Omeprazole, also known as Ulcer Guard is commonly used to help ease the discomfort of gastric and hind gut ulcers. It is a proton inhibitor which prevents the hydrogen ion from being produced in the mucosal cells, reducing acidity, but compromising the nutrient absorption of protein, fats and carbohydrates that require an acidic pH in the foregut to breakdown and absorb the amino acids and soluable fibres.
Horses coming off of omeprazole need to be weaned off carefully, because the “rebound” effect of the mucosal cell producing an excessive amount of the hydrogen ion to can cause new ulcers from forming and preventing the previous ones from healing.
Chronic use of omeprazole places horses at risk of developing hind gut ulcers because the good microbes cannot survive in an acidic pH environment,,,,,, and now we have a roller coaster effect, creating a situation that is expensive and not treating the root cause of either gastric or hind gut ulcers
For more information visit our blog on Hind Gut Health and Ulcers at vlequineperformance.com or call us at 905 691 9725. Comments are always welcome. Till next time….a happy gut is a happy horse…and a happy rider.
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