Officials say 93 percent of racing horses and 63 percent of performance horses have gastric ulcers
ESCANABA -- Ulcers are not only a health concern for humans, they're also a problem for horses. Doctors say it's a growing problem that can affect their health and performance.
But Merial, a company that produces treatment for Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, is traveling across the county to provide help, free of charge. And they made their way to the U.P. on Wednesday.
Luanne Peterson has been in the equine business for over 30 years. She's currently raising two horses which are used in competition, and she knows all too well the importance of a healthy horse.
"It's just like your athletes, anytime they're in their best physical condition that they can be and their health is prime, I would say yes, they do perform better," explained Peterson.
Wednesday, Luanne's horses, as well as twenty others, were tested for ulcers, free of charge, using a specialized scope.
Merial hosts events like this across the county.
Officials say 93 percent of racing horses and 63 percent of performance horses have gastric ulcers. Doctors say if they're not taken care of in a timely matter, they can cause serious health complications and in rare cases...death.
"In rare cases, we can see stomachs rupture," said veterinarian, Dr. Hoyt Cheramie. "We don't see significant hemorrhage the way you do in people, so that's fortunate, but what we do see is that it can affect the health of the horse. Early on we start to see it affect performance; the horse probably feels like it has heartburn."
The $15,000 piece of equipment allows doctors to get a more in-depth look into the stomach of the horse. Officials say it may be the only one of its kind in the U.P.
"Unfortunately this equipment is not available in all equine veterinary practices, so getting the diagnosis is sometimes a little more difficult. So that's what we decided to do is proved the vets and their clients access to the diagnostic equipment," Cheramie said.
So far, the group has scoped over 1,500 horses through the program.
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