Impact of Dosage and Diet on Omeprazole Efficacy

A brief period of fasting prior to omeprazole administration could help maximize drug absorption and, thus, efficacy.
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Impact of Dosage and Diet on Omeprazole Efficacy
Sykes said the findings should not discount the importance of high-roughage diets for preventing squamous ulcers, but they do suggest that fasting overnight prior to drug administration could help maximize the chances of drug absorption. | Photo: The Horse Staff

When it comes to battling equine gastric ulcers, omeprazole is widely considered the go-to treatment. With this is mind, a team of researchers recently set out to examine diet and dosing’s impact on omeprazole’s efficacy in suppressing gastric acidity in horses in various scenarios:

  • With daily oral omeprazole doses of either 1 mg/kg or 4 mg/kg of body weight; and
  • In high-grain, low-fiber, or free-choice hay diets.

In this study, the team outfitted six healthy Thoroughbreds with percutaneous gastrostomy tubes (through the abdominal wall into the stomach) to measure gastric pH levels, first recording baseline levels on Day 0, then following up with measurements on Days 1-5 of omeprazole administration.

The research revealed two key findings, said lead researcher Ben Sykes, BSc, BVMS, MS, MBA, Dipl. ACVIM, ECEIM, PhD, of The University of Queensland in Australia

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Freelance journalist Natalie DeFee Mendik is a multiple American Horse Publications editorial and graphics awards winner specializing in equestrian media. She holds an MA in English from Colorado State University and an International Federation of Journalists’ International press card, and is a member of the International Alliance of Equestrian Journalists. With over three decades of horse experience, Natalie’s main equine interests are dressage and vaulting. Having lived and ridden in England, Switzerland, and various parts of the United States, Natalie currently resides in Colorado with her husband and two girls.

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