Prevalence of gastric lesions (ulcers and/or erosions) and their relationship to possible stressfull factors in asymptomatic Quarter Horse foals: endoscopic survey

Gastric ulcer accounts for one of the most important causes of abdominal discomfort in young horses. With the aim of studying the prevalence of lesions (ulcers and/or erosions) and their relationship to factors such as stress, age and sex, sixty quarter horse foals without signs of gastric disease underwent gastroscopy. Foals were divided into four age groups of 15 animals as follows: 1 to 30 days, 31 to 60 days, 61 to 90 days and 91 to 120 days. The prevalence of gastric lesions was 43.3%. Foals aged 61 to ninety days were the most affected (nine of 15). There were no significant differences between ages. Squamous epithelial exfoliation was observed in nine foals (60%) less than thirty days, in six (40%) between 31 to sixty days and only in two foals (6.6%) older than sixty days. Factors regarded as stressful such as high tick infestation (29), respiratory problems (3), skin diseases (3), babesiosis (2), umbilical thickening (1), diarrhea (1), orthopedic problems (1) and laceration with fly larvae (1) had no relationship with lesions. No difference in prevalence by sex was noted.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: DEADO,Antonio Cezar de Oliveira, LOPES,Marco Aurélio Ferreira, GANDOLFI,Waldir
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia / Universidade de São Paulo 1998
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-95961998000400004
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Summary:Gastric ulcer accounts for one of the most important causes of abdominal discomfort in young horses. With the aim of studying the prevalence of lesions (ulcers and/or erosions) and their relationship to factors such as stress, age and sex, sixty quarter horse foals without signs of gastric disease underwent gastroscopy. Foals were divided into four age groups of 15 animals as follows: 1 to 30 days, 31 to 60 days, 61 to 90 days and 91 to 120 days. The prevalence of gastric lesions was 43.3%. Foals aged 61 to ninety days were the most affected (nine of 15). There were no significant differences between ages. Squamous epithelial exfoliation was observed in nine foals (60%) less than thirty days, in six (40%) between 31 to sixty days and only in two foals (6.6%) older than sixty days. Factors regarded as stressful such as high tick infestation (29), respiratory problems (3), skin diseases (3), babesiosis (2), umbilical thickening (1), diarrhea (1), orthopedic problems (1) and laceration with fly larvae (1) had no relationship with lesions. No difference in prevalence by sex was noted.