Here at Stephenville Equine Hospital, we are proud to offer gastroscopies for our equine patients.
During a gastroscopy, we use a long and flexible fiber-optic scope to look inside your horse’s intestinal tract. It is inserted into the nose and stretches all the way to the stomach. With a little sedation, we can get a good look at your horse’s insides. It is important to fast your horse before the procedure so that we can get a good look.
When we perform a gastroscopy, we are usually looking for stomach ulcers. Some common symptoms, which are also reasons to have a gastroscopy performed, include lack of appetite, poor coat, teeth grinding, inability to gain weight, and many others. Typically, the horses are just not right, and their symptoms are not necessarily specific. The horses might be a little off or acting like they don’t feel right. Behavior problems can often be a sign of stomach ulcers, though some patients don’t have any signs at all.
If your horse is diagnosed with a stomach ulcer, we will routinely perform gastroscopies to monitor your horse’s progress, though many horses do well with medication. They usually return to their normal selves and level of performance rather quickly.
If you have any questions about gastroscopies or would like to schedule an appointment, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (254) 395-2924.