Ulcers in Horses
Ulcers: Why horses are so vulnerable, and what we can do about it In the last few years, we have learned that an alarming number of horses suffer from stomach ulcers, a problem the scientific community refers to as Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) because of its complex nature. Estimates are that ulcers are present in 25-50% of foals, 60% of show horses, and over 90% of racehorses. With so many horses suffering, one might wonder why we were not aware of this problem before. The answer lies partly in how difficult it used to be to diagnose EGUS, which has only recently become easier due to the development of appropriate endoscopic equipment. Another part of the problem is that many horses with EGUS show little in the way of symptoms, and what they do show can easily be attributed to any number of causes. Symptoms may include poor appetite, poor body condition, diarrhea, a change in attitude, mild or recurrent colic, mild anemia, and a decrease in performance. Foals may also exhib...