Dental Correction Does Not Alter Postprandial Nutrient Concentrations in Healthy Mares

Area of Science:

• Equine Science
• Animal Nutrition
• Digestive Physiology

Background:

• Irregularities in equine dental wear are suspected to impair feed digestion and lead to weight loss.
• Effective feed digestion is crucial for nutrient absorption and overall horse health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if dental correction in horses improves postprandial nutrient concentrations.
• To determine if dental correction reduces fecal particle size (FPS) in clinically healthy mares.

Main Methods:

• 16 mature mares, without recent dental care, were divided into two groups: dental correction (n=8) and untreated controls (n=8).
• All mares received ad libitum Coastal Bermudagrass hay and a daily pelleted feed ration.
• Plasma nutrient concentrations and fecal particle size were measured before and after dental correction.

Main Results:

• Concentrate meal consumption significantly increased plasma glucose and amino acid concentrations at 90 minutes postfeeding (P < .001).
• Dental correction did not influence postprandial plasma nutrient concentrations (P > .1).
• Untreated control horses exhibited a significantly larger percentage of large fecal particles compared to corrected horses on day 56 (14.7% vs. 12.5%, P = .028).

Conclusions:

• Dental correction in horses may enhance mechanical feed digestion, evidenced by reduced fecal particle size.
• Despite improved mechanical digestion, dental correction did not lead to altered postprandial plasma nutrient concentrations after concentrate meal consumption.