Gastroscopy in horses is a diagnostic procedure that involves the use of an endoscope to visually examine the interior of the horse's stomach. This technique is primarily employed to identify and assess gastric conditions such as equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS). During the procedure, a flexible tube with a camera is inserted through the horse's nostril, passed down the esophagus, and into the stomach, allowing veterinarians to observe the mucosal surface and detect abnormalities. Gastroscopy provides valuable insights into the presence, severity, and location of gastric lesions, aiding in the formulation of appropriate treatment plans. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodology, applications, and findings related to gastroscopy in equine medicine.
Lewis S.A 24-hour-old colt presented with clinical signs consistent with gastric ulceration. Treatment was initiated with a histamine type-2 receptor antagonist and clinical signs resolved. Gastroscopy at 16 d confirmed the presence of a gastric ulcer. Although gastric ulceration is common in foals, it is rarely reported in foals this young.
Dionne RM, Vrins A, Doucet MY, Paré J.This study was performed to estimate the prevalence of gastric ulcers in Standardbred racehorses, to describe the lesion score and location, and to identify potential risk factors. Two hundred seventy-five (275) Standardbred horses from 5 training centers and 2 racetracks in Quebec, Canada, were studied. Historical data for the 2 months before examination were recorded for each horse, and the presence of gastric ulcers was determined by gastroscopy. A previously reported scoring system that used grades 0-3 for gastric lesions was used. Overall, 121 horses (44.0%; 95% CI, 38.1-50.1%) had gastri...
Rabuffo TS, Orsini JA, Sullivan E, Engiles J, Norman T, Boston R.To determine associations between age, sex, or medical treatment and prevalence and severity of gastric ulceration in Standardbred racehorses in training. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: 224 Standardbred racehorses in training. Methods: Gastroscopy was performed on each horse, and mucosal ulceration was graded from 0 (normal mucosa, no lesions) to 3 (extensive, often coalescing, lesions with areas of deep ulceration). Associations between age, sex, or treatment and prevalence and severity of ulcers were evaluated. Results: Prevalence of gastric ulceration was 87%. Although there was l...
Deegen E, Venner M.In 10 horses, which were referred to the clinic with the suspicion of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, gastroscopy revealed a gastric tumour. In ten cases the diagnosis of a squamous cell carcinoma was made on the basis of histology of biopsies or autopsy. The tumour always derived from the non-glandulary mucosa. The horses showed various clinical symptoms. All patients had a hypoalbuminemia and a hyperglobulinemia in the serum electrophoresis. This suggests that a gastric tumour can be suspected intra-vitam even without gastroscopy of the patient.
Bracher V, Steiger R, Huser S.In the present study the breath hydrogen (H2) excretion test was combined with the xylose absorption test in 4 normal horses and 9 clinical patients with chronic diarrhea (n = 3) or chronic weight loss without diarrhea (n = 6). All horses underwent a thorough clinical examination. Laboratory evaluations consisted of haematology and serum biochemistry as well as bacteriological and parasitological examination of feces. In addition, serum electrophoresis and abdominocentesis was performed in all the clinical patients. Gastroscopy was carried out in 6 patients and rectal biopsies were obtained fr...
Murray MJ.Gastroendoscopy was performed on 111 horses (1 to 22 years old) that had signs of abdominal discomfort of variable duration and severity. At least 1 episode of colic had been observed within 48 hours of examination in 31 horses. Recurrent episodes of colic were observed in 28 horses within 2 to 10 days of examination, 31 horses within 11 to 30 days, 12 horses within 31 to 60 days, and in 9 horses at more than 60 days after the initial examination. Gastric ulceration was found in 91 of 111 horses examined. Other abnormalities involving the gastrointestinal tract or other abdominal viscera were ...
Leleu C, Couroucé A.Equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD), as part of the equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS), are common in racing horses. The use of buffering feed supplements to treat and/or prevent gastric ulcers is an option to control this condition. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a 30-day supplementation with a blend of magnesium oxide (MgO) on ESGD scores in trotters under training. Methods: Forty-two young trotters were submitted to a gastroscopic evaluation to assess their ESGD score and were randomly assigned in a group supplemented with MgO or in a control group. ...
Menzies-Gow NJ, Shurlock T.Feedstuffs are often recommended to mitigate potential damage from acid associated with equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). In acidic conditions, pectin alters its structure to one like mucus and binds the stomach mucosa, whilst alfalfa has a strong intrinsic acid buffering capacity. The study aimed to determine whether feeding a commercial beet pulp/alfalfa/oat fibre mix aids ESGD healing and/or prevention of recurrence. Ten adult horses with naturally occurring ESGD were included. All animals were treated with omeprazole as per the attending veterinarian's recommendation and randomly all...
Tesena P, Vinijkumthorn R, Preuksathaporn T, Piyakul P, Chotikaprakal T, Sirireugwipas R, Wong-Aree K, Prapaiwan N.Phenylbutazone (PBZ) is a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for horses. However, because of its gastrointestinal side effects, its administration requires careful attention in veterinary practice. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a serum biomarker associated with increased damage to the equine gastrointestinal system. This study investigated the hematological effects and alterations in the gastrointestinal tract and assessed serum MDA concentrations following repeated oral PBZ administration at clinical doses. Fourteen horses were randomly divided into control and treatment groups. All h...
Barton CK, True A, Fenn M, Thampi P, Watson A, Smanik LE.The objective of this Case Report was to describe the clinical manifestation and postmortem findings of a horse evaluated for recurrent colic diagnosed with pyloric aplasia and an ectopic duodenal papilla. Methods: 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. Unassigned: The horse was presented to a referral center for signs of colic that were unresponsive to management on the farm. No abnormalities were noted on rectal palpation; however, upon passage of a nasogastric tube, 31 L of net gastric reflux was obtained. Gastroscopy noted grade IV squamous ulceration and moderate glandular ulceration, severe ...
Willette J, Guinn A, Munsterman A.Impactions of the jejunum are rarely described in the literature. The current case series describes six cases of adult horses with jejunal impactions with feed material diagnosed by exploratory celiotomy. Horses underwent exploratory celiotomy based off of their degree of pain despite medical management and concerns for a primary strangulating small intestinal lesion. All jejunal impactions were relieved via manual decompression of the impaction into the cecum. None of the cases underwent a resection or anastomosis at the site of impaction. All horses were treated with gastroprotectants (omepr...
Neira-Egea P, Alamar Malvoisin C, de la Cuesta-Torrado M, Bautista-Erler C, Vitale V, Jolly S, Cesarini C. spp. are ubiquitous yeasts that are part of most mammals' microbiota and can become opportunistic pathogens under predisposing conditions. Interestingly, recent studies in human medicine report an increased abundance of spp. in association with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Gastrointestinal candidiasis has been primarily reported in neonatal foals, but not in adult horses. The aim of this study is to describe the morphological, histopathological, and microbiological features of gastric lesions associated with infiltration in five horses referred to two tertiary hospitals for different r...
