Boehringer Ingelheim’s Hoyt Cheramie, DVM, MS, DACVS, discusses equine stomach ulcers and reminds us that subtle changes can signal an ulcer condition.
Clinical signs of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) are not pathognomonic, meaning not very highly associated with the disease. Some signs of EGUS, such as behavioral issues or poor performance, can be so common that they are often just ignored or blamed on something else.
Source: AQHA, July 26, 2018. Link.
EGUS, caused by rising stomach acid levels, isn’t limited to show horses and race horses. The horse left at home is still at risk for stomach ulcers, and 11 percent of horses that are rarely competed and predominantly used in their home environment have ulcers. Foals and broodmares are at risk, too. The presence of ulcers in foals has been reported as ranging between 25 percent and 51 percent. One study showed that more than 70 percent of broodmares had ulcers.