Induction and maintenance of gastric ulceration in horses in simulated race training

Abstract

Summary Gastric ulceration is a prevalent condition of racehorses. A number of models of gastric ulceration have been described, but none mimic the conditions of a horse in training. The objectives of this study were to determine whether gastric ulcers could be induced and maintained in a group of horses in simulated race training. In addition, serum Cortisol was measured on a weekly basis to investigate the possibility that stress may be important in the pathogenesis of gastric ulceration. Thirty horses used in the trial were fed Bermuda grass hay and 6 kg of a concentrate diet, and exercised 6 days/week at speed over a distance of 1.6–2.4 km. Serum was collected and gastroendoscopic examinations performed on a weekly basis for the duration of the trial. All horses developed moderate to severe ulceration, and ulcers were maintained for the 56 day period of the trial. Only one horse had signs of abdominal discomfort, which resolved with minimal symptomatic treatment and without the use of antiulcer medications. Serum Cortisol remained within reference ranges for the duration of the trial. Although there was some variation between the weekly examinations, serum Cortisol concentrations were decreased from values obtained at the start of the trial. In this study ulcers developed without the administration of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory agents or withholding of feed. This model provides a method to study the condition, and to investigate the effects of medications on the healing of ulcers in racehorses.

Lesions of the gastric mucosa in adult horses of different disciplines: a review

“…Das Blut aus dem gastrointestinalen Bereich wird rasch im Körper umverteilt und steht für die Versorgung anderer Organe wie Herz, Lunge, Muskulatur und Haut zur Verfügung (Qamar und Read 1987, Otte et al 2001. Dank der Technik der Tonometrie konnte bei gesunden Menschen während starker körper-licher Anstrengung eine gastrointestinale Hypoperfusion und eine Azidose der gastrointestinalen Mukosa festgestellt werden (Qamar und Read 1987, Nielsen et al 1995 , Vatistas et al 1999, scheint diese Pathogenese bei Sportpferden durchaus möglich.…”

“…Bei 40 % (62/156) der untersuchten Pferde wurden Magenschleimhautläsionen mit einem mittleren Gesamtscore von 2,3±0,1 (Scoring System 0-6 modifiziert nach Hammond et al 1986, Murray et al 1989, Vatistas et al 1994) festgestellt (Bertone 2000). Möglicherweise lässt sich der Unterschied durch das andere Haltungs-oder/und Fütterungsmanagement erklären: Während die meisten Westernpferde gemäß Besitzerbefragung hauptsächlich mit Alfalfa als Raufutterquelle gefüttert werden (keine Angaben zu Kraftfutter), erhalten Vollblüter im aktiven Renntraining hauptsächlich große Mengen an Kraftfutter und relativ wenig Heu (Vatistas et al 1999). …”

Association Between Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Gastric Ulceration in Horses and Ponies

“…The site of NSAID-induced ulcers in the stomach of horses remains controversial. Some authors have stated that the glandular mucosa is more commonly affected (Carrick et al, 1989;Vatistas et al, 1999a;Monreal et al, 2004;Marqués, 2007;le Jeune et al, 2009), while others have argued that the nonglandular mucosa is affected more frequently (MacAllister et al, 1992;Andrews et al, 2005). According to Mokhber Dezfouli et al (2009), Persian Arab horses with history of long term treatment with NSAIDs have high prevalence of the gastric ulcer in the glandular mucosa.…”

“…Risk factors associated with this disease include diet, stress (moving horses from pasture to stall confinement, hospitalization, intense exercise, feed and water deprivation, among others), and administering NSAIDs (le Jeune et al, 2009, Luthersson et al, 2009Nadeau & Andrews, 2009;Videla & Andrews, 2009) (the topic of this chapter). Reported factors related with disease prevalence in racehorses include a high-concentrate diet, low intake of hay, meal feeding, prolonged fasting, the type and intensity of training, as well as the use of NSAIDs (Vatistas et al, 1999a;Merritt, 2003;Roy et al, 2005;Jonsson & Egenvall, 2006). Studies on the relationship between NSAIDs and equine gastric ulcer are complex because of these many factors.…”

“…encountered similar results when comparing the occurrence of ulcers following administration of flunixin meglumine and 0.9% NaCl to horses; there were no significant differences between these two groups. Vatistas et al (1999a) studied stress in thrirty mature Thoroughbred horses and suggested that the following situations could raise serum cortisol concentrations: road transport, exposure to a new environment, abrupt weaning in foals, physical restraint, anesthesia, nasogastric intubation, and diseases in general. Costa el al.…”