We have determined that our OTTB that we've had for 6 months and hasn't gained enough weight mostly likely has low grade uclers. He has gained weight but not enough and he eats REALLY REALLY slow. No noticable colic though...
I can't believe GastroGaurd is $1000 for a month treatment!! I know there are other options but those are semi expensive as well. Can anyone offer a more cost effective treatment?
Right now he is on pasture 24/7 and gets 12 lbs of coastal and
2lbs beet pulp, 1 lb alfalfa pellets, 1 lb oats 1 cup veg oil twice a day and 1 gm Isoxuprine for his feet.
Our vet put hank on a prescription cant remember what it is called now...It was $40 a month for 2 months. We then started to give him alfalfa hay. Apparently the alfalfa is more alkaline so it reduces the acidity in the stomach. At least that is what I was told. Since then we have had no more ulcers. His were so bad he exhibited like he had colic only colic treatments didnt work. Anyway that what we did
i agree with it being made in india, but the calculator is a wonderful tool too see how many MG you'll need for treatment vs. prevention. I know vets in the USA that will write a script and you go to wallmart and get the pills, you just have to crush more of them to get to the MG needed.
The gastroguard has a coating around the pill that protects it from the stomach and then allows it to be absorbed as the manufactuaer wants it. THIS is why it is so expensive. The generic does NOT have this coating, and stomach acid quickly destroys the pill and it does not get used as intended. So it's pretty much like throwing your money away.
Here's a post I did on ulcers... treating it with meds doesn't make the problem go away--you have to change their lifestyle too!
correct me if i'm wrong but gastroguard is a paste in a tube, not a coated pill. it is only available from a vet but ulcer guard is the same ingredient but generic and its non prescription. i'm just giving the OP options as i've had success using ulcer guard and heard of people having success with generic pills as they may not be able to afford the gastroguard.
i do agree that diet helps control the problem but not always.
Toosleepy...thats what I thought too.. Gastrogaurd is a paste.. so I'm not understanding mayfield.. but I did hear that prilosec may not be as effective as the stuff made for horses.
I'm sorry! It totally is a paste. (This is what happens when you just get up from work.)
Generics are allowed to have the same main ingredient, but they can't be EXACTLY the same. Gastroguard is made to get into the system, and not be destroyed by the stomach acid. The idea is the same, just minus the pill part.
Prilosec was originally under-dosed, so the horses weren't getting enough, though I've heard better results from it thus far. It would definitely be worth getting the horse scoped to see if it is 100% before trying anything like gastroguard; and if the ulcers are small, you might be able to get by with a less expensive one.
The generic is much cheaper, but it doesn't mean it does the horse any good! Kind of like Chondroitin for joints--the horse can't digest it to use it, but they keep making joint supplements with it...
I don't think I've ever taken a name brand drug and they've always worked for me... When I was pregnant, they gave me a script for Zantac but the pharm gave me rantidine... when I can't sleep they proscribed Ambien but I got zolpidem or whatever. They all worked for me? So why not buy generic for the horse?
I hope I don't sound argumentative.... In fact I decided not to adopt the horse because I need to STOP taking in strays... I can't rescue every horse! Not because of the Ulcers.. but he popped an abscess and the whole front half of his foot is bruised and it could be months and months before I could use him for anything and I just don't have the space.
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