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  Discussion on Ulcers, really, for sure?? or Herpes legions?
Author Message
New Member:
laura63

Posted on Monday, Apr 2, 2007 - 2:58 pm:

I've had experience with horses with "ulcers" and it can sure drive you crazy. I am putting together clues, all the issues on ulcers, remedies that work and same ones don't work. All kinds of different situations. Some of them don't make sense. Have they been misdiagnosed? Have these ulcers ever been biopsied? Do vets biopsy ulcers on horses like they do humans to determine the cause, viral, bacterial, fungal, stress? Could these legions that were diagnosed as ulcers really be herpes instead? Knowing that 80% of all foals are carring it?! Why are there so many ulcer cases in horses these days and some that don't seem to be the "ulcer type" are shockingly diagnosed as having ulcers? Why are some of them dying with other symptoms besides legions in the gut? IF these legions are biopsied and found to be herpes legions instead of ulcers, which technically they ARE ulcers, BUT what if they are given a medicine like humans are given(famvir, vaclovir, valtrex,...) to keep the herpes at bay so it doesn't circulate and kill other horses like it has in the past. This would be a FANTASIC FIND AND HURDLE the horse business can overcome. Can our vets come together and get a handle on this and research this please?!!!!!! I can't take no for an answer.
Member:
mrose

Posted on Monday, Apr 2, 2007 - 5:21 pm:

Laura, great questions. This all puzzles me, also. I've been lucky and to my best knowledge have not had a problem with horses and ulcers; however, have had serious problems myself with them and the subject interests me.

Have horses always had so many problems with ulcers? Or are vets now able to diagnois them whereas before they were unable to do so?

How many similarities are there between equine and human ulcers? Will human meds work on horses? Some seem to. Have others been tried? This seems to be such a wide spread problem.

so many foals having ulcers is what made me wonder about H. pylori as a cause. In humans, babies can be born with the bacterial in their stomach or get it from eating fecal matter, or from someone else giving it to them by not washing their hands. If a bacteria isn't involved, it seems odd that so many foals have ulcers.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Apr 4, 2007 - 7:12 am:

Hello Laura,
To review the past 25 years of gastric ulcer research in adult horses go to the bottom of the article and push the Search Pubmed button.

I don't think it will surprise anyone if there turn out to be multiple causes of ulcers in adults but currently there is no reason that I am aware of suspect a relationship of gastric ulceration from herpes virus infection. As herpes often effects multiple horses at a time in a barn if there was a relation you would expect a rash of clinical cases of ulcers following outbreaks of rhinopneumonitis. Though rhino is common I have not seen such problems nor am aware of any such reports.
DrO
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