Prevalence of squamous gastric disease in Colombian equids at slaughter: A postmortem comparative study among horses, donkeys and mules.

The study focused on examining the prevalence of Squamous Gastric Disease, a type of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, in horses, donkeys and mules immediately after slaughter. The overall prevalence of the disease was found to be significant, and it was observed that it affected all three animal groups similarly when they were exposed to the same conditions prior to slaughter.

Objective and Purpose

• The research aimed to determine the presence and grade of Squamous Gastric Disease in horses, donkeys and mules, post their slaughter.
• The reason for conducting a postmortem examination was to reconcile significant differences that have been reported between prevalence studies performed before death, and those conducted after.
• The long-term goal of the study is likely to develop more effective preventative and treatment strategies for Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, which impacts horses, donkeys, and mules.

Methodology

• Postmortem inspections of the squamous region (cardia, dorsal fundus, and margo plicatus) were carried out on the slaughtered equids.
• The observed lesions were then classified based on their appearance and intensity, as a method of gauging the severity of the disease.
• The conditions prior to slaughter, like traveling, fasting, and other stress factors, were kept constant to assess their influence on the prevalence of the disease.

Findings

• The prevalence of Squamous Gastric Disease (a component of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome) was high across the population — 78% among horses, 89% among donkeys, and 83% among mules.
• All cases showed evidence of the disease in the margo plicatus region.
• 75% of cases had more than five lesions, and 50% had deep lesions of varying severity.
• The frequency of the disease was similar across the different types of equids when subjected to similar pre-slaughter conditions.

Implications

• The findings show that Squamous Gastric Disease is quite prevalent in horses, donkeys, and mules, indicating a need for improved care and possibly revised dietary and handling practices.
• Despite the different physical and genetic characteristics of these animals, the similar disease prevalence suggests that conditions prior to their slaughter, such as traveling and fasting, have a significant part in triggering ESGD.
• The study’s results can support efforts towards creating better diagnostic tools, prevention methods, and therapy for Squamous Gastric Disease.