Abstract
BackgroundThis study was performed to determine the prevalence of ulcers in the gastric squamous and glandular mucosa in Polish pleasure horses.Study designMedical records from gastroscopic examinations of 108 pleasure horses of different breeds were reviewed. The study population consisted of two groups; group I (n = 48) with horses that expressed mild clinical signs of gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) including poor appetite, slight weight loss or poor body condition, and group II (n = 60) with horses that had no signs of gastrointestinal problems. The age range was 4–10 years, including 5 males, 34 castrated males (geldings) and 69 mares. The prevalence, distribution and severity of gastric ulcers were recorded. Lesions involving the squamous mucosa and the glandular mucosa of the antrum and pylorus were graded and compared between groups.ResultsSignificant difference was found in the presence and severity of gastric ulcers between the two groups of horses. The overall prevalence of gastric ulcers in the first group of horses (n = 48) was 59% while in the group of clinically healthy horses (n = 60) the prevalence of gastric lesion was 40% (P = 0.004). Almost 19% of horses from group I had between 6–10 lesions (EGUS score III) and nearly 19% had either >10 localized lesions or very large diffuse lesions (EGUS number score IV). The number of ulcerations in affected horses were significantly lower in group II compared to group I (P = 0.016) as 10% of horses had 6–10 lesions (EGUS number score III) and nearly 14% had either >10 localized lesions or very large diffuse lesions (EGUS number score IV). Gastroscopy revealed that nearly 32% of horses from the second group had an ulceration EGUS score ≥ II.Discussion and conclusionsThis study confirms that gastric ulcerations can be prevalent in apparently clinically normal pleasure horses and a complete gastroscopic examination including the examination of the pylorus is advisable to evaluate this syndrome.
Highlights
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a common health problem in horses and foals and may have an impact on their condition and performance
The number of ulcerations in affected horses were significantly lower in group II compared to group I (P = 0.016) as 10% of horses had 6–10 lesions (EGUS number score III) and nearly 14% had either >10 localized lesions or very large diffuse lesions (EGUS number score IV)
Gastroscopy revealed that nearly 32% of horses in group II (19/60) had an EGUS ulceration score ≥ II
Summary
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a common health problem in horses and foals and may have an impact on their condition and performance. The gastroscopic examination has been acknowledged as the “gold standard” of diagnosis because a definitive diagnosis of gastric ulceration in horses can only be achieved by visualizing the lesions in the stomach [1,2]. There is less buffering from saliva during rapid ingestion of concentrate feeds and acidity in the stomach rises during prolonged intervals between meals. This is believed to be a key factor in the etiology of clinically significant stomach ulcers in animals on low fiber diets [6,7]. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of ulcers in the gastric squamous and glandular mucosa in Polish pleasure horses
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