Perhaps we can all agree the Ides of March have done a number on us all yet again this year? Eli decided to have a little veterinary adventure right around the time change, so instead of me benefiting from more light after work, he got to benefit from two clinic visits.
Poor guy has ulcers again – that’s the short version. But wow, the new facilities at the vet clinic of which he has been a patient for years are really, super, super nice!
I mean, check out this grazing! But anyway, Eli got IV fluids, scoped, sent home, sent back, monitored … he is back home and doing well so far, on a month-long course of medication to clear up the ulcers (hopefully–he’ll be rescoped to confirm this time) and by Friday I will have a few samples of some supplements to try him on. He is now refusing to eat the Purina Outlast. It’s alfalfa pellets, essentially. His regular pellet feed is also essentially alfalfa pellets. I … don’t know why he won’t eat it. I have lots of options and suggestions from his vets, so I know I’ll find something eventually that will work for him.
Luckily we had some warm weather when he got home, so he got a bath and I fixed his out-of-control mane. He dropped a few pounds over the last two weeks, but he is gradually being built back up to his regular diet and he seems to be *much* more comfortable. I know there are like no less than 8,000 different ways people go about trying to treat and prevent ulcers in horses. I’m going to go with listening to his vets and listening to my trainers and I think that’ll be doing the absolute best we all can for Eli. I cannot thank the barn workers, my trainers, and especially his vets enough for all they have done for Eli!
I hate ulcers. Sorry to hear he’s been feeling bad. I’m sure you’ll figure out the right treatments with your pro team.
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Yeah, they are pretty insidious. He seems much more comfortable after a week of Gastrogard, at least!
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Nuts, poor Eli! I hope you can get it figured out and he’ll be back to his sassy self!
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The sass is already returning 🙂
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Poor Eli!
We are also on the ulcer train right now. Lunas ended upbeing worse after the first round of treatment and check up scope. We are trying again and hoping for better results.
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Oh, I am sorry to hear that! I do hope you have better results next time you scope. Ulcers can be so tricky to treat and prevent.
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Gastrogard is expensive but it is the gold standard. And it is a good idea to have a repeat scope after he has finished the course of it. Do vets in your area recommend Sucralfate? I have not used this as the horse I have now does not have ulcers but there are a couple of horses in the barn who have had treatment with it. It coats the ulcers in stomach and hindgut to let them heal. But it is not used on an ongoing basis. I hope Eli will do better and please let us know.
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It is expensive but very much worth it in my understanding. He is also being treated with misoprostal, which treats pyloric ulcers and the hind gut. The scope showed pyloric inflammation but no ulcers in that area at least! I do know of some horses who have been treated with sucralfate so I don’t think it’s off the table for Eli. I assume we’ll have a better idea of a game plan going forward after the re-scope. I will definitely post updates!
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Oh, I should clarify: he is on Gastrogard for 32 days, a gradual step-down plan, in addition to the misoprostal.
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Aww, poor guy. Hope he continues to improve and eat his supplements!
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He is too picky! Hopefully he’ll eat supplements better once the Gastrogard really kicks in.
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Taking medical advice is smart. I hope he improves pretty quickly.
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Thanks, me too.
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Oh no! Poor Eli! I hope they get him feeling like himself soon.
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Me too! He already seems much more comfortable thanks to the Gastrogard
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