Does Your Horse Have an Ulcer?

Some Signs and Symptoms

By Dr. Kerry Ridgway

Digestive

tract ulcers in horses are more than just the latest ?disease du jour.? They may, in fact, be the underlying cause of numerous veterinary disorders. Veterinary science has recognized ulcers as a problem for only about 10 years, but we are still seeing and understanding just the tip of a metaphorical iceberg. More than two thirds of the iceberg is still not visible and much is still being discovered. We do know that there are only two kinds of horses ? those who have ulcers and those who will have ulcers! Gastric and intestinal ulcers are literally slow or non-healing acid burns ? burns such as those you might get if hydrochloric acid were splashed on your skin. The horse?s ulcers are caused by a combination of hydrochloric acid from the stomach, volatile fatty acids and bile acids. In horses, these acids burn holes into the lining of the stomach or the small or large bowel. The acids may burn a crater deep enough to cause bleeding. They may even burn through the lining and penetrate the gut itself. When the burned craters heal, they can create scar tissue and strictures (narrow areas) in the small intestine that may lead to colic. The purpose of this article is threefold. The first purpose is to provide a short synopsis regarding the dangers and sometimes dire consequences of ulcers. The second is to alert you to the signs and symptoms pointing to the presence of ulcers. The third (and a very important purpose) is to empower you to use a simple examination technique that can give a strong presumptive diagnosis of GI ulcers. This technique can, in many cases, bypass the need for more expensive diagnostic tools such as endoscopy and ultrasound. Administration of appropriate medications can also be used as a diagnostic tool. If the horse responds, this confirms the presumptive diagnosis.

Twelve Good Reasons to Understand GI Ulcers in Horses:

1. Ulcers increase the risk to the horse?s health, safety and welfare. 2. Ulcers increase the risk to the rider?s safety and welfare. 3. Ulcers cause loss of performance and competitive edge. 4. Ulcers can upset or interrupt an entire competition schedule. 5. Ulcers are expensive to treat and to resolve and recurrence is common. 6. Ulcers cause many behavioral problems. 7. Ulcers set up many muscle, myofascial and chiropractic issues. 8. Ulcers increase risk of injury and lameness (as a direct result of 7 above). 9. Ulcers increase the risk of colic and diarrhea problems. 10. Ulcer stress may deplete the immune system and make a horse more susceptible to disease. 11. Ulcers often cause weight loss and create hard keepers. 12. Toxins released from altered gut flora in horses with ulcers increase the risk of laminitis or founder.

Behavioral Symptoms of Horses with Ulcers

Horses with ulcers exhibit many different signs and symptoms, some of which may be familiar, whereas others are less well known. Changes in behavioral patterns may include resistance to going forward and refusal to respond to the normal aids. The horse may kick out, rear or buck. He may become irritable in general, but might specifically resent being groomed or handled. Some horses progress to the point of being outright aggressive. Others may ?turn inward? and appear dull and disinterested, giving an impression of ?the light is on, but nobody is at home.? It is not commonly realized that body pain goes hand in with ulcers. Horses with ulcers have consistent muscle pain patterns. They are often restricted in the shoulders because of a neuromuscular pattern that tightens the fascia over the muscles of the shoulder and wither pocket area. This myofascial contracture limits the ability of the muscles to

Strap Muscle (Point 1) Stomach Alarm Point (Point 4) TCM Spleen (Point 3) TCM Stomach (Point 2) Spleen Alarm Point (Point 5)

lengthen and shorten appropriately. The resultant pain develops into a consistent pattern of vertebral dysfunction, a chiropractic problem in the wither vertebrae. Other consistent findings include chiropractic issues in the thoraco-lumbar area (the transition zone from chest vertebrae to the loin vertebrae). There is also a consistent pattern of pain and dysfunction where the lumbar vertebral joints articulate with the sacrum. Vertebral joint dysfunction is defined as an inability of joints to move through their full range of motion. Loss of joint motion results in pain and inability to use the back well. Wherever it comes from, pain is inevitably associated with impaired performance. Horses in pain may be reluctant to jump in good form; they may run out, refuse or buck, especially after a jump. Similarly, horses may be reluctant to go downhill. Performance horses may refuse to perform a rollback or to pirouette or slide to a stop. Horses may cross canter or refuse to pick up a specific lead. Horses with ulcers often do not come ?through? in the hindquarters, especially the right hind. One important muscle that is frequently dysfunctional in ulcer cases is the psoas. (Pronounced ?SO-as,? it is actually a group of three muscles.) Taken together, this group represents one of the largest and strongest muscles in the body. Its function is to stabilize and protect the pelvic girdle from damage. The psoas muscles are usually intimately involved in chronic sore backs in both horses and people. When there is psoas muscle pain, the pelvis and croup muscles cannot function well. The croup muscles then go into spasm and are painful to the touch.

Physical Symptoms of an Ulcer

Weight Loss. The amount of weight a horse loses depends on the severity and duration of his ulcer problem. Although some horses with ulcers are in good body condition, horses with ulcers tend to be at least moderately down in weight and it is often hard to keep weight on them. These horses may also show some loss of muscle mass, especially along the top line. Eating Patterns: Horses with ulcers may become slow or picky eaters. Some will even walk away from their hay or especially their grain. Many will refuse grain while continuing to nibble hay. Appearance: The hair coat of a horse with an ulcer tends to be duller over the chest than on the neck or hindquarters. Resistance to Grooming: Many horses with ulcers do not like to be brushed on the bottom of the chest and abdomen. They may kick out if touched in the area of the sheath or mammary glands.

Presumptive Diagnosis by Palpation

In medicine, the term ?presumptive diagnosis? is used until a diagnosis is actually confirmed by a medical professional. Having said that, a horseman using the techniques that follow can often identify which horses might have ulcers and therefore should be examined by a veterinarian. Palpation is the touching and feeling of tissues with the goal of identifying structures that are not normal. The only tools needed

52 The Aiken Horse February/March 2009

You need to upgrade your Flash Player

You need to upgrade the version of your Flash Player to version 9 minimum.

Click here

Adobe Flash Player Download Center