Abstract
BackgroundTransportation has been suggested as a risk factor for gastric ulceration in horses, but limited evidence supports this assumption.AnimalsTwenty‐six Standardbred, Thoroughbred, and Warmblood mares from a university teaching herd.MethodsTwelve mares were confined for 12 hours, overnight, in reproductive stocks with indwelling nasogastric tubes (NGTs) to assess pH of gastric fluid (GF). Gastric ulceration was assessed endoscopically before and after confinement. Subsequently, 26 horses were transported for 12 hours, overnight, in 2 consignments. During transportation, GF was aspirated from indwelling NGT placed in the same 12 mares used in the confinement study, and gastric ulceration was assessed endoscopically before and after transportation in all horses.ResultsThe median pH of GF in confined horses was 1.70‐2.49 at each sampling point, and there was no apparent effect on gastric squamous ulcer scores. The median pH of GF from the same 12 horses at corresponding sampling times during transportation was 6.82‐7.22. Transportation was associated with increased gastric squamous ulcer scores, particularly in horses fasted for gastroscopy and NGT placement immediately before departure. Gastric emptying appeared delayed after transportation in horses fed before departure.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceTransportation is associated with increased gastric squamous ulceration and with increased pH of GF. These findings may be a consequence of impaired gastric emptying and reflux of alkaline small intestinal content, with factors such as duodenal bile salts and short‐chain fatty acids mediating mucosal injury.
Highlights
Transportation has been suggested as a risk factor for gastric ulceration in horses, but limited evidence supports this assumption
Transportation has been suggested as a risk factor for gastric ulceration[13] and a recent survey of transport-associated health problems indicated that gastrointestinal (GI) problems occur frequently in association with transportation of horses.[14]
Feed management before transportation consisted of feeding
Summary
Gastric ulceration is the most common disease condition of the equine stomach[1] and is associated with colic, decreased appetite, failure to thrive, and poor performance.[2,3] Equine gastric ulcer syndrome has been recommended as an encompassing term for all erosive and ulcerative conditions of the equine stomach.[4]. Transportation has been suggested as a risk factor for gastric ulceration[13] and a recent survey of transport-associated health problems indicated that gastrointestinal (GI) problems occur frequently in association with transportation of horses.[14] Limited evidence currently is available regarding the effects of transportation on gastric ulceration or gastric pH. Transportation is associated with factors that may contribute to gastric ulceration such as physiologic stress responses (increased heart rate and serum cortisol concentrations),[15,16,17,18,19,20,21] changes in feeding practices and water consumption,[22,23] and changes in GI microbiota.[12,24] Our study was conducted to determine the impact of 12 hours of transportation without food or water on gastric ulcer scores and gastric fluid (GF) pH in horses. We hypothesized that transportation would be associated with ulceration of the squamous mucosa associated with acidic GF and that these effects would be more severe in horses fasted before transportation
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