Horse Ulcers and Human Ulcers

[Luci]

Dealing with my own health issues lately has me wondering about horses and ulcers.

If a bacteria is part of the problem with human ulcers, is it also with horses? If so, you'd think we would pull blood to check like they do humans. (Although I came up neg. and they had to scope to find erosion.) For humans, antibiotics are given. Horses?

I have been told to get back on the omeprazole. However, a friend of mine told me to do some research because once you take it for an extended period of time it can physically change you so that you always need to take it. (Off to the store to buy more aloe vera juice, buy papaya juice, and finally juice that cabbage -ugh! Then, begin researching and talk to doc Tues.) It is the same with horses? If we give them omeprazole for long enough to heal an ulcer, do we change their intestinal physiology?

Einstein, is that papaya juice for horses still around? Anyone still using it?

[animaldoc]

The GIT of horses and humans is pretty fundamentally different, since they are hindgut fermenters/herbivores and we are omnivores.

One of the reasons horses get ulcers (other than side effects of drugs) is that they are continual acid secreters. They are made to eat continually - walk a few steps, eat a few bites, walk a few steps, repeat. We take them and put them in stalls and feed them intermittently and boom - ulcers.

People secrete acid when they eat and not usually in between and evolutionarily ate sporadically (when we were able to find food).

Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor and side effects are generally mild, but after long term use (generally years) you can damage the acid secreting proton pumps by always supressing them.

[Lam9]

Helicobacter pylori is the bacteria that can cause ulcers in people. Different species of Helicobacter can infect different species of mammals, some cause diseases and some don't. Supposedly, there is a horse at my barn with Heliobacter induced ulcers, but it seems like there is some disagreement on bacteria ulcers in horses.

[Luci]

Interesting info., thanks! I did go back to taking the meds myself if it takes a long time to cause physical change I'm fine with it. Will have to look out there to see if that paypaya supp Einstein used to use is around any more.