2004 Volume 57 Issue 6 Pages 366-370
At 30, 60, 90 and 120 days after birth, gastro-endoscopic. examinations were conducted on 11 thoroughbred foals kept at four different breeding stations. Different amounts of concentrated feed were supplied to the foals' dams, and the foals were allowed to eat their dams' food. In all age groups, lesions were observed more frequently in the squamous mucosa than in the glandular mucosa or pylorus. Lesions in the glandular mucosa or pylorus were less severe than those in the squamous mucosa. Lesions in the squamous mucosa were more prevalent and more serious in foals kept at the two farms where more concentrated feed was fed the mares. At 30 and 60 days, the difference between those foals and others kept on farms where concentrated feed amounts were smaller was significant (P<0.05). These results suggest that feeding mares concentrated feed is an important factor in the pathogenic development of gastric ulcers in foals.
