Prevalence of squamous gastric disease in Colombian equids at slaughter: A postmortem comparative study among horses, donkeys and mules.
Authors: Medina B Angie L, Faleiros Rafael R, Martínez A José R
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Equine gastric ulceration represents a significant welfare concern across multiple equid species, yet prevalence data derived from postmortem examinations remain sparse, particularly outside traditional research populations. Researchers in Colombia conducted immediate postmortem inspections of the squamous gastric mucosa in horses, donkeys and mules at slaughter, systematically grading lesions according to established classification criteria and focusing on the cardia, dorsal fundus and margo plicatus regions. The findings were striking: 83.3% of the combined population exhibited squamous gastric disease (ESGD), with remarkably consistent prevalence across species (78% horses, 89% donkeys, 83% mules), with the margo plicatus affected in every positive case and three-quarters of affected animals showing five or more lesions. Half of all lesions demonstrated clinical significance—characterised by depth, variable severity grades, and evidence of recent or active haemorrhage—suggesting that the perimortem stress of long-distance transport, fasting and handling conditions preceding slaughter induced or exacerbated substantial mucosal damage across all three species. These findings underscore that squamous gastric disease may be substantially underdiagnosed in working equid populations subjected to similar management stressors, challenging assumptions about prevalence in equids beyond horses and highlighting the need for integrated prevention strategies addressing transport logistics, feeding protocols and pre-slaughter handling in all equid types.
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Practical Takeaways
- •ESGD is extremely prevalent in working equids undergoing transport and fasting stress—management of these factors should be prioritized to reduce lesion formation
- •Donkeys appear slightly more susceptible to ESGD than horses or mules under identical stressful conditions, suggesting species-specific monitoring may be warranted
- •Lesions in most affected animals are multiple and severe (deep with active bleeding), indicating that prevention strategies are critical since treatment after ulceration is challenging
Key Findings
- •Overall ESGD prevalence was 83.3% across all equids (78% horses, 89% donkeys, 83% mules) at postmortem examination
- •Margo plicatus was affected in 100% of ESGD cases, with 75% of affected animals having more than 5 lesions
- •50% of animals with ESGD had deep lesions, varying severity, and/or evidence of recent or active bleeding
- •Prevalence of ESGD was similar across all three equid species when subjected to identical pre-slaughter stressors (long-distance travel, fasting, stress)