Over the coming weeks we will be discussing gastric ulcers; a common but often preventable and treatable condition;
- The risks and what to look out for
- How and why do our horses get them?
- How we can prevent and treat them
- Success! Owner experiences
The risks and what to look out for;
Whilst about 60% of performance horses and 40% of leisure horses and ponies are estimated to be affected by stomach ulcers, many still go undiagnosed. This is because the signs of ulcers can be vague and could apply to a number of other conditions such as back problems, teeth problems, or hormones, or even put down to just being a ‘stressy’ or ‘poorly behaved’ horse!
So how can you tell if your horse has ulcers?
The only definitive way to find out is to have a gastroscopy, a non-invasive procedure where your vet will view your horse’s stomach via a tube and camera known as a video gastroscope.
However, to help you decide whether you need to consult your vet, consider if your horse has been showing some / any / or all of these signs;
- Agitation on girthing
- Change in behaviour / reluctance to work
- Picky appetite
- Poor performance
- Mild weight loss
- Dull ‘Starey’ coat
- Recurring mild colic
- Foals: Salivation and teeth grinding
Risk Factors;
- Increased work and training
- Fast work such as racing
- Jumping
- Stabling - the more time in the stable, the increase in risk, especially if food is restricted
- Travelling and competitions
- Moving yards or separation from established peer group
- Restricted diet and / or a high concentrate diet
- Some medications
If you think your horse may have stomach ulcers, contact your vet as soon as possible.
Next week we will look at how ulcers develop and why horses are so prone to them!