Diseases of the Forestomachs Practice Test

Prokinetics aim to restore coordinated GI contractions, and in vagal indigestion the weakness is generalized hypomotility of the foregut and proximal gut across different forms. Erythromycin works here because it acts as a motilin receptor agonist. Motilin triggers phase III-like, strong, coordinated contractions in the stomach and proximal small intestine, boosting gastric emptying and propulsion through the upper GI tract. That broad prokinetic effect helps across vagal indigestion types, making erythromycin at 10 mg/kg given intramuscularly a practical and effective choice. Other agents can be less reliably effective, have more variable responses in horses, or carry regulatory or safety concerns, which is why erythromycin is favored in this scenario.