- Is your horse not performing well or under-performing?
- Do they suffer from a poor appetite, poor coat condition or girthing pain?
- Do they have behavioural changes?
If so, your horse may suffer from Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS).
The internal medicine team is delighted to offer gastroscopy referrals at Avenel Equine Hospital.
There are two forms of gastric ulceration and specific treatments are advised depending on the type present. Gastroscopy with a 3.5m flexible video-endoscope under light standing sedation is the only way to determine which type is present and how best to treat.
We can perform gastroscopies on horses on an out-patient basis or horses can be brought in the night before for feed restriction if more convenient.
The Procedure involves:
- 16 hours of feed restriction eg. No feed from 6pm the night before, no water from 4 hours before the procedure (some horses will require muzzling overnight to ensure this)
- Standing sedation
- Passing the 3.5m flexible video-endoscope via the nose through to the stomach and capturing images of the stomach in specific areas
- Assessment of the images, grading of the ulceration
- Determining the most appropriate treatment plan and dispensing medications the same day for convenience at discharge
For more information on this service or to book an appointment call our Reception team on 03 5796 2468.