05/08/2026
Gastroscope day - 18th of August
We are fortunate to have the gastroscope coming up again. Ring the clinic to book your spot! 09 432 0500
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome can present with a number of signs including girthiness, changes in behaviour and reluctance to move forwards. It can also present as weight loss, repeat colic episodes and loss of coat condition. It is important to know that all horses present differently and not every horse will show every sign. It is also important to remember that ulceration is often secondary to either management problems such as feeding or herd heirarchy or secondary to stress caused by pain or lameness.
The stomach is separated into the squamous portion which is designed to not have acid on it and the glandular region which is designed to have acid on it. Getting a gastroscope is important to find out exactly where in the stomach your horse has ulceration as the different regions require different treatment medications and management going forwards. Traditional ulcer treatments are often ineffective on the pylorus and glandular region.
Getting your horse scoped allows us to make the best plan for your horse going forwards to help you manage the ulcers and prevent them coming back long term.
Gastroscopes are performed in clinic under standing sedation using a plastic tube to pass the scope up the nostril and down into the stomach. We require the stomach to be completely empty in order to do perform the scope so horses need to be fasted for 12-hours overnight and water removed 6 hours before examination.
