Gastric Ulceration in Horses – What Can We Do?

Questionnaire

Before gastroscopy, we ask some questions about the general management on the yard and about the individual horse. We keep all your details anonymous, but ask the questions for a few reasons: 1. Assessing whether gastroscopy is the right thing for this horse at this time. 2. Assessing the ulcers and the improvement in light of management and changes that are being made therein, because although scientific papers and clinical reasoning have identified an ‘optimal management strategy’ with regards to ulcers we would like to work out which of the recommendations make the biggest difference to horses with gastric ulcers. Not all management recommendations are feasible in all settings, and everyone just does what they can easily change, but if we can identify the biggest game-changers then that helps all other owners/trainers/horses too, including yourself in the future. 3. Tailoring your treatment plan to feasibly fit in with your general management. This way, we can help more horses and more people over time and keep the service cost-effective.

Starving

We cannot see anything in a stomach full of food, so the horse will have to be starved before gastroscopy. Generally, we recommend 12 hours of food starvation before the procedure (if the horse is on straw they might eat it so shavings is better, and if the horse would eat them then for one night letting the bed get more dirty than usual may help, or wearing a muzzle). Water passes through the stomach a lot quicker so the horse can have water up to 2 hours before the gastroscopy.

Your facilities and our equipment

The procedure itself is quick. We have the most advanced equipment, which is very portable, and all battery-operated so if you don’t have power in your stables that is not an issue. In theory, wo could even do a gastroscopy if you have no stable available, although daylight might make it harder to see the screen properly, so we might have to get back to you later with results and treatment plan, or you might be able to bring your horse into the clinic for gastroscopy and starving the night before. The batteries last long enough to scope 10 horses at least, but if you do have more than 8 to gastroscope we appreciate power/extension lead to top up batteries at some point.

Actual procedure

The horse is sedated, and a tube passed up the nose, through the throat and swallowed by the horse, then passed part-way down the oesophagus (swallow pipe parallel to the windpipe). Although not painful, most horses find the first bit when passing through the nose uncomfortable but settle once the tube is in place. The gastroscope itself then gets passed through that tube, and further down the oesophagus into the stomach. An air pump is connected to the gastroscope, and helps us inflate the stomach, so we can look around (imagine trying to see inside a flat balloon, it does not work). We take images and describe to you what we see. When we have seen everything, a suction machine removes the air from your horse’s stomach, before we take the scope and tube out. From sedation to completing the scope is about 10-15 minutes. Most horses then need half an hour to an hour to wake up from the sedation, during which time they can have water. Once they are awake, they can be fed again. You will receive a full written report with findings and treatment plan usually within 24 hours, and of course we are always on hand to answer questions should you have any.