Abstract
Non-pharmaceutical methods are desirable to treat or prevent gastric ulceration in horses. This two-period, randomised, double-blinded placebo-controlled study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of dietary supplementation (25 g once daily in feed for 30 days) with Fermaid®Ease 187 (FE, Lallemand Australia Pty Ltd, Maroochydore, Australia) on gastric squamous and glandular mucosal ulcer scores in horses. Gastroscopy of 120 horses presented to the Veterinary Clinical Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU; Bathurst, Australia) or at local training establishments identified 60 horses with spontaneous gastric ulcer disease (50%). Of horses eligible for inclusion, 29 horses were recruited and randomised to receive either the FE or placebo for 30 days. Effects were assessed by repeat gastroscopy (Day 31), at which time horses started the reciprocal treatment. Eleven horses successfully completed both treatment periods. Treatment with FE showed a significant decrease in squamous ulcer scores in period 1 (P=0.008), with a similar effect observed in period 2. No change was observed in squamous ulcer scores for horses receiving placebo treatment in period 1, but increased squamous scores were observed in horses receiving placebo treatment in period 2 (P=0.062). Squamous ulcer scores on Day 31 were significantly lower (P=0.005) following FE treatment than for horses receiving the placebo treatment. No effects were observed on glandular ulcer scores. This study supported the use of FE in horses predisposed to ulceration of the squamous gastric mucosa.
Highlights
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a common problem in both foals and adult horses, and may present with symptoms including colic, inappetence, ill thrift, hair coat changes, poor performance, behaviour changes and stereotypies (Lester et al, 2008; Malmkvist et al, 2012; Nicol et al, 2002; Sykes and Jokisalo 2014)
Risk factors for equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) include stress, high grain diets and intense exercise, whilst the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been linked to equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) (Lester et al, 2008; Videla and Andrews, 2009)
Gastroscopy was performed on 120 horses presented to the Veterinary Clinical Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU; Bathurst, Australia) between April 2010 and June 2011 using a 3 m endoscope (9 mm outer diameter; Olympus Medical Systems Corporation, Tokyo, Japan; distributed via Austvet Endoscopy Pty Ltd, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia) using a 0-4 EGUS score, where 0 denoted no ulcers and 4 denoted severe, erosive and/or haemorrhagic ulcers (Andrews et al, 1999)
Summary
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a common problem in both foals and adult horses, and may present with symptoms including colic, inappetence, ill thrift, hair coat changes, poor performance, behaviour changes and stereotypies (Lester et al, 2008; Malmkvist et al, 2012; Nicol et al, 2002; Sykes and Jokisalo 2014). The development of gastric ulceration may be viewed as an imbalance between mucosal effects of aggressive and protective factors, with ulceration of squamous and glandular mucosa representing different disease entities with distinct pathophysiology (Sykes and Jokisalo, 2014). Horses secrete gastric acid continuously in the stomach, and exposure to acid and other digestive factors is considered the major risk factor for development of ulceration in the squamous mucosa (Nadeau et al, 2003a,b). The prevalence of EGGD has been less extensively characterised (Sykes et al, 2015)
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