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Breed:
Sex:
Occuption:
Stabled in:
Owner/Trainer:
Veterinarian:
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Standardbred
Colt
Racehorse
New Jersey
Dick Thomas
Dr. Joseph DeLeo
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Mr. Playboy
was an exciting racing prospect for owner and breeder, Dick Thomas,
a successful long-time harness horse trainer and former driver.
With his breeding and strong physical qualities, the colt had
everything going for him to make it as a racehorse. In the fall
of 1996, as a yearling, Mr. Playboy was shipped to Garden State
Park in New Jersey to commence his training as a racehorse. Thomas
found him unusually easy to train, offering little resistance.
After about
three weeks at the track, Mr. Playboy began to show signs of intermittent
colic. He pawed the ground, looked at his stomach and seemed uncomfortable.
Suspecting stomach ulcers, veterinarian Dr. Joseph DeLeo recommended
treatment of sucralfate and PEPTO BISMOL®
(bismuth subsalicylate). In December, DeLeo referred Mr. Playboy
to New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania's School
of Veterinary Medicine, where a diagnosis of stomach ulcers was
confirmed by endoscopy.
Endoscopy
revealed several deep, crater-like bleeding ulcers. Dr. Tony Mogg,
the attending veterinarian, recommended various anti-ulcer medications.
He suggested training be stopped until the ulcers resolved. Thus
began a year of frustration and disappointment for Mogg and Thomas,
as they tried man remedies to help heal Mr. Playboy's stomach
ulcers.
Thomas elected
to have Mr. Playboy stay at New Bolton Center for aggressive anti-ulcer
therapy. The therapy had a mixed result. The majority of the superficial
ulcers were healed, but the crater-like ulcer had not improved
and oozed blood when touched by the endoscope. Biopsies were taken,
however, no underlying disease was found to be causing the ulcers.
The decision was made to continue Mr. Playboy on anti-ulcer medication
and give him a prolonged period of rest at Thomas' farm with a
follow-up exam in August 1997. His veterinarians felt the ulcers
might be the cause of the lethargy, anorexia and weight loss.
The options that remained were grave. Mr. Playboy was discharged
from New Bolton Center to rest.
The complete
change in environment proved beneficial for Mr. Playboy. When
he was re-examined a few months later at New Bolton Center, he
was found to be bright and alert. He had gained 70 pounds. An
endoscopy revealed that his ulcers showed significant improvement.
It was recommended that his current level of care be continued.
Subsequent examinations showed Mr. Playboy in good health. He
is currently living outside Pittsburgh, PA.
