Page 754 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

treatments or if the horse has evidence of generalized inflammatory gastrointestinal disease.

VetBooks.ir Cimetidine and ranitidine also act by inhibiting acid secretion. They are not licensed for

horses and considered to be less effective than omeprazole.

Healing of glandular ulcers may take months and repeat gastroscopy is recommended at
monthly intervals.

ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS

Supplements containing antacids, probiotics and prebiotics can help to prevent ulcers
developing and alleviate discomfort in some horses.

Acupuncture and chiropractic: it is common for horses with gastric ulcers to experience

withers, girth and back pain. Pain from internal organs is referred to specific sites on the
body surface by viscero-somatic nerve reflexes; back pain may be the result of abnormal

posture caused by the gastric discomfort.
Acupuncture and chiropractic are effective supportive treatments for these horses when

used in combination with management changes and medication. A reduction in body pain and
improved appetite and demeanour are often seen following the first treatment.

Complications

Complications are uncommon but they include:

• perforation of a gastric or duodenal ulcer with fatal peritonitis
• scar tissue narrowing the lumen of the oesophagus or duodenum, predisposing the horse

(especially foals) to subsequent bouts of choke or colic.

Prevention

Gastric ulceration can be prevented in many cases by good management and sensible
feeding. However, this can be challenging in certain horses that are prone to the condition.

HIND GUT ULCERATION – RIGHT DORSAL COLITIS

Ulcers of the colon are common in young performance horses. The condition is also known
as right dorsal colitis (RDC). The wall of the bowel becomes inflamed and leaky so that