Evaluation of diet as a cause of gastric ulcers in horses.

The research article explores the impact of diet on gastric ulcers in horses, particularly comparing the implications of a bromegrass hay diet and an alfalfa hay-grain diet on the pH levels, volatile fatty acid concentrations, and gastric lesions.

Research Methods

• The study conducted its tests using six 7-year-old horses and inserted a gastric cannula into each horse. The horses were fed each diet, under a randomized crossover design.
• Stomach contents from the horses were collected at numerous intervals after feeding on the 14th day of the experiment.
• The pH, volatile fatty acid (VFA), and lactate concentrations were assessed in the stomach juice. Additionally, an endoscopic examination was conducted to score the number and severity of gastric lesions in the horses.

Key Findings

• The results indicated that the alfalfa hay-grain diet led to a significantly higher pH level in the gastric juice during the first 5 hours after feeding as compared to the bromegrass hay diet.
• Furthermore, the concentrations of specific VFAs (acetic, propionic, and isovaleric acid) were notably higher in the stomach juice of horses fed the alfalfa hay-grain diet.
• The alfalfa hay-grain diet also resulted in a significantly lower number and severity of nonglandular squamous gastric lesions in comparison with the bromegrass hay diet.
• The study found that the concentrations of valeric acid, butyric acid, and propionic acid, along with pH levels, were significant in predicting the severity of gastric lesions in horses fed the alfalfa hay-grain diet. Meanwhile, for the horses fed the bromegrass hay diet, valeric acid and butyric acid concentrations were key in predicting the severity of the lesions.

Conclusions

• The study concluded that an alfalfa hay-grain diet resulted in higher pH and VFA concentrations in the gastric juice of horses, in contrast to a bromegrass hay diet.
• The number and severity of nonglandular squamous gastric lesions were notably reduced on an alfalfa hay-grain diet, suggesting that such a diet may have a ‘buffering’ effect against stomach acid in horses.