The small intestine in horses is a component of the digestive system responsible for nutrient absorption and digestion. It consists of three main sections: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The small intestine is approximately 50 to 70 feet long and facilitates the breakdown of feed through enzymatic action, allowing nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. It plays a role in the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, as well as in the absorption of vitamins and minerals. The small intestine's function and health are critical to maintaining overall equine well-being. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the structure, function, and health implications of the small intestine in horses.
Dumas MB, Spano JS.Alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes of equine tissues, peritoneal fluid, and serum were characterized by their electrophoretic mobilities, using polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis. The alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in liver, kidney, spleen, small intestine, placenta, bone, small colon, and large colon tissue samples were extracted and separated by electrophoresis. The resulting isoenzyme mobilities and spectrophotometric scans were evaluated for their tissue specificity and for their possible use in determining the tissue contribution of alkaline phosphatase to serum and peritoneal fluid. T...
Breukink HJ, Németh F, van Dieten JS.The clinical examination, anaesthesia and surgery in a gelding with an incarcerated scrotal hernia are described. The results of examination of the blood at regular intervals are shown in a table. Surgery was performed without enterectomy. The postoperation course was uneventful. It is concluded that the possibility of scrotal hernia should be borne in mind, even in geldings with colic. The incarcerated portion of the small intestine is usually found to be the jejuno-ileal junction. The anaesthesiological and surgical features of equine scrotal hernia are discussed.
Reddy VK, Kammula RG, Randolph A, Graham TC, Srungaram SK.Studies on regional blood flow to the stomach and small intestine were performed in 9 anesthetized ponies. Carbonized microspheres (15 +/- 5 micron in diameter) labeled with 85Sr were injected into the left atrium to determine blood flow distribution. In 4 ponies, the regional flows to mucosal-submucosal layers of the stomach and the small intestine were also measured. The nonglandular region of the stomach received the least blood per 100 g of tissue, and the duodenum received the greatest. The regional blood flow to the duodenum was significantly higher than that to the glandular stomach reg...
Roberts MC, Pinsent PJ.Three horses suffering from malabsorption were shown to have alimentary lymphosarcoma predominantly affecting the small intestine and the associated lymph nodes. The diffuse cellular infiltration in two of the case produced marked changes in the villous architecture reducing the available mucosal surface area, and, with lowered or barely detectable disaccharidase activities, contributed to the impairment of digestive-absorptive processes. One of the horses maintained a voracious appetite and was not diarrhoeic, but failed to gain weight, indicating differences in the production and utilisation...
Hintz HF.Recent studies on the digestive physiology of the horse are reviewed. It was suggested that the small intestine is the primary site of digestion and absorption of protein, soluble carbohydrates, most minerals, fats, fat soluble and water soluble vitamins. The large intestine is the primary site of fibre digestion and net water absorption. Significant amounts of phosphorus are also absorbed from the large intestine. Many factors such as rate of passage, processing of feeds, level of intake, work and maturity of plant may influence digestive ability.
Verhaar N, Kopp V, Pfarrer C, Neudeck S, König K, Rohn K, Kästner S.Pharmacological preconditioning with dexmedetomidine has been shown to ameliorate intestinal ischaemia reperfusion injury in different species, including horses. However, it remains unknown if this effect is related to alpha2 adrenoreceptor activity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of dexmedetomidine preconditioning with and without the administration of the peripheral alpha2 antagonist vatinoxan. This prospective randomized experimental trial included 12 horses equally divided between two treatment groups. Horses in group Dex received a bolus of dexmedetomidine fo...
Zhao Y, Ren X, Wu H, Hu H, Cheng C, Du M, Huang Y, Zhao X, Wang L, Yi L, Tao J, Li Y, Lin Y, Su S, Dugarjaviin M.Anaerobic fungi are effective fibre-degrading microorganisms in the digestive tract of horses. However, our understanding of their diversity and community structure is limited, especially in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract. For the first time, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyse and predict fungal microbial diversity in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract of Mongolian horses. The results revealed that the richness and diversity of fungi in the hindgut of Mongolian horses were much higher than those in the foregut. The foregut was dominated by Basid...
Varasteh F, Ebrahimi SH, Naserian AA, Zerehdaran S, Miri VH.This study aimed to 1) evaluate the interaction of corn grain micronization and starch levels per meal on equine plasma glucose, and 2) determine if micronization affects the risk of hindgut acidosis. Six mature (aged 6 to 10 years), healthy, non-pregnant mares (initial body weight [BW]: 301 to 463 kg) were used in a 2×3 factorial cross-over design. The treatments included two forms of corn grain (ground and micronized flaked) at three levels of starch (1, 1.5, and 2 g/kg BW per meal). The blood was sampled before and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, and 300 min after morning feeding and the glucos...
Ruptures of the urinary bladder and urachus are the most frequent cause of uroperitoneum in foals. Surgical correction is often the first treatment choice, however, nonsurgical methods, such as urine removal via urinary catheters and abdominal drains, have been successfully performed in foals. Unassigned: Two foals were referred to the Equine Perinatology Unit for suspicion of uroperitoneum. The diagnosis was confirmed by hematobiochemical and ultrasound examinations, thus cystorrhaphy and cystoplasty were attempted. Surgeons found a lesion in the dorsocranial margin of the bladder (Case 1) an...
Macedo IS, Lara FA, Barbosa HS, Saraiva EM, Menna-Barreto RFS, Mariante RM., responsible for causing toxoplasmosis, is a prevalent food and waterborne pathogen worldwide. It commonly infects warm-blooded animals and affects more than a third of the global human population. Once ingested, the parasite enters the host's small intestine and rapidly disseminates throughout the body via the bloodstream, infiltrating various tissues. Leukocyte-driven responses are vital against , with neutrophils playing a dual role: swiftly recruited to infection sites, releasing inflammatory mediators, and serving as a replication hub and Trojan horses, aiding parasite spread. Neutrophil...
Haardt H, Romero AE, Boysen SR, Tan JY.Abdominal ultrasonography is valuable in the diagnosis of equine colic. Fast localized abdominal sonography of horses (FLASH) enables practitioners with limited experience to perform ultrasonography in emergency settings. However, many practitioners only possess rectal format linear array transducers (RFLT). The hypotheses are: (a) A low frequency curvilinear transducer (LFCT) and RFLT will detect free abdominal fluid and abnormal small intestinal loops with similar frequency during FLASH, and (b) there will be a difference between the transducers for detection of gastric abnormalities and nep...
