Equine gastric disease treatment still hinges on diagnosis

Treating equine gastric disease still comes down to two essentials: get the diagnosis right, and match drug therapy with management changes. A new sponsored educational piece from The Horse, published March 9, 2026, reinforces that message for veterinarians and pet parents, pointing readers back to the practical split between equine squamous gastric disease and equine glandular gastric disease, which often need different treatment approaches. Current evidence continues to support omeprazole as the main FDA-approved treatment for equine gastric ulcers, while glandular disease remains more therapeutically challenging and may require adjunctive therapies and closer follow-up. (thehorse.com)

Why it matters: For equine practitioners, the article is a useful reminder that “ulcers” aren’t one uniform condition. Gastroscopy remains central to diagnosis, and treatment success depends not just on prescribing acid suppression, but on identifying lesion type, reviewing feeding and training practices, and planning for recurrence risk after therapy stops. That’s especially relevant as new research in Equine Veterinary Journal suggests a lecithin-pectin-meadowsweet nutraceutical did not significantly prevent ulcer recurrence after omeprazole treatment, despite changes in salivary biomarkers that may point to mucosal effects. (thehorse.com)

What to watch: Expect continued scrutiny of recurrence prevention, glandular disease protocols, and where nutraceuticals fit, if at all, alongside evidence-based pharmacology. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)