Are feeding practices associated with duodenitis-proximal jejunitis?
Authors: Cohen N D, Toby E, Roussel A J, Murphey E L, Wang N
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Feeding Practices and Duodenitis-Proximal Jejunitis Whilst concentrate feeding has long been suspected as a risk factor for duodenitis-proximal jejunitis (DPJ), Cohen and colleagues conducted the first systematic case-control investigation to evaluate this association rigorously. Between 1997 and 2003, feeding practices of horses diagnosed with DPJ were compared against two control populations—horses admitted with other forms of colic and horses with lameness—using polytomous logistic regression following multiple imputation of missing data. Horses with DPJ consumed significantly greater daily amounts of concentrate and were more likely to have grazed pasture than either control group, with female horses overrepresented in the DPJ cases; these findings persisted after adjusting for bodyweight. Although the magnitude of association was insufficient to support diagnostic or predictive use in clinical practice, the data provide meaningful aetiological evidence that feeding management warrants closer examination in DPJ cases and suggests that nutritional intervention strategies merit further investigation as potential mitigation approaches. The results highlight the importance of feed balance and grazing management in horses predisposed to this serious condition, though practitioners should recognise that concentrate feeding alone cannot reliably predict DPJ development.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •High concentrate feeding is associated with increased DPJ risk; consider reviewing feeding protocols for horses prone to this condition, though feeding amount alone cannot predict disease
- •Pasture grazing patterns differ in DPJ cases; monitor horses on combined high-concentrate, high-grazing management for clinical signs
- •These associations require validation by additional studies before modifying feeding practices; current evidence provides aetiological clues rather than actionable diagnostic criteria
Key Findings
- •Horses with DPJ were fed significantly greater amounts of concentrate daily compared to colic control and lameness control horses
- •DPJ horses were significantly more likely to have grazed pasture than either control population
- •DPJ horses were significantly more likely to be female than lameness control horses
- •Associations remained significant after adjusting for bodyweight but were not sufficiently strong for diagnostic or predictive application