Exploring Non-Invasive Analysis of Equine Gastrointestinal Health
Open Access
- Author:
- Birkl, Samantha
- Area of Honors:
- Animal Sciences
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- William Burton Staniar, Thesis Supervisor
Troy Ott, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Gastric Ulcers
Permeability
Four-Sugar Absorption Test
Equine Gastrointestinal Health - Abstract:
- The domestic horse relies on a diet high in concentrates to meet their energy needs as an athlete. This diet does not come without consequences to the health of the gastrointestinal tract. Ulceration and increased gut permeability (leaky gut), are common issues for the horse industry because of a diet high in non-structural carbohydrates. In this thesis, I will examine variability in the grading of equine ulcers and improved calculations of gastrointestinal permeability. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome is apparent in both the squamous mucosa and the glandular region of the stomach. To determine the severity of ulceration in each anatomical region, a scoring system has been defined by the Equine Gastric Ulcer Council. This scoring system allows for consistency among researchers and veterinarians when analyzing the severity of ulceration in the different regions of the gastrointestinal tract through gastroscopy. Video endoscopies were evaluated by 5 different graders who were blinded to dietary treatments and replicated gastroscopies. A common scoring system was established, and 4 of the 5 graders attended a training workshop for training. Intra- and inter-grader reliability for the stratified squamous epithelium was then analyzed for each of the four stomach regions: greater curvature, lesser curvature, esophageal orifice, and body. Reliability within and between each grader was compared and although the scoring had relatively good reliability, there were differences in the median grades between the graders. The permeability of the gastrointestinal tract is critical to maintain a healthy animal. The need for a test to detect changes in the permeability of the gastrointestinal could have widespread application for further understanding gastrointestinal disorders, especially in the equine industry. A four-sugar absorption test was used to measure gastrointestinal tract permeability. After administration of an oral dose of the sugar marker, the four sugars analyzed were sucralose, sucrose, mannitol, and lactulose. This paper reviews the importance of developing consistent definitions of equine gastrointestinal disease and the value of the 4-sugar absorption test for estimating gastrointestinal health in equine athletes.