omeprazole dose in horses

Re: omeprazole dose in horses

Michael Woodhouse — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:34:55 GMT

Have you tried the equine meloxicam preparations? We had a case recently that became refractory to 'bute' but the Metecam kept it going.

Re: omeprazole dose in horses

Luke Edwards — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 20:44:13 GMT

Is gastroguard required? - the site of NSAID toxicity in the horse is the right dorsal colon, not the stomach.

Normal doses of NSAIDS have been shown not to cause stomach ulcers in healthy horses. High doses or ill horses maybe different but I would question the need to routinely use gastrogard in horses on NSAIDS given that it is so expensive and the money could often be used elsewhere.

At 4mg/kg virtually all horses will have neutralised stomach acid. Lower doses will work for many horses but you can't tell which horse will respond to lower doses unless you test stomach pH.

Drug company propaganda has convinced many people (including vets) that Bute = stomach ulcers. This isn't completely true and has become a bit of a bugbear of mine.

Luke

Re: omeprazole dose in horses

james herriot lied — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:12:18 GMT

Thanks Wynne

Gastrogard give 1mg/kg/day as a preventative, but I've read that there are issues of efficacy at this dose, and that 2 or 4 may be better. Unfortunately, we're in an absolute hole financially - hence the industrial doses of danilon - so we may well be resigned to the 1mg dose. Fairly desperate horse case, which I may throw open to the floor later, when I have more time.

Re: omeprazole dose in horses

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:47:19 GMT

Danilon doesn't become bute until metabolised in the liver so shouldn't be as damaging to gastric mucosa I'd try 2 mgs/kg then do a faecal occult blood (vegetarian so no probs with ingested blood) and increase to 4mgs if blood found

Wynne