While horses treated with aloe vera did show squamous lesion improvement, those on the omeprazole regimen showed greater improvements overall. | Photo: iStock

The team studied 40 horses with Grade 2 or higher ulcer lesions (confirmed via gastroscopy) in the upper portion (squamous) and/or lower portion (glandular) of the stomach, randomly assigning them to one of two groups. One group received 17.6 mg/kg body weight (a dose they settled on using data from similar studies performed in rats) of dehydrated inner leaf aloe vera powder (produced by Aloe Vera Australia), which was reconstituted with water into a paste, twice daily, while the other group received 4 mg/kg body weight omeprazole once daily. After four weeks of treatment, the team performed a repeat gastroscopy. Horses with persistent ulceration received a course of omeprazole and were re-examined after four weeks.

The team found that while horses treated with aloe vera did show squamous lesion improvement, those on the omeprazole regimen showed greater improvements overall. Fifty-six percent of horses on aloe vera improved by at least one lesion grade, compared to 85% of those receiving omeprazole. Healing rates (ulcers becoming Grade 1 lesions or less) were 17% for the aloe vera group and 75% for the omeprazole group. The healing rate for horses receiving a second omeprazole treatment was only 37%, however. The number of horses with glandular ulcers, far fewer than those with squamous ulcers, was too small for statistical analysis, the team said.

Samantha Franklin, BVSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVSMR, MRCVS, an associate professor of equine physiology at the university, said the team found that “ulcer healing in horses treated with omeprazole was less likely to occur in horses with prolonged gastric emptying. The cause of this is uncertain. However, it is possible that feed retained within the stomach may inhibit omeprazole absorption or may mechanically influence healing and/or cause new lesion formation