After 28 days of force-feeding Zelda her ulcer meds, I’m happy to report that the latest endoscopic exam showed that healing is happening. In fact, she is able to taper off the Omeprazole over the next week, and will finish off the container of Sucralfate. Zelda has been a very good girl but she is starting to greet me with an evil glare and turns her head away. She is absolutely done with the syringing of medication.

The vet was on board with the alfalfa hay, Nibble Nets, papaya puree and chia seed. We also discussed having Zelda eat beet pulp and a ration balancer instead of Triple Crown Senior, as she can have more bulk (thumbs up from Zelda) without a lot of calories. Zelda is eating a good amount of hay. Right now I fill two Nibble Nets overnight and she manages to eat just about every bit of hay that I’ve stuffed into them.

I’m still investigating the different anti-ulcer supplements. Purina Outlast sounds promising — it buffers stomach acid for 4 hours after feeding. I’m also researching a few others and will report back soon.

Best guess is that trailering is making her feel anxious and hunting gets her amped up. The next time I trailer her, I’ll give her a tiny bit of Ace to keep her calm, and take her someplace where the ride is easy and relaxed. Next hunt season I will put her on a maintenance dose of Sucralfate, and give her Omeprazole (or Nexium, which is easier to feed) before we head out. I’ll also put some alfalfa in her hay net on the trailer.

I’m quite pleased that she’s doing so much better. I’m sure she feels a lot better, too.