Effects of Bit Chewing on Gastric Emptying, Small Intestinal Transit, and Orocecal Transit Times in Clinically Normal Horses.
Authors: Patton Molly E, Andrews Frank M, Bogers Sophie H, Wong David, McKenzie Harold C, Werre Stephen R, Byron Christopher R
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Bit Chewing and Equine Gastrointestinal Transit Ileus remains a significant clinical challenge in equine practice, with current therapeutic options frequently proving inadequate, prompting researchers to investigate whether bit chewing—a form of sham feeding that stimulates natural masticatory behaviour—could enhance gastrointestinal motility in clinically normal horses. Nine healthy horses underwent a crossover study comparing 20-minute bit-chewing sessions every 6 hours against control conditions, with gastric emptying time (GET), small intestinal transit time (SITT), and orocecal transit time (OCTT) measured via self-contained video endoscopy capsules and acetaminophen markers. Bit chewing produced a statistically significant reduction in OCTT (mean 5.13 hours versus 8.02 hours; p = 0.015), with encouraging but non-significant improvements in GET (2.34 versus 3.93 hours) and SITT (3.22 versus 3.79 hours). Given that the small intestine and proximal colon are common ileus sites, this intervention warrants investigation in clinical patients, particularly as bit chewing represents a low-cost, safe, and physiologically appropriate strategy that practitioners might implement as adjunctive therapy or even preventatively in at-risk horses.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Bit chewing is a simple, low-cost intervention that can measurably speed gastrointestinal transit in horses and may have therapeutic value in managing ileus cases
- •The significant reduction in total orocecal transit time suggests bit chewing could be incorporated as part of supportive care for horses with post-surgical or medical ileus
- •This finding supports the physiological principle that stimulating oral/masticatory behavior enhances GI motility, providing a practical tool for practitioners to discuss with horse owners and veterinary colleagues
Key Findings
- •Bit chewing for 20 minutes every 6 hours significantly decreased orocecal transit time (OCTT) from 8.02 hours to 5.13 hours (p = 0.015) in healthy horses
- •Bit chewing reduced gastric emptying time from 3.93 hours to 2.34 hours and small intestinal transit time from 3.79 hours to 3.22 hours, though these differences were not statistically significant
- •Bit chewing as a form of sham feeding may represent a safe and inexpensive intervention for ileus in horses, warranting further clinical investigation