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EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION / AE / JANUARY 2017


Horses in that study did not have many glandular ulcers, so glandular ulcer healing rates could not be assessed.


Concentrated electrolyte pastes or solutions Repeated oral administration of hypertonic replacement electrolyte solutions, commonly given to endurance horses, has been shown in one study to increase the number and severity of squamous ulcers (Holbrook et al. 2005). Although additional work is required to evaluate fully electrolyte administration under different conditions, at the moment it is recommended that such products should be used with caution in horses and that they may be best given after exercise, in hydrated animals and mixed in feed to minimise their effects on the squamous mucosa.


Summary


There is clearly a role of nutrition in formation and maintenance of squamous gastric ulcers; however, the role of nutrition in glandular ulcer disease is yet to be defined. Current evidence supports feeding a diet high in forage and low in nonstructural carbohydrates and feed being provided throughout the day and night to reduce the risk of squamous gastric ulcers. In contrast, the role of diet in management of glandular gastric ulcers remains largely unknown. However, currently the authors recommend that the principles for feeding and management are the same for horses with squamous and/or glandular EGUS. The authors’ current principles for diet and management for EGUS are: • Horses in general should be fed as much fibre/forage as possible. Many horses and ponies do not require additional cereal based feed but rather just an appropriate vitamin/ mineral/protein forage balancer. Avoid prolonged periods without forage provision.


• Horses in light or no work, or that are extremely ‘good doers’, may benefit from being fed lower energy fibre sources so that time spent chewing is maximised. If the amount (not less than 1.5% bodyweight on DM basis without nutritional advice) needs to be restricted, still try to maximise the time taken to ingest (i.e. use double haylage nets/ appropriately chopped chaff). Avoid feeding straw as the only or predominant forage source (other than for donkeys) as it has been shown to increase risk of gastric ulcers.


• Ideally feed <1 g/kg bwt NSC/meal and preferably <2 g/ kg bwt NSC per day.


• Consider adding some chaff, which includes some alfalfa, into the meal.


• If additional energy is required, consider the gradual introduction of supplemental vegetable oil (up to 1 ml/kg bwt) but check the vitamin, mineral balance of the resultant diet or choose commercial, balanced high oil, high fibre feed.


• Provide pasture turnout whenever possible (although it is important to note that ulcers can be found in pasture managed horses especially if they are still being fed high levels of starch and sugar feeds and/or exercised intensively).


• Provide water continuously even when out at pasture. • Whenever possible and especially in a horse with known predisposition to this problem, avoid stressful situations such as travelling long distances, changing environment and long periods of confinement where the horse cannot freely move around. Consider forage provision during transportation, and immediately on arrival.


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• Medical management may be required especially in the initial stages and in particular for those with severe ulceration and those that do not respond to management changes.


• If horses need to be treated with nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (such as phenylbutazone or flunixin meglumine), a therapeutic dose should be used and limited to one and not ‘stacked’. The authors recommend that horses predisposed to glandular ulcers be treated with preventive or treatment doses of antiulcer pharmaceutical agents while on NSAIDs.


Authors’ declaration of interests


The first author, Dr Frank M. Andrews, has received research funding from the LSU Foundation (Equine Fund), Merial Limited, Zinpro Corporation, Purina Animal Nutrition, and SeaBuck Equine, LLC. In addition, the first author has received Egusin products from Centaur Corporation, SeaBuck Complete and SeaBuck Ultra from SeaBuck Equine, LLC, SmartGut Ultra from SmartPak, Inc. Dr Andrews is not an employee or a consultant for any company mentioned in this article.


Acknowledgements


The authors would like to thank Mr Frank Garza, Jr. and Dr Pilar Camacho-Luna for reviewing and editing the manuscript.


Ethical animal research Ethical review not applicable for this review article.


Source of funding None.


Authorship


All three authors contributed to preparation of the manuscript and gave their final approval of the manuscript.


Manufacturers' addresses 1Seabuck Equine, LLC, Midvale, Utah, USA. 2Kentucky Performance Products, Versailles, Kentucky, USA. 3Centaur, Inc. Overland Park, Kansas, USA. 4Boehringher Ingelheim, Ingelheim, Germany. 5SmartPak Equine, LLC, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. 6Zinpro Corporation, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA.


References


Al Jassim, R.A.M. and Andrews, F.M. (2009) The bacterial community of the horse gastrointestinal tract and its relation to fermentative acidosis, laminitis, colic, and stomach ulcers. Vet. Clin. North Am. Equine Pract. 25, 199-215.


Al Jassim, R.A.M., Scott, P.T., Krause, D., Denman, S. and McSweeney, C.S. (2005a) Cellulolytic and lactic acid bacteria in the gastro- intestinal tract of the horse. Recent Adv. Anim. Nutr. Aust. 15, 155- 163.


Al Jassim, R.A.M., Scott, P.T., Trebbin, A.L., Trott, D. and Pollitt, C.C. (2005b) The genetic diversity of lactic acid producing bacteria in the equine gastrointestinal tract. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 248, 75-81.


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