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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #32: Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome

Horse veterinary case - Medium - April 4, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A performance horse is examined for poor condition, intermittent colic, and reduced willingness to work.
  2. The owner reports the horse is in regular training and spends long periods stabled.
  3. The signs are subtle but persistent, especially after exercise.
  4. Physical examination is largely unremarkable apart from mild weight loss and irritability during girthing.
  5. Gastroscopy reveals erosive lesions affecting the gastric mucosa.
  6. A syndrome of gastric mucosal ulceration is common in intensively managed horses and often causes vague performance-related signs.

Diagnosis

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome

This case is most consistent with Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome because the horse has chronic poor performance, intermittent colic, and gastroscopic evidence of gastric ulceration. The most important clues are the management risk factors and direct visualisation of gastric lesions, which make musculoskeletal causes of poor performance less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this horse case supports the provided diagnosis, Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A performance horse is examined for poor condition, intermittent colic, and reduced willingness to work.
  2. Clue 2: The owner reports the horse is in regular training and spends long periods stabled.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: The signs are subtle but persistent, especially after exercise.
  2. Clue 4: Physical examination is largely unremarkable apart from mild weight loss and irritability during girthing.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Gastroscopy reveals erosive lesions affecting the gastric mucosa.
  2. Clue 6: A syndrome of gastric mucosal ulceration is common in intensively managed horses and often causes vague performance-related signs.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this horse case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.