All You Need To Know About Ulcer In Horses

Ulcer is a common medical condition in foals and horses; it is estimated that ⅓ of adult horses and 50% of foals have mild to severe ulcer. Up to 90% of racehorses and 60% of foales show horses may develop ulcer. There are many factors behind the development of ulcer in horses but the major one is equine gastric ulcer syndrome. To understand the occurring of this disease, it is essential to understand the anatomy of horse. The horse's stomach can hold food only up to four gallons. It is quite small in comparison to the stomach of humans and it is divided into two parts. The non-glandular portion of the stomach is lined with a tissue, which is similar to the tissues of esophagus. While the glandular portion is responsible for production of pepsin and hydrochloric acid. These enzymes are essential for digestion of food. The glandular portion of the stomach also produces substances, which are essential to protect the stomach against the effects of enzymes and acids.

In humans, the stomach produces hydrochloric acid only when food is ingested. However, in horses, this substance is constantly produced and if a horse does not eat for a long time; he is prone to suffer from mild to severe irritation, which can lead to health conditions like equine gastric ulcer syndrome. The accumulated acid in stomachs, if not used after regular intervals becomes the main cause of symptoms of ulcer in horses. Horse should be fed small meals at small intervals of time and should be never left empty stomach. Apart from this, if you own a horse then you should make sure that the fodder, which is fed to him has a good amount of roughage. When there will be more roughage in fodder then it will require more chewing, which will lead to development of more saliva. The saliva produced in mouth can immensely help in neutralizing the acid present in stomach. So, fodder rich in roughage can immensely help in reducing the chances of ulcer in horses.

However, even after taking all the precautions; your horse might suffer from ulcer. In this situation, you can go for natural ulcer treatment or can consult a veterinary physician. The physician can efficiently examine the condition of horse and can prescribe medication accordingly. Many people do not consult a veterinary physician on time and let the horse suffer. The animal can never tell you that he cannot bear the pain or is going to die, if not treated. So, if you own a horse it is your responsibility to take care of him and give him best care and medication.

 

Source : articlesbase.com