Dental correction does not alter post-prandial nutrient concentrations

Dental correction does not alter post-prandial nutrient concentrations in healthy mares

J Equine Vet Sci. 2023 Sep 29;104935. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104935. Online ahead of print.
Authors
Ashley Starrett 1 , Rachelle Smith 2 , Philip M Urso 1 , Kristine L Urschel 3 , Mark J Anderson 1 , Jessica K Suagee-Bedore 4
Affiliations

1 School of Agricultural Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77241 USA.
2 TRIES LAB, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77241 USA.
3 Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546.
4 School of Agricultural Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77241 USA. Electronic address: jksuagee@vt.edu.

PMID: 37778532
DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104935

Abstract

Irregular wear patterns are theorized to cause poor feed digestion and weight loss in the horse. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that dental correction would increase postprandial nutrient concentrations and reduce fecal particle size (FPS) in clinically healthy mares. The study was conducted in 16 mares of mature age (4-17) that had not received dental care in the previous year. A diet consisting of ad libitum Coastal Bermudagrass hay and 1.36 kg of a pelleted feed was fed daily prior to and during the study. Eight mares received dental work and eight served as untreated controls. While the consumption of a concentrate meal increased plasma concentrations of glucose and amino acids at 90 minutes post feeding (P < 0.001), dental correction did not have an influence on plasma nutrient concentrations (P > 0.1). On d 56, untreated control horses had a larger percent of large FPS than horses having received dental correction (14.7 ± 0.1 vs. 12.5 ± 0.1; P = 0.028). Dental correction may improve mechanical digestion of feed, but this does not translate to altered post-prandial plasma nutrient concentrations following the consumption of a concentrate meal.

Keywords: Amino acids; Dental Correction; Equine; Fecal Particle Size, Meal Feeding; Postprandial.