Effect of diet composition on glandular gastric disease in horses

Abstract Background Nutritional factors are suggested to influence the incidence and severity of glandular gastric disease (GGD) in horses. Objectives To retrospectively assess whether dietary fermentable carbohydrates increase the severity of GGD and to prospectively evaluate whether the partial substitution of concentrates by dehydrated alfalfa would decrease GGD severity scores. Animals In total, 82 trotters from 4 training centers exercised ≥5 days/week. Methods Multicenter retrospective observational study, and prospective 2‐arm randomized trial. Glandular mucosae were observed by gastroscopy and scored (0‐4 severity scale) at day 0 (D0). Biochemical composition of the diet fed was compared between ulcerated and nonulcerated groups. After D0, horses either received the same diet (control, n = 41) or pelleted dehydrated alfalfa substituting 50% concentrates (alfalfa, n = 41). Glandular scores were recorded in both groups after 21 (D21) and 42 days (D42). The first end point was a successful outcome, defined as a horse with a glandular score of 2 to 4 on D0, decreasing to a score of 0 to 1 on days 21 or 42. Results Horses scored 0 to 1 at D0 ingested more (P = .01) soluble sugars from concentrates than those scored 2 to 4 before D0 (77.5 g/kg BW; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 71.1‐84.0, vs 59.1 g/kg BW; 95% CI: 48.0‐70.3), whereas starch intake did not differ between groups (P = .24). Among horses scored 2 to 4 at D0, fewer were scored 2 to 4 in the alfalfa group (1 out of 6) compared with the control group (6 out of 6) at D42 (P = .02). Clinical success was 47.7 times more likely in horses fed alfalfa compared with horses in the control group (95% CI: 1.6‐1422.8). Conclusion and Clinical Importance Relationships were found between diet composition and integrity of the glandular mucosa. Feeding pelleted dehydrated alfalfa could help to reduce the incidence and severity of GGD.