Answers for a concerned horse owner whose gelding suffers from ulcers.

Question:

I have a 7-year-old gelding that lost an extreme amount of weight last summer due to an ulcer. He never showed the typical signs of colic, but went off of feed and would lunge forward occasionally when pressure was applied to his stomach area. He underwent treatment for the ulcers, and his appetite improved. But I wonder, what are the chances of the ulcers causing colic, and what are the odds that the ulcers will return? I am still trying to get more weight on him and am worried that he may develop colic if the ulcers return.

Answer:

It sounds like your horse is a “hard keeper.” A hard keeper is a horse that has a metabolism such that he can eat all day, have minimal exercise, good grain and deworming program and still have a hard time keeping weight on. Gastric ulcers can certainly cause a horse to go off feed. However, the only way to diagnose gastric ulcers is to use a gastroscope to view the lining of your horse’s stomach. Despite what some people believe, a “grunt test,” where pressure is applied to the bottom of a horse’s abdomen with a fist to see if he’ll grunt or not, is not diagnostic for gastric ulcers. Nor is a fecal test looking for blood in the feces.

There are myriad medications that have been compounded (not FDA approved!) for the treatment of gastric ulcers, and most are being used illegally. Gastrogard, Ulcergard and a few others have been shown to work, and they are worth the price you pay for them.

Learn more about stomach ulcers with AQHA’s FREE Stomach Ulcers in Horses report. Download your copy right now!

Compounded medications don’t heal ulcers and end up costing more in the long run. Ulcers can occur in any horse and are associated with stresses, among other things. The best way to prevent them is to keep your horse in a routine and minimize the stress on him. If you know he will be stressed (going to a show, a rodeo, long trail ride, trailering for an extended period of time, etc.), Ulcergard can be used as a prophylactic to keep ulcers from forming. Your veterinarian should be able to help you with diagnosing and treating gastric ulcers (or refer you to a facility with a gastroscope). Your vet can also help you with other issues related to weight loss, such as making sure teeth are properly floated and following a proper deworming protocol.

Dr. Jennifer Schleining, Ames, Iowa, member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners

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• Ulcers: All Horses at Risk
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