Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article
December 11, 2016
Horsetalk.co.nz
Scientists who reviewed dozens of research papers dealing with stomach ulcers in horses have laid out key management strategies they believe can benefit affected animals.
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is common, yet important elements around the troublesome condition are not yet fully understood. Its prevalence has been estimated at 25 to 50 percent in foals and 60 to 90 percent in adult horses, depending on age, performance, and evaluated populations.
The horse stomach has two distinct regions. The upper third is lined by the esophageal tissue (squamous mucosa). It has no glands to produce hydrochloric acid or mucus. The lower two-thirds of the stomach contain glands that secrete, among other things, hydrochloric acid and mucus, the latter designed to protect the stomach wall. Horses are continuous acid secretors. Acid production occurs regardless of whether feed is present.
The review team, Frank Andrews, Connie Larson and Pat Harris, writing in the journal Equine Veterinary Education, said ulcers in the lower part of the esophagus and upper non-glandular region of the stomach were probably caused by hydrochloric acid, because this region lacks protective mucus secretion.
Ulcers in the lower acid-producing glandular part of the stomach, and the upper duodenum, were likely caused by a breakdown in the mucus-based defense mechanisms...
Read more: http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2016/12/11/acid-test-scientists-review-stomach-ulcers-horses/#ixzz4SYE5Pebp
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