Post-mortem findings of gastric ulcers in Swedish horses up to one year of age: a retrospective study 1924-1996
Sandin, A.; Skidell, J.; Häggström, J.; Girma, K.; Nilsson, G.
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 40(2): 109-120
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-605X PMID: 10605127 Document Number: 506970
PM records from 702 horses, less than one year old, examined between 1924 and 1996 were used to estimate the prevalence of gastric ulceration in younger horses and to evaluate some potential risk factors for 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 shows 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 autumn (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 affected the risk of gastric ulceration.