Gastroscopy

Our fully ambulatory gastroscopy service allows us to examine your horse’s stomach at your own yard, providing a rapid and accurate diagnosis of gastric ulcers. With high-definition video endoscopy, we can identify the problem, explain the findings and recommend the most appropriate treatment.

Gastric ulcers are one of the most common causes of poor performance, weight loss and behavioural change in horses. However, the signs are often subtle and can easily be mistaken for other conditions.

At KR Equine Veterinary Services Ltd, our fully ambulatory gastroscopy service allows us to examine your horse’s stomach in the familiar surroundings of your own yard, providing a definitive diagnosis without the need to travel to a referral hospital.

Using our state-of-the-art high-definition video gastroscope, we can accurately identify gastric ulcers and other abnormalities, helping us tailor treatment to your horse’s individual needs.

Why Perform a Gastroscopy?

Many horses with gastric ulcers show only vague or intermittent signs, making diagnosis based on symptoms alone unreliable.

Common signs may include:

• Poor performance
• Reluctance to work or behavioural changes
• Girthiness or resentment when being saddled
• Weight loss or poor body condition
• Reduced appetite or slow eating
• Dull coat
• Mild recurrent colic
• Poor recovery after exercise
• Changes in attitude or temperament

While these signs may suggest gastric ulcers, they are not specific. Gastroscopy is the only reliable way to confirm whether ulcers are present, determine their severity and assess the most appropriate course of treatment.

What Is Gastroscopy?

Gastroscopy is a safe, minimally invasive procedure that allows us to examine the lining of your horse’s oesophagus, stomach and the upper part of the small intestine using a long, flexible high-definition video endoscope.

This enables us to identify:

• Squamous gastric ulcers
• Glandular gastric disease
• Gastric inflammation
• Other abnormalities affecting the stomach

Because the examination is performed under direct visualisation, it provides a level of accuracy that cannot be achieved through clinical signs or blood tests alone.

The Procedure

To obtain clear images of the stomach, horses are usually fasted for approximately 12–16 hours before the examination, with water removed for the final few hours. We will provide clear preparation instructions when your appointment is booked.

On the day of the procedure:

• Your horse is given light sedation to ensure comfort and safety.
• The gastroscope is passed gently through the nostril into the stomach.
• A detailed examination of the stomach lining is performed.
• High-definition images are viewed and recorded in real time.
• Findings are explained and discussed with you immediately after the examination.

The entire procedure is typically completed within 30 minutes, and most horses return to their normal routine shortly afterwards.

Why Choose Mobile Gastroscopy?

Having gastroscopy performed at your own yard offers a number of advantages:

• No need to transport your horse to a clinic.
• Reduced stress by remaining in familiar surroundings.
• Prompt diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Convenient scheduling around your routine.
• Immediate discussion of findings and treatment options.

Our portable high-definition equipment delivers exceptional image quality, allowing hospital-standard diagnostics to be carried out wherever your horse is based.

Treatment Based on Evidence

Not every horse with poor performance has gastric ulcers, and not every horse with ulcers requires the same treatment.

By confirming the diagnosis with gastroscopy, we can recommend the most appropriate medication, feeding programme and management changes, avoiding unnecessary treatment and ensuring the best possible outcome.

Follow-up gastroscopy can also be used to monitor healing and confirm that treatment has been successful before medication is discontinued.

Why Choose KR Equine Veterinary Services Ltd?

Our experienced equine vets combine advanced diagnostic equipment with a practical, evidence-based approach to investigating poor performance and gastrointestinal disease.

By bringing high-definition mobile gastroscopy directly to your yard, we provide convenient access to accurate diagnosis, personalised treatment plans and expert advice—helping your horse return to health, comfort and peak performance.

Because the right treatment starts with the right diagnosis.