Are feeding practices associated with duodenitis-proximal jejunitis?
BACKGROUND
Feeding concentrate has been putatively associated with risk of development of duodenitis-proximal jejunitis (DPJ); however, this association has not been evaluated systematically in a controlled study.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there was evidence that feeding practices were associated with increased odds of developing DPJ employing a case control study.


OBJECTIVE
The amount of concentrate fed daily to horses is significantly greater among horses that develop DPJ than control horses with either lameness or other types of colic.


METHODS
Feeding practices of cases of DPJ diagnosed between 1997 and 2003 were compared with those of 2 populations of control horses (colic controls and lameness controls) admitted to the clinic from the same time period. Following multiple imputation of missing data, comparisons were made using polytomous logistic regression.


RESULTS
Horses with DPJ were fed significantly more concentrate and were significantly more likely to have grazed pasture than either control populations; DPJ horses were significantly more likely to be female than were lameness horses. Results were unchanged after adjusting for bodyweight of the horse.


CONCLUSIONS
Feeding and grazing practices differ among horses with DPJ relative to horses with other forms of colic and lame horses.


CONCLUSIONS
The observed magnitudes of association were not sufficiently strong to merit diagnostic/predictive application; however, these observations, if substantiated by other studies, might provide important aetiological clues.
Cohen
N D
ND
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, College Station, Texas 77843-4475, USA.
Toby
E
E
Roussel
A J
AJ
Murphey
E L
EL
Wang
N
N
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003085:Colic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004382:Duodenitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006736:Horses; D007579:Jejunal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors