Reprinted with permission of Kern Road Veterinary Clinic,
Fowlerville, Michigan
Gastric (stomach) ulcers can affect all types of horses at all ages. The highest incidence of horses with gastric ulcers are performance and race horses. Recent studies have shown that up to 90% of horses in intense training have some form of gastric ulceration.
Horses with gastric ulcers may present with poor body condition, poor appetite, weight loss, poor performance, personality changes, and sudden or recurrent colic. These clinical signs are helpful in detecting ulcers, however, endoscopy (scoping) of the stomach is the only definitive method of diagnosis.
Previous methods of treatment included reducing the horse’s training schedule, increasing turnout on pasture, and reduction of grains in the diet for 2 – 3 weeks. Because high acid production contributes to gastric ulcers, antacids such as Maalox, sucralfate and Tagamet were used. Gastrogard (omeprazole) is a new product more effective than previous medications in reducing acid content in the horse’s stomach. Gastrogard allows many of the horses affected with ulcers to stay in training without major diet changes. It has also been shown to aid in the complete healing of gastric ulcers, unlike many other drugs. Gastrogard shows great promise of helping horses who previously would have been unable to perform as expected.
