Breakthrough research helps horse owners reduce the risk of gastric ulcers

We all know prevention is better than a cure, and Dengie’s new Ulcer Risk Calculator does just that. The new web-tool helps owners to reduce their horse’s chance of developing ulcers through informed management decisions. 

Gastric ulcers are dreaded by horse owners across the country, and with such a broad range of risk factors associated with a horse developing symptoms, it can be challenging to target them all. In response to this, Dengie Horse Feeds has developed its Gastric Ulcer Risk Calculator – a savvy web-tool that’s been designed to raise awareness of some of the lesser-known risk factors for ulcers and determine how at risk your horse is.

The idea is based on a version that was originally born in the USA and has subsequently been researched in Italy, where it’s been confirmed that the calculator was useful in predicting a horse’s risk of developing ulcers. When horses were scoped for ulcers after their owners had completed the survey, results showed that, of the horses registered as high risk on the calculator, 94% had ulcers when scoped, and of those identified as low risk, only 14% had ulcers.

Katie Williams, registered nutritionist and Technical & Product Development Manager at Dengie, said: “It is often a combination of events that result in a clinical condition such as gastric ulcers, but by completing this quick questionnaire, we hope it will help to make horse owners stop and think about some of the things they can change in the management of their horse.”

The gastric ulcer risk calculator can be found on Dengie’s website and is not an alternative to or replacement for veterinary advice. The aim of the calculator is to raise awareness of the risk factors that contribute to the development of ulcers among horse owners.

For more information on ulcers and to access the calculator, please visit dengie.com or find Dengie on social media platforms.