Endoscopic procedures in horses including gastroscopy and upper airway endoscopy require appropriate welfare management to minimize distress during diagnostic investigation.
Equine endoscopic procedures create temporary welfare costs through restraint, sedation, and the invasiveness of the procedures themselves. The welfare investment of adequate sedation and skilled technique minimizes these costs while enabling accurate diagnosis that directs effective treatment. Procedures performed without adequate sedation to save time or cost impose unnecessary distress. The welfare justification for endoscopic procedures is their diagnostic value — endoscopy that enables appropriate treatment of a welfare-compromising condition more than compensates for the temporary distress of the procedure itself.