Equine Gastric Ulcers

April 2, 2024 83 view(s)

EQUINE GASTRIC ULCERS

Diagnosing & Treating Gastric Ulcers in Horses by Dr. Corey Paradine, DVM from Cleveland Equine Clinic

What are Gastric Ulcers in your Equine?
Gastric ulcers are lesions in the mucosa of the horse’s stomach that can vary in size, number and severity. Mild lesions can be small and superficial, with only little reddening and thickening of the mucosa. Severe lesions can present as large, multiple ulcerations in the mucosa.

CLICK HERE for Dr. Corey Paradine's entire seminar presentation

WHAT CAUSES GASTRIC ULCERS?

Management
- Stalling/limited turnout
- Feeding meals rather than continuous grazing
NSAIDs
- Bute, Banamine, Equioxx
Domestic horses have added stress from training, traveling, herd changes, the wind blew differently, etc etc
???
- Lots of research still being done
  - Differences between non-glandular ulcer disease and glandular/pyloric ulcer disease

WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF GASTRIC ULCERS?

• Weight loss
• Reduced appetite
• Poor hair coat
• Recurrent colic
• Attitude changes
• Poor performance

NOT USUALLY SPECIFIC!

DIAGNOSING GASTRIC ULCERS

Gastroscopy!!
Sucralfate trial
- Acts as a band-aid over lesions
- Horses usually respond positively after a few days
Fecal blood test??
- Not shown to be reliable
  
  NOT by symptoms alone!

WHAT ARE GASTRIC ULCERS?

Equine Squamous Gastric Disease
- Grade 1 lesion
  - Mucosa is intact, but there are areas of hyperkeratosis or gastritis
- Grade 2 lesion
  - Small, single or multi-focal lesions; superficial
- Grade 3 Lesion (Moderate Ulceration)
  - Large single or extensive superficial lesions
- Grade 4 Lesion (Severe Ulceration)
  - Extensive lesions with areas of apparent deep ulceration
Equine Glandular Gastric Disease/Pyloric lesions
- Not usually graded, described instead
  - Fibrinosupperative
  - Erythematous, hemorrhagic
  - Raised, flat, or depressed

TREATMENT OF GASTRIC ULCERS?

Omeprazole
- Only FDA approved treatment – Gastrogard
- Only FDA approved drug for prevention - Ulcergard
Sucralfate
Misoprostol
- Primarily used for glandular/pyloric ulcers
H2 antagonists (cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine)
- Used occasionally but not as effective as Ulcergard
Compounds?
- Not worthwhile; omeprazole needs an appropriate carrier agent to get through stomach acid into the small intestine to be absorbed
Antibiotics?
- Bacteria not shown to be a causative agent in equine gastric ulcer disease