Gastroscopy
Gastroscopy is the term used to describe examining the inside of a horse’s stomach using a 3 metre long flexible endoscope. It allows us to directly visualise problems such as gastric ulcers or tumours in the stomach wall.
Gastric ulcers are usually caused by the unnatural ways that we keep horses. Horses continually secrete acid into their stomach, which needs to be buffered by a regular supply of food (e.g. grazing). Feeding large volumes of concentrates and not enough forage can lead to too much acid in the stomach and the stomach wall can become ulcerated. This ulceration can be made worse by factors such as stress and travelling.
Gastric ulcers are common and are thought to affect up to 60% of competition horses and up to 37% of non-competition horses.
Signs of gastric ulceration include:
- Poor appetite
- Low grade colic
- Loss of condition and dull coat
- Poor performance
If Gastric ulcers are diagnosed by gastroscopy then specific anti-ulcer treatment can be given and their effect monitored by repeating the gastroscopy 4 weeks later.