Experimental crossover study on the effects of withholding feed for 24 h on the equine faecal bacterial microbiota in healthy mares.
Authors: Willette Jaclyn A, Pitta Dipti, Indugu Nagaraju, Vecchiarelli Bonnie, Hennessy Meagan L, Dobbie Tamara, Southwood Louise L
Journal: BMC veterinary research
Summary
# Editorial Summary Colic cases consistently show altered faecal bacterial profiles, yet it remains unclear whether these changes stem from the disease itself or from standard management practices such as feed restriction. Researchers conducted a controlled crossover trial in healthy mares, collecting faecal samples before, during, and after a 24-hour period of complete feed withholding, using high-throughput DNA sequencing to characterise bacterial community composition and diversity. Twenty-four hours without feed produced measurable shifts in microbial structure, reducing overall bacterial diversity and altering the relative abundance of key taxa, changes that mirror some of those observed in clinical colic cases. These findings suggest that practitioners must account for the confounding effect of fasting when interpreting microbiota results from colicky horses, as apparent disease-related dysbiosis may partly reflect the metabolic stress of feed restriction rather than the primary condition alone. Understanding this distinction is crucial for developing targeted dietary and probiotic interventions and for distinguishing genuine pathological microbiota changes from those induced by necessary clinical management.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •When interpreting faecal microbiota results in colic cases, consider that feed withholding itself causes microbiota shifts independent of the underlying condition
- •Be aware that colic management protocols (fasting) may obscure or mimic disease-specific microbiota changes, potentially affecting diagnostic interpretation
- •Microbiota sampling timing in colic cases should account for fasting-induced changes to differentiate disease effects from management effects
Key Findings
- •24-hour feed withholding significantly alters equine faecal bacterial microbiota composition in healthy mares
- •Feed restriction causes measurable changes in microbial populations that could confound interpretation of microbiota findings in colic cases
- •Changes in microbiota during feed withholding may be independent of disease process and attributable to starvation stress alone