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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1165
  
Location: California | Just wanted to share my story as a heads up really!
For quite a few years now I’ve been adamant at feeding a low sugar/starch grain, free choice grass hay, and 24/7 turn out when not being worked or not at a race or show. So when my (at the time) 5yr old gelding started having temper tantrums under saddle I attributed to be attitude issues. Tried to correct it as such. In April this year he became completely unrideable. Passed his lameness exam and X-rays looked great. Had a chiro our and the poor guy was a mess! Left shoulder dropped, pain responses all down his back, in front of hips, and sacrum was out. Got him adjusted and had 1 good ride. Took him to be scoped for ulcers, turns out he has mild to moderate ulcers. He’s started treatment and will see a chiro as needed till it’s all worked out.
I then began to suspect ulcers in my yearling who had become almost impossible to handle! His herd boundless and spookiness was out of control. Brought him in to be scoped because I was now paranoid. Turns out he has the most severe ulcers my vet has ever seen. Actively bleeding ulcers! Poor guy has been in serious pain! So he has started treatment and now gets alfalfa hay 2x per day along with his free choice grass hay. I have removed all grain from his diet until he is healed and then I’ll go from there. This has been a real eye opener for sure!
I’m tempted to now scope my mare just because I’m paranoid! Just wanted to share as a heads up! Scoping is ALWAYS a good idea! |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| Yep! My vet says that despite all the best practices, sometimes horses just get them. And sometimes the worst ulcer cases show zero symptoms! They work, don’t go off feed etc. my vet also said it’s money better spent jistntontreat for them if you suspect rather than scope. She explained that if you scope and they have them , same treatment. So she called in a script for compounded omepraze for me. I always keep a few boxes of ulcerguard on hand to immediately give relief when needed. I also give a dose before i haul , day before and morning of a barrel race. I currently use one scoop curost stomach daily and forco. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1165
Location: California | FLITASTIC - 2018-06-20 12:16 PM
Yep! My vet says that despite all the best practices, sometimes horses just get them. And sometimes the worst ulcer cases show zero symptoms! They work, don’t go off feed etc. my vet also said it’s money better spent jistntontreat for them if you suspect rather than scope. She explained that if you scope and they have them , same treatment. So she called in a script for compounded omepraze for me. I always keep a few boxes of ulcerguard on hand to immediately give relief when needed. I also give a dose before i haul , day before and morning of a barrel race. I currently use one scoop curost stomach daily and forco.
My vet prefers to scope and know for sure than to just treat. Mainly because it could be so many different things. I personally agree but don’t blame people for not scoping. I know my yearling will be scoped again after treatment! My now 6yr old will be scoped again if his symptoms don’t go away after treatment. I’d just rather spend the money and know for sure. |
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
 
Location: Opelousas, LA | Just curious, what does it cost to scope for ulcers now? Do they still have to be fasted for 24 hours prior?
Thanks for sharing! I spend quite a bit of money to stay on top of ulcers with my racehorses. I sometimes wonder if its overkill, but they look good and bounce back from racing and training better than most. I don't know how we used to get by before we knew about ulcers, everyone fed Omolene 200 and lots of it! |
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Expert
Posts: 5290
| I remember the cost of the scope was the same as the cost for treatment. lol my vet told me you will see a difference in the horse very quickly , just a few days with ulcerguard if indeed that was the issue. |
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | I had one 2 vets said he needed to be treated for ulcers so I scoped and they was shocked that he had none! so was I! so I looked elsewhere instead of being stuck on ulcers. I think sometimes we all get so tunnel vision when one symptom could mean something else for a different horse! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1516
Location: Illinois | Mine would just stop in the gate when I'd go to run, he ate fine, looked fine, rode fine otherwise. So I scoped him, his stomach was 80% covered in bleeding ulcers and they were all the way up into his larynx. We had expected them to be very mild given not much symptoms. Scoping at my vet is $250 plus the sedatives and office fee. I think it was around $300 last time I did it. I get omeprazole paste from my lameness vet and it's $220 for a 30 day treatment. A lot of times before I take the time off work and the trip I'll hit them with 5 days, if I see an improvement I'll keep doing the rest. If not I go to my vet to find answers. The one I run I could always tell when they were back. But luckily after treating & starting Gastro-Plex daily he's been ulcer free for almost 2 years and I had him scoped twice to just be sure. If I couldn't get the omeprazole so cheap I'd be more likely to scope to start with. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1165
Location: California | My vet charges $150 to scope. I can think of 6 horses I personally know that paid for the ulcer treatment first and they respond well. As soon as they quit with the ulcer meds symptoms would come back. They all ended up scoped at some point while symptomatic and none had ulcers. So I’d rather be 100% sure before medicating for anything, even if it costs a bit. |
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Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | $150 is not bad at all, I haven't checked in a while but it used to be around $400 down here. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Serenity06 - 2018-06-20 5:40 PM
My vet charges $150 to scope. I can think of 6 horses I personally know that paid for the ulcer treatment first and they respond well. As soon as they quit with the ulcer meds symptoms would come back. They all ended up scoped at some point while symptomatic and none had ulcers. So I’d rather be 100% sure before medicating for anything, even if it costs a bit.
A scope will only show stomach ulcers, a horse can not have stomach ulcers but still have hind gut ulcers. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1165
Location: California | cheryl makofka - 2018-06-20 7:58 PM
Serenity06 - 2018-06-20 5:40 PM
My vet charges $150 to scope. I can think of 6 horses I personally know that paid for the ulcer treatment first and they respond well. As soon as they quit with the ulcer meds symptoms would come back. They all ended up scoped at some point while symptomatic and none had ulcers. So I’d rather be 100% sure before medicating for anything, even if it costs a bit.
A scope will only show stomach ulcers, a horse can not have stomach ulcers but still have hind gut ulcers.
Yes but treatment for stomach ulcers doesn’t help hindgut ulcers. So when those horses reacted positive to stomach ulcer treatment even though they did not have ulcers it was wasting the owners money because they didn’t scope first to see there were no ulcers. Their causes all ended up something unrelated to ulcers. That was my point. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| $400 to scope here in VT |
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 Winner winner chicken dinner
Posts: 2047
Location: California | My vet will run a special and do it for $85 during the month of May. I’ve had it done to my mare several times and it is fascinating. I didn’t suspect ulcers and didn’t find much (some color distortion and a few pin point spots), but for that price there isn’t a reason not to check. I also feed a daily ulcer supplement through smartpaks so I do think it helps a lot. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | phillyincal - 2018-06-21 9:32 AM My vet will run a special and do it for $85 during the month of May. I’ve had it done to my mare several times and it is fascinating. I didn’t suspect ulcers and didn’t find much (some color distortion and a few pin point spots), but for that price there isn’t a reason not to check. I also feed a daily ulcer supplement through smartpaks so I do think it helps a lot. Its June so are you talking May of 2019?
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2018-06-21 9:55 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1165
Location: California | Southtxponygirl - 2018-06-21 8:54 AM
phillyincal - 2018-06-21 9:32 AM My vet will run a special and do it for $85 during the month of May. I’ve had it done to my mare several times and it is fascinating. I didn’t suspect ulcers and didn’t find much (some color distortion and a few pin point spots), but for that price there isn’t a reason not to check. I also feed a daily ulcer supplement through smartpaks so I do think it helps a lot. Its June so are you talking May of 2019?
I think it’s meant as May of every year. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Serenity06 - 2018-06-21 10:58 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-06-21 8:54 AM phillyincal - 2018-06-21 9:32 AM My vet will run a special and do it for $85 during the month of May. I’ve had it done to my mare several times and it is fascinating. I didn’t suspect ulcers and didn’t find much (some color distortion and a few pin point spots), but for that price there isn’t a reason not to check. I also feed a daily ulcer supplement through smartpaks so I do think it helps a lot. Its June so are you talking May of 2019? I think it’s meant as May of every year.
Awwww I think your right  |
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Winner winner chicken dinner
Posts: 2047
Location: California | Southtxponygirl - 2018-06-22 10:01 AM
Serenity06 - 2018-06-21 10:58 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-06-21 8:54 AM phillyincal - 2018-06-21 9:32 AM My vet will run a special and do it for $85 during the month of May. I’ve had it done to my mare several times and it is fascinating. I didn’t suspect ulcers and didn’t find much (some color distortion and a few pin point spots), but for that price there isn’t a reason not to check. I also feed a daily ulcer supplement through smartpaks so I do think it helps a lot. Its June so are you talking May of 2019? I think it’s meant as May of every year.
Yes, it’s their May special...they do $50 hock X-rays in July along with some other specials in other months. It’s a great way to take advantage of some procedures you might not do because they make it so affordable. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | phillyincal - 2018-06-21 1:41 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-06-22 10:01 AM Serenity06 - 2018-06-21 10:58 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-06-21 8:54 AM phillyincal - 2018-06-21 9:32 AM My vet will run a special and do it for $85 during the month of May. I’ve had it done to my mare several times and it is fascinating. I didn’t suspect ulcers and didn’t find much (some color distortion and a few pin point spots), but for that price there isn’t a reason not to check. I also feed a daily ulcer supplement through smartpaks so I do think it helps a lot. Its June so are you talking May of 2019? I think it’s meant as May of every year. Yes, it’s their May special...they do $50 hock X-rays in July along with some other specials in other months. It’s a great way to take advantage of some procedures you might not do because they make it so affordable.
Now that is a great deal  , that vet needs to open a office here in Seguin, lol..  |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 589
| Serenity06 - 2018-06-20 6:40 PM My vet charges $150 to scope. I can think of 6 horses I personally know that paid for the ulcer treatment first and they respond well. As soon as they quit with the ulcer meds symptoms would come back. They all ended up scoped at some point while symptomatic and none had ulcers. So I’d rather be 100% sure before medicating for anything, even if it costs a bit.
Usually that is what happens when you treat with omeprazole since it changes the pH in stomach and once you are done with treatment the pH will go back... so it's a vicious cycle. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1165
Location: California | panamasgold - 2018-06-22 10:05 AM
Serenity06 - 2018-06-20 6:40 PM My vet charges $150 to scope. I can think of 6 horses I personally know that paid for the ulcer treatment first and they respond well. As soon as they quit with the ulcer meds symptoms would come back. They all ended up scoped at some point while symptomatic and none had ulcers. So I’d rather be 100% sure before medicating for anything, even if it costs a bit.
Usually that is what happens when you treat with omeprazole since it changes the pH in stomach and once you are done with treatment the pH will go back... so it's a vicious cycle.
None of those horses had ulcers though. They were all found to be something else.
I know Ace isn’t reacting as well to the treatment and this is his 2nd week on it. Ringo has immediate results after the first dose. Ace will continue to see a chiro and massage person and hopefully we can get him fixed up, I’ll have Ringo checked over as well. |
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