Study Shows Omeprazole Prevents Ulcers in Young Racehorses

A study confirms omeprazole can prevent gastric ulcer formation in young racehorses.
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Gastric ulcers are an occupational hazard for Thoroughbreds, with up to 90% of all active racehorses currently affected. Omeprazole paste is currently licensed for treating and preventing gastric ulcer recurrence in horses, but until now researchers have not studied its efficacy in preventing ulcers from forming in young Thoroughbred racehorses.

"One of the factors thought to contribute to the development of gastric ulcers in racehorses is housing," said Yoshiro Endo, DVM, from the Japan Racing Association’s Hidaka Training and Research Center in Urakawa, Hokkaido.

Racehorses worldwide are frequently housed individually in stalls or small paddocks except when taken out for training. Lack of pasture access, in addition to intensity and/or duration of physical exercise, is one reason scientists believe adult racehorses commonly suffer from ulcers.

Endo explained, "It is not currently known what the prevalence of gastric ulcers is in 2-year-old Thoroughbreds that are just starting their careers and haven’t been housed under the same stressful, ulcer-inducing conditions as older racehorses

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Written by:

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.

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