Ulcer diagnosis through bloodwork

[jvanrens]

So my DH is insisting that you can find out if a horse has ulcers through blood work. I’m calling BS on it, the only way to definitely diagnose ulcers is through scoping. I will admit I don’t keep up on everything, but this has me baffled. I’m sure he’s just remembering half news on this through something his nephew told him that he heard from a friend type thing. I had to beat into his head that but does not help ulcers, but he’s 70 so old horseman stuff is hard to get rid of.

Has anyone heard of this?

[RedHorses]

There’s supposed to be a fecal blood test to check for hindgut ulcers. It wasn’t available in Canada when I asked at the end of 2022.

[MissAriel]

And a fecal blood test isn’t “bloodwork”. You are looking for blood in fecal material

[hallie2]

wonder if he’s thinking of blood test for h. pylori which causes ulcers in humans. not in horses as far as I know.

[Texarkana]

@MissAriel

And a fecal blood test isn’t “bloodwork”. You are looking for blood in fecal material

But I could understand how someone could mistake it for bloodwork, because the technical name for it is “fecal occult blood test.”

Succeed branded their own version of it awhile back.

[MissAriel]

@Texarkana

@MissAriel

And a fecal blood test isn’t “bloodwork”. You are looking for blood in fecal material

But I could understand how someone could mistake it for bloodwork, because the technical name for it is “fecal occult blood test.”

Succeed branded their own version of it awhile back.

EXACTLY! That’s why I commented, since it could be confusing.

[RedHorses]

Yeah, I wondered if I needed to make it clear that it was a test to look for blood in feces, and possibly OP’s DH was mistaking that test for a blood test to find ulcers.

[JB]

Right, it’s a “fecal blood” test, rather than a “blood test”

Unless there’s a brand new developing thing, you can’t detect gastric ulcers via blood.

They’ve tried a bit, but found checking blood for sucrose isn’t reliable in horses

Diagnostic accuracy of blood sucrose as a screening test for equine gastric...

Layman’s version

Blood Test Misses Mark for Diagnosing Equine Gastric Ulcers