Gastric ulcers are open sores or lesions that develop on the lining of a horse’s stomach. They are caused by a breakdown in the protective lining of the stomach, allowing stomach acid to come into contact with the sensitive stomach tissue.
Ulcers can be painful and affect the behaviour, performance and wellbeing of a horse.
Gastric ulcers can span a wide variety of severity from mild inflammation of the stomach lining through to severe, bleeding ulcers and even perforation of the stomach – which can be fatal. The only way to definitively diagnose and grade ulcers is by gastroscopy to view the lining of the stomach.
The images below show the difference between a normal stomach and a stomach suffering from ulcers.
Normal horse stomach 1
Ulcered horse stomach 1
Normal horse stomach 2
Ulcered horse stomach 2
Ulcers can quickly develop into a negative cycle where pain, discomfort and stress reduce the horse’s appetite, which increases acidity in the stomach, which worsens or causes further ulcers, which causes further pain and distress, and so the cycle repeats. For this reason it is best to address ulcers as early as possible. Only 4-10% of ulcers will heal on their own.
Ask your vet about in-feed, enteric coated omeprazole for the treatment and prevention of gastric ulcers in adult horses.
Omeprazole is the only approved medication that is proven to heal and prevent equine gastric ulcers.