Equine gastric ulcer syndrome diagnosed by gastroscopy

Abstract

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (SUGE) is a pathology with great incidence in the equine species. It causes damages to the health and animal welfare, generating a fall of athletic performance, causing, also, economic losses to the owners. It presents nonspecific clinical signs, which can generate erroneous interpretations, since the definitive diagnosis is only possible with the use of gastroscopy. With this, the objective was to report a clinical case of equine with SUGE, as well as the importance of gastroscopy for a correct diagnosis. A 4-kg, 6-year-old male horse was received at the HDM Horse Service with surgical referral from another veterinarian. After anamnesis and clinical examination, this indication was discarded and the clinical suspicion of SUGE was proposed. The diagnosis was confirmed by gastroscopy, in which it was possible to observe ulcerations in the gastric mucosa. The treatment was instituted with fluid therapy, flunixin meglumine for pain control, an oral omeprazole tube for 28 days and mucosal protectors such as sucralfate, a tube, orally for 15 days. The animal obtained a considerable improvement in the initial clinical picture, followed by total recovery and gradual return to its athletic activities. It can be concluded that gastroscopy played a fundamental role in clarifying the patient's clinical condition, presented an adequate and definitive diagnosis, and provided the correct treatment for a pathology.