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Journal of veterinary science2022; 23(2); e19; doi: 10.4142/jvs.21247

Prevalence and treatment of gastric ulcers in Thoroughbred racehorses of Korea.

Abstract: Gastric ulcer is one of the prevalent diseases in racehorses. However, it has not been recognized as important in Korea, and drugs used to treat gastric ulcers are included in the doping test list, so they are not allowed to be administered to racehorses in training. Objective: This study was performed 1) to investigate the prevalence and the severity of gastric ulcers in Thoroughbred racehorses in Korea, 2) to confirm the therapeutic effect of ranitidine and omeprazole, and 3) to compare the efficacy between ranitidine and omeprazole. Methods: Forty-nine horses were randomly recruited, and gastroscopy was performed within two days after racing. Twelve horses with a sum grade of five or higher were randomly assigned to two treatment groups. Seven horses were administered ranitidine, and five horses were administered omeprazole. Follow-up gastroscopy was scheduled within one to five days after finishing the treatment. Results: The prevalence of gastric ulcer in Korean Thoroughbred racehorses after racing was 100%, and the grade was more severe in the non-glandular region than in the pyloric region. There was no correlation between the severity of gastric ulcer in the two regions. Omeprazole had a greater therapeutic effect than ranitidine. Conclusions: This study shows the importance of recognizing gastric ulcers as an important factor, and omeprazole as a possible treatment option in Korea, as it has been removed from the list of prohibited substances for racehorses. Thus, the use of omeprazole is currently recommended until one day before the race.
© 2022 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.
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Publication Date: 2022-01-05 PubMed ID: 35187877PubMed Central: PMC8977533DOI: 10.4142/jvs.21247Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Veterinary

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research explored the prevalence of gastric ulcers in Thoroughbred racehorses in Korea and compared the effectiveness of two drugs, ranitidine and omeprazole, in treating this condition. The study revealed an incidence rate of 100% for gastric ulcers among the subjects and found omeprazole to be a more effective treatment than ranitidine.

Research Objectives

  • The research was designed to investigate three key areas. Firstly, to determine how prevalent gastric ulcers are in Thoroughbred racehorses in Korea, and the severity of these ulcers. Secondly, the study aimed to verify the therapeutic impact of ranitidine and omeprazole, two drugs commonly used for treating gastric ulcers. Lastly, the researchers sought to compare the effectiveness of these two drugs in treating gastric ulcers.

Methods

  • A total of 49 horses were randomly selected for the study. These horses underwent gastroscopy exams within two days of racing to look for the presence of gastric ulcers. Of these horses, 12 with a sum grade of five or higher, indicating severe gastric ulcers, were chosen for the treatment phase of the study. These horses were randomly divided into two groups, with seven receiving ranitidine treatment and five getting omeprazole. A follow-up gastroscopy was scheduled within one to five days after completion of the treatment phase.

Results

  • The results showed that every single horse in the study had gastric ulcers post-racing. The severity of the ulcers was worse in the non-glandular region as compared to the pyloric region of the stomach. No correlation was found between the severity of gastric ulcers in these two stomach regions. When comparing the two treatments, omeprazole was found to have a superior therapeutic effect over ranitidine.

Conclusions

  • The study underscored the significance of gastric ulcers in racehorses, a condition that had not been given due importance in Korea. It also highlighted omeprazole as a more effective treatment option for these ulcers than ranitidine. Since omeprazole has been removed from the list of substances banned for use in racehorses in Korea, it is now recommended as the drug of choice for treating gastric ulcers until the day before a race.

Cite This Article

APA
Hwang H, Dong HJ, Han J, Cho S, Kim Y, Lee I. (2022). Prevalence and treatment of gastric ulcers in Thoroughbred racehorses of Korea. J Vet Sci, 23(2), e19. https://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.21247

Publication

Journal of veterinary science
ISSN: 1976-555X
NlmUniqueID: 100964185
Country: Korea (South)
Language: English
Volume: 23
Issue: 2
Pages: e19

Researcher Affiliations

Hwang, Hyeshin
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
Dong, Hee-Jin
  • Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and Preventive Medicine, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
Han, Janet
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.
Cho, Seongbeom
  • Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and Preventive Medicine, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
Kim, Yongbaek
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
Lee, Inhyung
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea. inhyunglee@snu.ac.kr.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Ulcer Agents / therapeutic use
  • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horses
  • Omeprazole / therapeutic use
  • Prevalence
  • Stomach Ulcer / drug therapy
  • Stomach Ulcer / epidemiology
  • Stomach Ulcer / veterinary

Grant Funding

  • Korea Racing Authority
  • BK21 PLUS program
  • Research Institute of Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
  1. Busechian S, Di Salvo A, Orvieto S, Rueca F, Villella C, Sollevanti G, Pieramati C, Nisi I, Della Rocca G. Changes in Fitness Parameters in Ridden Trained Showjumping Horses After Healing of Gastric Ulcers: Preliminary Results. Vet Sci 2025 Dec 21;13(1).
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  2. Irving J, Pineau V, Shultz S, Ter Woort F, Julien F, Lambey S, van Erck-Westergren E. Impact of Low-Starch Dietary Modifications on Faecal Microbiota Composition and Gastric Disease Scores in Performance Horses. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jun 28;15(13).
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  4. Tranquille CA, Chojnacka K, Murray RC. Musculoskeletal Injury and Illness Patterns in British Eventing Horses: A Descriptive Study. Animals (Basel) 2024 Sep 13;14(18).
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