Mar 27 • General discussion
EGUS!
Today’s patient: when a horse is “just a bit off,” it can matter more than people think
Today I saw a 20-year-old Icelandic gelding who had, over the last couple of weeks, become noticeably different from his normal self.
He had:
- eaten less than usual
- seemed more tired
- changed in behavior
- passed drier feces with less manure than expected
What made this especially important was that this horse is normally very food-motivated, so the change was significant.
On gastroscopy, there was an active-looking blood-red ulcerative lesion around 2 x 2 cm in the glandular part of the stomach near the pylorus. Bloodwork also showed anemia, which tells us the picture may be a little more complex than “just not eating well.”
Cases like this are a good reminder that stomach disease in horses does not always look dramatic.
Sometimes the signs are subtle:
- the horse seems quieter
- eats a little less
- feels less enthusiastic
- looks slightly tucked up
- passes less manure
- just doesn’t seem quite like itself
These are easy changes to dismiss at first, but often they are exactly the early signs that something is wrong.
As veterinarians, we are always trying to put the whole picture together:
history, behavior, appetite, manure output, age, bloodwork, and findings on examination or scoping.
In one 2024 study of 395 horses, the overall prevalence of gastric ulcers was as high as 78%.
Think about it 78% that is 308 out of the 395! Even if this is not entirely true for the population in general it should give you a sense of the importance of this issue! (Zhou., et al 2024)
And very often, owners notice the first real clue before anything becomes obvious:
“He’s just not himself.”
A Take-home message for horse owners:
A horse does not need to show severe colic to have a significant problem. Reduced appetite, dullness, behavior change, and less manure can all be early warning signs. If your horse feels “off,” trust that instinct and have it checked.
#horseowner #horseowners #equinehealth #horsehealth #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horsecare #equinecare #horsevet #equinevet #stomachulcers #equineulcers #gastriculcers #gastroscopy #horsewellness #horsemanagement #icelandichorse #olderhorse #horseeducation #equineeducation
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EGUS!