric ulcers in horses. Horses evolved as consistently grazing animals, with access to feed at all times.
Therefore, the stomach developed to produce acid and enzymes at all times to aid in digestion. However, as horses were domesticated and were kept in stalls without free access to feed, the consistent acid production was no longer buffered by constant forage intake, eventually causing ulceration of the stomach. As the stomach is a very acidic environment, the lining of the stomach has developed a series of protective mechanisms to prevent erosion of the lining, including a mucus layer and good mucosal blood flow.
By providing these protective mechanisms, the stomach is able produce and utilize gastric acid and enzymes to aid in digestion without causing damage to the stomach lining. However, for various reasons, the acid and enzyme production in the stomach can overwhelm the protective mechanisms, and cause ulcers.
Adult horses that suffer from gastric ulcers tend show signs of mild colic, including pawing, flank biting, and flank watching. They will also show more subtle signs such as teeth grinding and can have loose manure.
Some owners will note a change in behavior, poor performance, inappetance, weight loss and resistance to girth tightening as well. The only way to definitively diagnose gastric ulceration is via gastroscopy. Gastroscopy is performed by passing a small camera through the nostril and nasal passages, past the pharynx, into the esophagus and finally into the stomach. Horses generally must be fasted for at least 12 hours prior to gastroscopy for the stomach to be empty enough to visualize the majority of the stomach lining.
As gastroscopy is sometimes expensive or unavailable, many horses are treated empirically based on clinical signs, and assumed to have ulcers if the signs improve with treatment. There are numerous supplements and medications to treat gastric ulcers, but the three primary medications used at Woodside Equine Clinic include:.
For example, I own a thoroughbred that had ulcers when I bought him. He was treated with concentrated omeprazole i. Today, he only gets UlcerGard when I know he is going to be in a stressful situation. He gets a dose every day he is traveling at a horse show, and he gets a dose every day he is stuck inside with no turnout due to weather.
Thankfully, UlcerGard does its job, as he has stayed happy and ulcer-free since he has been on it! UlcerGard can be purchased here at Amazon. So, to recap, UlcerGard and GastroGard serve different purposes.
GastroGard heals pre-existent ulcers, and UlcerGard calms the stomach to prevent the formation of ulcers during stressful situations. GastroGard is a higher concentration of omeprazole given in high dosages every day for a month, while UlcerGard is given circumstantially and subjectively. Over half of all horses will experience ulcers at some time in their lives.
Knowing when and how to treat these ulcers is the best way to ensure that your horse will stay happy and healthy in the long run. I hope this article helped you understand the similarities and differences between GastroGard and UlcerGard.
Please share this article and share your own experiences with UlcerGard Vs. Table of Contents. Related Posts.
0コメント