Which product should i be treating my horse with .... omeprazole or sucralfate?
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You should be treating the pain (and protecting the ulcer) while addressing the underlying issue.
Omeprazole will help inhibit the production of stomach acid and address the underlying problem.
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Sucralfate will coat the ulcer and provide relief to the horse.
Sucralfate can also be used to treat issues and discomfort of the hindgut where omeprazole is not considered an effective treatment.
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Combined Treatment
Sucralfate helps horses with ulcers by creating a protective coat on the surface of the ulcer. It provides relief to the horse nearly immediately. However, if you treat a horse with sucralfate alone – you’ll just be masking the problem.
In the mean time omeprazole works to reduce stomach acid. It’s for this reason that sucralfate and omeprazole are used together to effectively treat ulcers in horses.
TOP TIP: Sucralfate can be used as a good preventative measure for horses in ‘ulcer causing’ situations. For example stress caused by long distance travel or competition. The protective coating can help prevent ulcers forming in the first place.
How to Heal Equine Ulcers
Horse Ulcers can take a long time to heal. On average anywhere from 20 to 60 days.
And while sucralfate and omeprazole will help a horse feel better, you need to identify and treat the core problem during that healing process.
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Lifestyle diet and stress trigger of the individual horse should be considered and addressed where possible.
When it comes to medicating, using omeprazole and sucralfate together will limit the horse’s acid production and give the ulcers the greatest chance of healing.
However, as you know – nothing is EVER simple with horses.
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Unfortunately it’s not as simple as just throwing both the medications into a horse’s feed. You need to understand how these medications work together and why you can’t administer them at the same time.
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In simple terms, the sucralfate coats a horse’s stomach but can also stop the absorption of supplements and medications.
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PLEASE READ HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TREATMENT
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