Equine squamous gastric disease: an update on treatment and management

Abstract

Equine squamous gastric disease describes the presence of lesions in the squamous mucosa of the stomach. It is a worldwide disease with high prevalence in various categories of horses, especially those in heavy training. Current recommendations for its management include pharmacological treatment with gastroprotective medications (particularly omeprazole) and feed supplements at the end of the pharmacological treatment period. It is of the utmost importance to reduce or mitigate possible risk factors. Feeding small amounts of roughage and reducing trotting and cantering to less than 40 minutes per day helps to reduce the incidence of squamous gastric disease in horses where a change in management is not possible. This review describes current literature trends in the treatment and management of squamous gastric disease in adult horses.