Ulcers - H.Pylori?

ClobellsandBaubles

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2011
Messages
2,062
Location
aberdeen
Visit site
Just musing really after having a 2 hour lecture on ulcers in people really. I know of a pony with quite severe ulcers and I know current idea in people is it is due to a bacterial infection which needs to be eradicated, I know horse are totally different but why do they get ulcers, whats the current thinking? I would be quite interested to learn.
Thank you
:)
 
I have wondered about this for ages, and kept meaning to ask! So glad you did. Looking forward to some knowledgeable answers.:)
 
Ulcers in horses are very different, they have acid in the stomach continually and require saliva to buffer this, a constant supply of forage will help, there are several factors that contribute to EGUS and there is evidence that they can develop in some horses extremely quickly if the conditions are right, or wrong depending on which way you look at it.
Once a horse has had them management is really the key to keeping them from reoccurring, I went to a lecture this week on ulcers which was extremely interesting the latest figures showed that more sports horses are suffering from them now, although this is probably due to awareness of the condition so they are being scoped more than previously.
 
The ulcers horses get around the exit of the stomach ( ie not the splash type one that occur in the top of the stomach ) do have a link to bacterial infection and these are treated with antibiotics if straight gastroguard does not work .
 
Very interesting guys thanks. The pony in mind has been through treatment and is now only a few months down the line and had them recur poor guy. He has 24/7 turnout and adlib forage just wondering if there was something in the background that makes some more susceptible but obviously equine and people physiology is very different :)
 
Horses will get ulcers if they are left without food for a too long period. They should not be left for more than 2-3 hours without eating as it is the time it takes for the stomach to get completely empty.
Extract : " If horses do not eat, then their stomachs become more and more acidic because acid production cannot be 'turned-off'. The squamous portion of the stomach is at the greatest risk from increased acid production, because it does not benefit from all the protective factors that the glandular portion of the stomach enjoys"
It is explained here. http://vet.tufts.edu/sports/ulcers.html
It is one of the reasons I hope it helps. I have been told that lots of racehorses have ulcers because they can be left without eating for a long time, so it is very common for them to have ulcers and the rescues for ex racehorses have to deal with that all the time.
 
Wish that was my case hun, my horse is over weight and got ulcers it is so difficult no one ever could believe a good doer cold get ulcers!! i have owned her since she was 2 years she is now 4 years old, she is on 2 feeds a day through summer has well!! 3 haylage nets to last her threw night grass from 7am to 5pm. she is not a TB neither, even though most TBs get the ulcers threw the lifes which they lead, just shows that any breed and even good doers get ulcers!!!
 
Top