A Horse at Home is Still at Risk For Ulcers

“Wherever there is stress, there can be stomach ulcers,” says Hoyt Cheramie, DVM, MS, manager, Merial Large Animal Veterinary Services. “Horses may be stressed by everyday situations that don’t seem stressful to us, like spending large amounts of time in a stall or when their friends leave the barn.”

Risks for Your Horse at Home
Horses that stay home or rarely compete are not immune to stomach ulcers.²Cheramie cites these situations as examples of what can cause them including:

• Light training³
• Short-term travel³
• Trailering³
• Change in routine⁴
• Change in feed schedule⁵
• Limited turnout or grazing⁵
• Lay-up due to sickness or injury⁵
• Radio in the barn⁶
• Social regrouping^2,7

Cheramie notes that removing horses from their social group may be one of the major contributing factors to an increased incidence of stomach ulcers in those left at home.²

“Off-site training and showing can cause a disruption in social groupings and can be anxiety-provoking for some,” Cheramie says. “Horses form strong emotional bonds with their stable-mates so when they are separated, it can be very upsetting for both horses.”

Social grouping disruptions are also more common when spring arrives, as it often heralds a busy time for everyone, especially those with broodmares. Foaling season means additional stress not only on mares and foals, but also for other horses as well due to increased activity in the barn at irregular hours.

Know the Signs of Ulcer Presence

“Stomach ulcers are prevalent across all breeds, disciplines and ages,” Cheramie says, adding that they can happen in as little as five days. “Because it is not so much the behavior, but rather the change in behavior that signals the possibility of a physical problem, horse owners need to know what is normal for their horse and what is not.”

Watch out for clinical signs of ulcers, which include:

• Decreased appetite⁴
• Weight loss or poor body condition⁴
• Change in attitude for the worse⁴
• Recurrent colic⁴
• Dull hair coat⁴
• Less-than-optimal (poor) performance, resistance to work, difficulty training⁴

However, Cheramie makes a point to say that some horses may not exhibit overt signs. If there is the slightest suspicion something is not quite right, it is better to call a veterinarian who can make an accurate diagnosis, which typically will involve performing an gastroscopy to provide a view of the stomach lining.

“‘Scoping’ is a procedure in which a long, flexible tube with a camera at the end is introduced through the nostril and passed to the throat and down the esophagus, into the stomach, which is then examined for the presence of ulcers,” Cheramie explains.

Ulcer Prevention: ULCERGARD^® (Omeprazole) Provides a Strong Solution

Omeprazole suppresses acid production at the source – the acid-producing proton pump in stomach cells. Because omeprazole works on the stomach, rather than in the stomach, to be effective, it must pass through the acidic stomach environment and into the intestines where it is absorbed into the bloodstream and brought back to the stomach cells. With fewer active pumps, the stomach produces enough acid to break down food, but not the excess acid that causes ulcers.⁸

Available without a prescription, a single daily dose of ULCERGARD is the only proven and FDA-approved product with a patented formulation that protects the omeprazole from stomach acid to ensure it gets to the intestines to effectively prevent ulcers.³

But when ulcers do form, a 28-day regimen of GASTROGARD^® (omeprazole) is the only FDA-approved product for treatment so that horses can continue with their training routine and protect that winning edge.⁹

Don’t let physical or emotional upsets tip the balance between wellness and the risk of ulcers making an untimely appearance. If your horse displays any signs of discomfort, contact your veterinarian for an evaluation.

¹Mitchell RD. Prevalence of gastric ulcers in hunter/jumper and dressage horses evaluated for poor performance. Association for Equine Sports Medicine, September 2001.
²McClure SR, Carithers DS, Gross SJ, Murray MJ. Gastric ulcer development in horses in a simulated show or training environment. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2005;227(5):775-777.
³ULCERGARD Product Label
⁴Equine Gastric Ulcer Council. Recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS).Equine Vet Educ. 1999;11:262-272.
⁵Murray MJ. Disorders of the stomach. In: Smith BP, ed. Lg Anim Int Med. St. Louis; CV Mosby, 1990:710-717.
⁶Lester, GD, Robertson I, Secombe C. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (Australia) 2008. Risk factors for gastric ulceration in thoroughbred racehorses. Rural Research and Development Corporation, Barton, A.C.T.
⁷Merck Veterinary Manual Online Edition. Available at:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/digestive_system/gastrointestinal_ulcers_in_large_animals/gastric_ulcers_in_horses.html Accessed March 13, 2017.
⁸Murray MJ. Overview of Equine Gastroduodenal Ulceration. AAEP Proceedings. 1997;43:382-387.
⁹GASTROGARD Product Label