Magsår hos häst : Hur påverkas hästens mag- och tarmsystem av dess utfodring, tävlingsmiljö och stress?

Sammanfattning: Gastric ulceration (Equine gastric ulceration syndrome, EGUS) is a common disease among today's domesticated horses (Equus caballus), but can also occur in wild horses. Horses naturally spend 60 - 70 % of the day grazing and foraging; therefore, their gastrointestinal tract is designed for continuous forage and the gastric juice is secreted continuously. When the interval between forage provision is over 6 hours, the pH level in the stomach tends to drop below 4, which damages the gastric mucosa. The stomach of a horse is divided into two parts, an upper part which is sensitive to gastric juice and a lower part which is used to it. Despite this, gastric ulceration can occur in both parts of the stomach, though for different reasons. The most common cause of gastric ulceration in the lower part of the stomach is mainly linked to stress, while in the upper part it is due to feeding routines and feed content. Racehorses, trotter and galloping horses are the type of horse where gastric ulceration is most common, the prevalence being as high as 80 – 100 % during the competition season. Gastric ulceration is a disease with diffuse symptoms and there are several different reasons for its appearance, which are also often in combination with each other. More research is needed on the subject, especially regarding gastric ulceration in the lower part and why this occurs.