Equine gastric disease treatment focus shifts to tailored care

Treatment approaches for equine gastric disease are getting renewed attention after The Horse published a sponsored March 9 video tip featuring equine internist Dr. Ben Sykes, underscoring a now well-established point: horses with gastric disease need a diagnosis-first plan, because equine squamous gastric disease and equine glandular gastric disease are distinct conditions with different risk factors, treatment responses, and management needs. The piece emphasizes that pharmacologic therapy should be paired with husbandry changes, and that repeat gastroscopy may be needed to confirm healing rather than relying on clinical improvement alone. (thehorse.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the practical takeaway is that “ulcers” can’t be treated as a single bucket. Current evidence continues to support omeprazole as the mainstay for squamous disease, while glandular disease often responds less reliably to omeprazole alone and may require combination therapy or alternative approaches such as misoprostol, alongside changes in forage access, exercise scheduling, housing, and stress load. Gastroscopy remains the gold standard for distinguishing lesion type and guiding duration of therapy. (cehhorsereport.vetmed.ucdavis.edu)

What to watch: Expect continued focus on recurrence prevention, especially around post-treatment management, nutraceutical adjuncts, and better tools to monitor healing and relapse risk. (ker.com)