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Gastric impaction can occur as a primary condition but is often diagnosed at surgery as a finding secondary to other disturbances in the intestinal tract. In some cases there be predisposing causes such as ulceration or fibrosis at the pylorus, whereas in other cases it ma occur spontaneously. Predisposing factors:
- Ingestion of certain feedstuffs including beet pulp, bran, straw, wheat and barley - beet pulp and bran can become dessicated within the stomach and may not become rehydrated by water or gastric secretions
- Dental disorders - roughage may be incompletely masticated
- Feeding a horse that has signs of colic - there may be poor gastric emptying associated with generalised decreased gastrointestinal motility
Clinical signs Abdominal discomfort If the signs are mild and resolve spontaenosuly or with analgesics, owners often inclined to feed the horse, worsening the imapction
Diagnosis
Suspected if cannto pass NGT, with gastric disytension the gastoroesophageal junction can become distoreted makingit difficutl to pass an NGT
If poorly macerated r digested feed material is recvered form the NGT when the horse has been starved for several hrs
On rectal, spleen may be dispalced caudally andmedially (not specific)
Endoscopy (not diagnostic for impaction and diffcult to assess gastric distnsion)
Rads may help, will show diaphragm displaced crnaially