This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Colic, Diarrhea, GI Tract » Gastric Ulcers » Gastric Ulcers in Adult Horses »
  Discussion on New ulcer research
Author Message
Member:
Swainl

Posted on Sunday, Feb 23, 2003 - 1:58 pm:

For all interested in keeping up with ulcer news, a new study result was published on-line at thehorse.com. The research is from Universtiy of Florida and addresses the issue of the stomach flattening during trotting and cantering.

Laura
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 25, 2003 - 8:51 am:

I read the report Laura, and I have to concede: it strongly supports your argument in the former post that the anterior sections of the stomach become more acidic during exercise.

I still have problems with this idea as I picture the stomach as essentially a vessle collapsed around the ingesta/stomach fluids with regular mixing motions keeping stuff stirred up. The researchers, contrary to this notion, propose that somehow this system has a remarkable ph gradient starting at the anterior stomach and becoming more acidic as you move to the posterior areas of the stomach, and that becomes disturbed during exercise. I have not seen this idea before and would be fascinated to talk to a physiologist about how this happens. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, as this is early work but I thank you for bringing this to my attention. Your reward for this should be...3 free months added to your membership.

In a few days I will move this to the bottom of the former discussion so that members can get a complete picture of the discussion.
DrO
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 26, 2003 - 10:02 am:

Laura emailed me with more information and questions. I have put her comments in italics with my replies following:

Laura: I think you're right about the stomach collapsing around the ingesta, and that's why there's a problem---the non-glandular stomach section then comes in contact with the acids.

DrO: The stomach is always collapsed around the ingesta. Digestion does form a bubble of gas that collects in the cardiac portion of the stomach, the area of interest in the article. However on necropsy of freshly dead horses, I do not find significant amounts of gas there usually and on endoscopy I have to insuffalate air into the stomach in order to see the stomach well. Combine with my impressions of the mixing motions and I have a hard time seeing a ph gradient that can be disturbed by locomotion. Perhaps the bubble in the cardiac region is more persistent or larger than I realized, and we are back to the splashing that I found so humorous in your first post!

Laura: I had a few questions myself about the research. It seemed that they only did these measurements when the horse had an empty stomach. Wonder what the outcome would be if you fed the horse some alfalfa first ( a supposed natural buffering agent), or an antacid product like neigh-lox or Mylanta. It would seem that a logical next step in the research (at least from this horse owner's point of view) would be to examine the effects of a buffering agent administered far enough ahead of exercise (does it take 20 minutes or 2 hours for this stuff to work...) that it was in effect during the exercise. And then see how it would effect ulcer development. Logically, we should expect that those products, given within the correct time frame, should actually help prohibit the production of ulcers during exercise. Unless, of course, the horse's body immediately empties the stomach at the start of exercise, and concurrently produces some super-acid as is possibly indicated in this study.

DrO: I will stick with the recommendations I gave you in the discussion. It is a fact that experiments with antacids has not decreased the incidence of ulcers in racehorses, while the anti-ulcer drugs I outlined there have. If we assume the above work is correct in its postulations, and if we assume this is a cause of ulcers that produce clinical signs, then your recommendations of a small meal of alfalfa prior to work is logical but unproven. As soon as the alfalfa is consumed would be the best time to begin work as a significant buffering action occurs do to the saliva production during eating, and the alfalfa has its own buffering actions to increase the effect.
DrO
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC