title: Hospital-based study of dental pathology and faecal particle size distribution in horses with large colon impaction.
abstract: The aim of the study was to determine if horses with large colon impaction were more severely affected by oral pathology than control cases and to relate faecal particle size distribution to dental pathology in both study groups. A prospective study included 39 horses with large colon impaction and 72 control horses from a hospital-based population. An oral pathology score (OPscore) and periodontal disease index (PDI) were assigned to all horses and faecal samples were collected for estimating faecal particle size and analysis of particle size distribution. Horses with large colon impactions were not more severely affected by oral pathology than control horses for both OPscore (P = 0.2) and PDI (P = 0.3). Faecal particle size estimates were significantly higher in control animals (P <0.001). No significant association was found between faecal particle size estimates and OPscores in horses with large colon impaction or control horses. In horses with large colon impaction, faecal particle size estimates increased with increasing PDI (P = 0.05). No associations were found between dental pathology and faecal particle size estimates. Horses developing large colon impaction did not have worse dentition than control horses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gunnarsdottir
authors.affiliation: CODA-CERVA, Unit of Co-ordination of Veterinary Diagnosis-Epidemiology and Risk Assessment, Veterinary Research Centre, Groeselenberg 99, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium; Laboratory of Veterinary Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Van der Stede
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Vlamynck
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Floor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muurling
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Clercq
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gunther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Loon
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: lieven.vlaminck@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Lieven
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vlaminck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003085:Colic / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005244:Fecal Impaction / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006736:Horses; D006762:Hospitals, Animal; D010316:Particle Size; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Colic; Dental pathology; Equine; Faecal particle size estimates; Large colon impaction