Influence of diet and water supply on mineral content and pH within the large intestine of horses with enterolithiasis.

The research article discusses the influence of diet and water supply on mineral content and pH within the large intestine of horses, specifically focusing on horses with enterolithiasis. By evaluating different diets and water supplies, the study aims to identify whether these factors can alter the intestinal chemistry and potentially affect the development or progression of the disease.

Research Methodology

• The experiment was conducted on six adult horses, half of which were diagnosed with enterolithiasis (stones in their intestines), and the other half without.
• Surgical fistulation of the right dorsal colon, a procedure that creates an opening to examine the interior of the colon, was performed on each of the horses.
• Each animal then underwent four different feeding trials: grass hay with untreated water, alfalfa hay with untreated water, grass hay with filtered/softened water, and alfalfa hay with filtered/softened water.
• Samples of their colonic content were collected and analyzed for their pH value, dry matter, and mineral concentrations (such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur).

Observations and Findings

• Horses suffering from enterolithiasis had higher concentrations of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur, as well as higher pH (suggesting a more alkaline environment) in their colonic contents than the horses without the disease.
• Horses that were fed alfalfa hay had lower colonic sodium and potassium, higher calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur concentrations, and a more alkaline pH than those fed on grass hay.

Conclusions and Implications

• The consumption of grass hay led to reduced concentrations of certain minerals and a more acidic colonic environment compared to alfalfa hay. This might be beneficial in preventing enterolithiasis.
• Under controlled dietary conditions, horses with enterolithiasis showed differences in colonic mineral content and pH parameters, suggesting that these differences could potentially be linked to physiological differences between horses with and without the disease.