February Gastroscopy Offer

January 30, 2023 | by Charlie Hands | Equine

As we head into February, we are looking forward to a fantastic year of competitions with our horses, and what better way to ensure they are starting the year on a solid footing than with our February pre-season gastroscope offer, which includes a gastroscope, trot up and blood test, all for a neat price of £250 incl VAT.

What is Gastroscopy?

Gastric ulcers are one of the leading causes of poor performance in competition horses. A gastroscope is used to diagnose gastric ulcers, and it involves passing a long (very flexible!) tube with a camera at the end down the horse’s oesophagus and into the stomach, allowing the vet to get a clear view of the stomach lining to see if and what type of ulcers may be present. If you would like to bring your horse in the night before to be starved in the clinic, there is an additional charge of £49.36.

How do I know if my horse needs a gastroscope?

If your horse shows any of the following signs, it could be due to gastric ulcers.
> poor performance
> negative changes in attitude
> abdominal discomfort/girthiness
> grumpiness
> poor coat
> poor appetite
> low-grade colic symptoms

The only way to diagnose if ulcers are present is via gastroscopy.

Why are we including the trot-up?

Examining the horse as a whole is important because many horses with gastric ulcers have an underlying stress factor, such as mild lameness. Your vet will assess your horse at walk and trot in a straight line.

Why include a blood test?

Haematology & muscle enzymes are incredibly useful as a tool for routine health screening and a diagnostic tool for horses showing poor performance. Knowing your horse’s normal haematology and muscle enzyme values when they are healthy helps the interpretation of results when they are underperforming.

Contact us to book a gastroscopy day, and if you’re unsure if your horse is showing signs of gastric ulcers, please contact us and speak to one of the equine vets.

E:equine@hooknrtonvets.co.uk
T: 01608730085

T&Cs
The examining vet will only be looking at the haematology and muscle enzyme values when looking at your horse’s blood test results.