Efficacy of Omeprazole for the Prevention of Exercise‐Induced Gastritis in Racing Alaskan Sled Dogs

Exercise‐induced gastritis and gastric ulcers are common in humans and horses, and recently have been described in racing sled dogs. The cause of exercise‐induced gastric disease is not completely understood in any species, but pharmacologic suppression of acid secretion is an effective treatment in humans and horses. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that omeprazole, a proton‐pump inhibitor shown to reduce gastric acid secretion in dogs, would reduce the severity of exercise‐induced gastric disease. Three teams of 16 dogs each competing in the 2002 Iditarod Sled Dog Race were recruited for participation. Within each team, dogs were randomly assigned to either treatment (20 mg omeprazole PO q24h) or placebo. Treatments were administered until either completion of the race or withdrawal of an individual dog from competition. Gastric endoscopy was performed in all dogs 24 hours after completion or withdrawal, and the gastric mucosa was scored by using a subjective severity score (0 = normal, 3 = numerous bleeding ulcers). Treatment with omeprazole significantly reduced mean gastric severity score compared to placebo (omeprazole: 0.65 ± 0.17, placebo: 1.09 ± 0.18; P = .028), but also was associated with increased frequency of diarrhea during the race (omeprazole 54%, placebo 21%; P = .017). Examination of our data suggests that omeprazole may be an effective treatment for exercise‐induced gastric disease in racing sled dogs. However, further investigation regarding the cause and clinical relevance of diarrhea associated with omeprazole treatment must be conducted before omeprazole can be recommended for routine prophylactic treatment in these athletes.