The use of omeprazole to alleviate stomach ulcers in swine during periods of feed withdrawal

Controlled trials were conducted to determine if treatment with the benzimi dazole compound, omeprazole, would prevent gastric ulceration associated wi th feed withdrawal. Pigs were fed ad libitum, fasted for 24 h, or fasted fo r 48 h, and within each of these 3 groups the effect of no medication (cont rols), of 20 mg or 40 mg of omeprazole was evaluated on the pH of gastric f luid and the presence or absence of lesions in the pars esophagea. Medicati on with 40 mg of omeprazole resulted in significantly higher gastric pH 24 h after treatment compared with untreated pigs or pigs medicated with 20 mg of omeprazole. Fasting for 24 h or for 48 h, resulted in more pigs develop ing ulcers (15 of 25) than pigs allowed free access to feed (1 out of 10) ( P = 0.01). The results of this trial suggest that omeprazole was effective in preventing some, but not all, of the tissue damage in the pars esophagea related to feed withdrawal. In addition to hydrochloric acid, possibly oth er components, such as bile acids in the fluid gastric contents, are import ant in causing epithelial injury.