Gastroscope - What to expect?

[Vetwrap]

I have my tb booked in next week and wondered if anyone could give me an insight into what to expect? He is staying overnight the previous night, but I will be there for the scope the following morning.

What tends to be the aftercare and how have your horses been afterwards?

I know that the vets will tell me everything when we go next week, but I work on a basis of forewarned is forearmed!

Thanks all!

 

[be positive]

I had one scoped recently, he was done at home following 12 hours with no food, he was sedated in his box, all the equipment was brought in including a very smart computer for viewing.
The scope is gradually inserted and carefully positioned to go down to the stomach, all the while being monitored on camera, the horse was a little upset but only for a few moments, once the scope was in the stomach he was completely relaxed while we all watched on screen to see the whole area examined. Mine was clear.
He then had his teeth rasped and was left in peace to come round, once he was awake he had some haylage and treated as normal, I think we rode the next day.
You may have to wait a while before bringing yours home but there were no after affects. He did have a very minor bleed when the scope was first put in but it stopped almost immediately and was not something to worry about

 

[Dangerous Brian]

My pony went through the same thing. They usually starve them for 12 hours beforehand so I would imagine they would put him on a shavings bed and leave him overnight without hay.

For the actual scoping he went into the procedure room and was put in the stocks. He was then sedated and a plastic tube put up his nose and down into the stomach, this is the bit some don't like as it is a bit uncomfortable but pony was very good just a bit of coughing. The endoscope is then passed down the tube. The pictures are shown on a computer screen and are really interesting to see. Once done the endoscope is removed and then the tube is pulled out, he actually reacted more to the tube coming out and threw his head up but the vet quickly got the tube out so he had a small amount of blood around his nostrils but nothing at all to worry about. Whole procedure probably took around half an hour.

Afterwards he went back into the stable to recover from the sedation, once he was fully awake he was given some hay and then I could take him home.

 

[flintfootfilly]

The only thing I'd add is that both the horses I've had scoped have needed to be twitched in order for the tube to be passed in through their nostril (as well as being sedated). That was the only bit that was a little unpleasant, but not majorly so. The rest was very calm.

Once the tube was in the nostril, both horses were calm again.

Sarah

 

[Vetwrap]

Thanks for your responses. It helps a lot to know what the procedure should look like and to hear that horses have recovered quickly afterwards.

Just want to get it done and find out what the results are now!

 

[philamena]

Completely painless as a process in my experience. I found the starvation overnight much more worrying than the procedure - because I was convinced she'd find something to eat and undo all the hard work she'd gone through of not eating! But actually she was fine - a bit ratty and confused at being left with no food, but sedated quickly, tube up the schnozz no problem, really interesting to see inside, then half an hour to come round from sedative, wait til she's had a wee, gave her a double handful of very wet chaff when she was ready to eat, then on the lorry to come home. Back to normal as soon as sedative worn off...

ETS: it's very reassuring to get results you can actually see, so I was like you, just wanted it done and the results. Good luck, I'm sure it'll go fine, esp if you don't have the hassle of travelling horse there in the morning etc as they're there overnight.

 

[maggiesmum]

Do bear in mind though that it will only show up gastric ulcers but not hindgut ulcers which are just as common and just as troublesome but more difficult to treat.