Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Published:

Post-Mortem Findings of Gastric Ulcers in Swedish Horses up to One Year of Age: A Retrospective Study 1924–1996

Magsårsprevalensen hos svenska hästar under ett års ålder som obducerats under perioden 1924–1996

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 40, pages 109–120 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

Necropsy records from 702 horses, less than one year old, that were subjected to necropsy between 1924 and 1996 were used to estimate the prevalence of gastric ulceration in younger horses and to evaluate some potential risk factors that may contribute to the development of gastric ulceration. Information concerning breed, gender, age, season of death, clinical signs of colic, medical treatment, parasitism and documentation of diseases in different organs were recorded, as well as size, number and anatomical distribution of ulcers. Gastric ulcers were found in 96 of 702 young horses (14%) and gastritis in another 64 animals (9%). The cutaneous region adjacent to margo plicatus (51%), and the corpus region were commonly affected (46%). The investigation clearly demonstrates that gastric ulceration has affected young Swedish horses to a similar degree during most of the 20th century. A significant (p<0.05) association between gastric ulcers and the signs of colic, parasitism and a concomitant intestinal, liver, and oesophageal involvement was found. No breed or sex predilection with gastric ulcers was obtained. The risk of gastric ulcers was highest during the fall (odds ratio 3.52) and lowest during the summer (odds ratio 0.45). The seasonal variation could not be explained by concomitant findings of Gasterophilus larvae. By using a multivariate logistic regression analysis, only season significantly influenced the risk of gastric ulceration.

Sammanfattning

Undersökningen genomfördes for art studera forekomsten av magsår hos obducerade svenska fol yngre än 1 år och for att identifiera riskfaktorer av betydelse for utvecklingen av magsår. Materialet hämtades från obduktionsprotokoll förda vid Institutionen för patologi vid Kungliga Veterinärhögskolan i Stockholm (1924–1976) respektive Veterinärmedicinska fakulteten i Uppsala (1977–1996). Information om ras, kön, älder, obduktionsår, tid på året då djuret avlidit, koliksymptom, medicinsk behandling och parasitskador noterades och samband mellan magsår och andra patologiska förändringar i tarm, lever, matstrupe och bukspottkörtel undersöktes. Magsårens anatomiska lokalisation, storlek och antal registrerades. Materialet analyserades med användning av bivariat- och multivariatmodeller.

Magsår förekom hos 96 av 702 föl (14%) och gastriter hos ytterligare 64 djur (9%). De flesta såren observerades i magsäckens kutana del nära margo plicatus (51%) och i körteldelen (46%). Undersökningen visar att magsår har förekommit hos svenska föl under större delen av detta århundrade. Förekomsten av magsår var signifikant (p≤0.05) kopplad till koliksymptom, parasitskador och samtidiga patologiska förändringar i tarm, lever eller matstrupe. Inga signifikanta skillnader i magsårsfrekvens kunde urskiljas mellan könen eller olika hästraser. Magsår förekom oftast under hösten (odds ratio 3.52) och var minst vanligt under sommaren (0.45). Variationen i magsårsfrekvens under året var inte relaterad till förekomsten eller frånvaron av gasterophiluslarver hos hästarna.

References

  • Acland HM, Gunson DE, Gillette DM: Ulcerative duodenitis in foals. Vet. Pathol. 1983, 20, 653–661.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anonymous: Information from Official Statistics of Sweden (The Natural Environments in Figures) (1996) 5th edition, pp 126.

  • Collobert-Laugier C, Vaissaire J, Jacquet A, Dauguet C, Plateau E: Bacterial species in gastroduodenal ulcerations in foals. Equine vet. J. 1988, Suppl 7, 139.

  • Dwyer RM, Powell DG: Study of gastroduodenal ulcers among post mortem cases. In: The Third Report of the Lloyd’s Foal Disease Project. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. 1989, pp 14–25.

  • Fielding JF: The irritable bowel syndrome. Clinical spectrum. Clin. Gastroenterol. 1977, 6, 607–622.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Furr MO, Murray MJ, Ferguson DC: The effects of stress on gastric ulceration, T3, T4, reverse T3 and Cortisol in neonatal foals. Equine vet. J. 1992, 24, 37–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamir AN: White muscle disease in a foal. Aus Vet. J. 1982, 59, 57–58.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hammond CJ, Mason DK, Watkins KL: Gastric ulceration in mature Thoroughbred horses. Equine vet. J. 1986, 18, 284–287.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hosmer DW, Lemeshow S: Applied logistic regression. New York: John Wiley and Sons 1989.

  • Lee Gross T, Mayhew IG: Gastroesophageal ulceration and candidiasis in foals. J.Am.vet.med.Assoc. 1983, 182, 1370–1373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray MJ, Hart J, Parker GA: Equine gastric ulcer syndrome: endoscopic survey of asymptomatic foals. Proc. Annu. Conv. Am. Assoc. Equine Pract. 1987, 33, 769–776.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray MJ: Endoscopic appearance of gastric lesions in foals: 94 cases (1987–1988) J.Am.vet. med.Assoc. 1989a, 195, 1135–1141.

  • Murray MJ: Gastric ulceration in horses with colic. Proc. Annu. Conv. Am. Assoc. Equine Pract. 1989b, 34, 61–68.

  • Murray MJ, Murray CM, Sweeney HJ, Weld J, Wingfield-Digby NJ, Stoneham SJ: Prevalence of gastric lesions in foals without signs of gastric disease: An endoscopic survey. Equine vet. J. 1990, 22, 6–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murray MJ: Gastric ulceration in horses: 91 cases (1987–1990) J.Am.vet.med.Assoc. 1992, 201, 117–120.

  • Murray MJ, Eichorn ES: Effects of intermittent feed deprivation, intermittent feed deprivation with ranitidine administration, and stall confinement with ad libitum access to hay on gastric ulceration in horses. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1996, 57, 1599–1603.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nadeau, JA, Andrews FM, Mathew AG, Argenzio RA, Blackford JT: The effect of diet on severity of gastric ulcers in horses. Gastroenterology. 1998, 114, A238.

  • Read NW: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – Definition and pathophysiology. Scand. J. Gastroenterol. 1987, 130, 7–13.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rebhun WC, Dill SG, Power HT: Gastric ulcers in foals. J.Am.vet.med.Assoc. 1982, 180, 404–407.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rooney JR: Gastric ulceration in foals. Path. vet. 1964, 1, 497–503.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandin A, Skidell J, Häggström J, Nilsson G: Postmortem findings of gastric ulcers in Swedish horses older than one year of age: a retrospective study of 3715 horses (1924–1996). Equine vet. J. 1999. In press.

  • Sweeney HJ: The prevalence and pathogenicity of Gasterophilus intestinalis larvae in horses in Ireland. Irish. Vet. J. 1990, 43, 67–13.

  • Sweeney HJ: A survey by mail questionnaire on the incidence of the foal gastroduodenal ulcer syndrome in Ireland and Britain. Irish vet. J. 1992, 45, 147–150.

  • Swerczek TW: Toxicoinfectious botulism in foals and adult horses. J.Am.vet.med.Assoc. 1980, 176, 217–220.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Traub-Dagartz J, Bayly W, Riggs M, Thomas N, Pankowski R: Exsanguination due to gastric ulceration in a foal. J.Am.vet.med.Assoc. 1985, 186, 280–281.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Traub-Dargatz JL, Bertone JJ, Gould DH, Wrigley RH, Weiser MG, Forney SD: Chronic flunixin meglumine therapy in foals. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1988, 49, 7–12.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Waddell AH: The pathogenicity of Gasterophilus intestinalis larvae in the stomach of the horse. Aus. Vet. J. 1972, 48, 332–335.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson JH: Gastric and duodenal ulcers in foals: a retrospective study. Proc second Eq. Colic Res. Symp. University of Georgia. 1985, pp 126–129.

  • Yoshihara T, Kaneko M, Oikawa M-A, Kanemaru T, Hasegawa M, Tomioka Y: Pathological findings on gastric ulcer in the proventricular region in foals. Bull. Equine Res. Inst. 1986, no 23, 7–13.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7045, SE-750 09, Uppsala, Sweden

    A. Sandin, J. Skidell, J. Häggström, K. Girma & G. Nilsson

Authors
  1. A. Sandin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Skidell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. Häggström
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K. Girma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G. Nilsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Sandin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sandin, A., Skidell, J., Häggström, J. et al. Post-Mortem Findings of Gastric Ulcers in Swedish Horses up to One Year of Age: A Retrospective Study 1924–1996. Acta Vet Scand 40, 109–120 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547028

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547028

Keywords

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147