Stomach not empty for gastroscope after being starved overnight

[bluehorse]

I took my horse to the vet for an overnight stay prior to a gastroscope first thing in the morning. We arrived at about 5, and they gave him haylage when he arrived and advised it would be removed at 6 to starve him overnight. The scope was at 8.30 the following morning and I was due to collect him as soon as he was fit to travel. However when I called in the morning to confirm I could collect him, I was advised that they hadn’t been able to scope him due to a food mass being in the stomach. He then had to remain in for the day and was finally scoped at about 3.30, possibly later as he still wasn’t 100% round from the sedation when I arrived to collect him.

I have had horses scoped previously and their stomachs have always been empty the next morning if they have been starved overnight. This scope was a follow up to an initial scope a month previous when I kept him at home overnight to starve him. I removed food at about 8 in the evening prior to a scope at 9.30 the following morning. His stomach was completely empty for that procedure. At the vets for the second scope he was muzzled overnight (in case he ate his bed) but didn’t advise me that they were going to do that, if they had I wouldn’t have given permission as he obviously didn’t eat his bed the first time, and he’s the sort of horse that would get quite upset about a muzzle, hence why I wouldn’t use one on him.

So I’m wondering if either the vet forgot to take his food out overnight, or if having a muzzle on (never been muzzled before) meant that he didn’t drink and so the food compacted in his stomach. He was desperately thirsty when I finally got him home.

Has anyone else experienced their horse’s stomach not being empty when starved for a scope? It all just doesn’t seem quite right to me...

 

[Barton Bounty]

Oh something seems fishy about that! It defo should have been empty , something says the lack of water will have had a huge impact on him 😩

 

[SamBean]

I had this with my horse on his first scope. Removed hay at 5pm and water 11pm , scoped 10am the next morning. There was a mass in his lower stomach, it looked like there could be an ulcer there but they had already found ulcers in his upper stomach so began treatment. His second scope his stomach was empty so they managed to see properly and despite 4 weeks of treatment and the upper ulcers clearing up nicely there was a huge angry ulcer there. What I think he did on the first is chewed a beam in his stable out of frustration at having his food taken away and missing breakfast, the times after he seemed to understand.
These were all done at home though whether that makes a difference.

 

[bubsqueaks]

My horse was scoped 4 times - starved for 12 hours & stomach always empty - water was only deprived for last hour - if your horse was muzzled wouldn't he have still been able to drink anyway?!?
Absolutely hate the whole process & so hoping they find more cures etc etc

 

[ester]

err most muzzles allow horses to drink bubsqueaks! Can't think of any that don't off the top of my head.

I do think it can vary OP, certainly seen posts about some with slow emptying times.

Edit to add I misread anyway sorry BS!

 

[be positive]

err most muzzles allow horses to drink bubsqueaks! Can't think of any that don't off the top of my head.

I do think it can vary OP, certainly seen posts about some with slow emptying times.

I have one that doesn't really, it is very old pre grazing muzzles and has just nose holes and drainage holes so they could drink if they had to but they would need to be brave to dunk in deep enough and would find it hard to get much, a nervy type may not try with a grazing muzzle, my Irish horse would probably stand in the back of his box in shock for hours if I put one on him, he is a sensitive soul.

 

[ester]

I was thinking of the old hard brown ones?

 

[be positive]

I was thinking of the old hard brown ones?

Mine is, was, white, very hard and not very friendly, I dug it out the other day just in case it was needed to keep the vet safe from one with snapping teeth, not required and I have never really used it but do think it would put most off drinking unlike the grazing muzzles which are softer.

 

[bluehorse]

My horse was scoped 4 times - starved for 12 hours & stomach always empty - water was only deprived for last hour - if your horse was muzzled wouldn't he have still been able to drink anyway?!?
Absolutely hate the whole process & so hoping they find more cures etc etc

Yes in principle it would allow him to drink, but having never worn one before I’m just not sure he would have realised that.

 

[bluehorse]

err most muzzles allow horses to drink bubsqueaks! Can't think of any that don't off the top of my head.

I do think it can vary OP, certainly seen posts about some with slow emptying times.

Edit to add I misread anyway sorry BS!

Yes that’s what I was wondering about, it just seemed strange after his stomach was completely clear the previous time, on less time than allowed at the vet.

 

[tatty_v]

My OH is a vet who does a lot of gastroscoping. On occasion he does mention that a horse that has been starved overnight still had stomach contents the following morning so the scoping had to be delayed. So it does happen, but as far as I can tell it’s not that common.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

My OH is a vet who does a lot of gastroscoping. On occasion he does mention that a horse that has been starved overnight still had stomach contents the following morning so the scoping had to be delayed. So it does happen, but as far as I can tell it’s not that common.

That's interesting. Some horses metabolisms are slower than others I guess, like people.

 

[milliepops]

same thing happens with people. Sometimes still have food in stomach after fasting pre-gastroscopy.