Where Does Hindgut Fermentation Occur In Horses?

Published by Henry Stone on

large intestine.
The horse is a hindgut fermenter, meaning that the large intestine is the site of fermentation of ingested fiber.

Where does hindgut fermentation take place?

Hindgut fermentation is a digestive process seen in monogastric herbivores, animals with a simple, single-chambered stomach. Cellulose is digested with the aid of symbiotic bacteria. The microbial fermentation occurs in the digestive organs that follow the small intestine: the large intestine and cecum.

Where does fermentation take place in the horse?

The horse is unique in that most of the digestion of their feed occurs in the hindgut through the process of fermentation with the help of billions of naturally occurring bacteria and protozoa (together known as microbes). The cecum and large colon are similar to the rumen and reticulum of the cow and sheep.

What is the hindgut of a horse?

The hindgut of the horse comprises the cecum, large colon, small colon and rectum. The cecum consists of 12-15% of tract capacity and the colon 40-50% of tract capacity.

What is fermented in the hindgut?

The hindgut—succeeding the small intestine toward the back of the horse—is where fermentation of cellulose, or fiber, occurs.

Where does hindgut start and end?

The hindgut (or epigaster) is the posterior (caudal) part of the alimentary canal. In mammals, it includes the distal one third of the transverse colon and the splenic flexure, the descending colon, sigmoid colon and up to the ano-rectal junction.

Where does the hindgut start?

Hindgut. The hindgut is defined to begin where the blood supply changes from the superior mesenteric artery to the inferior mesenteric artery, i.e. at the distal third of the transverse colon.

Where does fermentation of forages take place in the GIT of a horse?

hindgut fermenters
Horses are non-ruminant, simple-stomached herbivores. They are hindgut fermenters, meaning the large intestine is the main site of fermentation of fibrous feedstuffs. This differs from ruminant animals like cattle, goats, deer, and sheep, which are foregut fermenters with a rumen and multicompartment stomach.

What part of the horse’s digestive system ferments food?

hindgut
The equine digestive tract is unique in that it digests portions of its feeds enzymatically first in the foregut and ferments in the hindgut.

Where does fermentation occur in a ruminant?

rumen reticulum
The stomach, called the rumen reticulum or, more simply, rumen, is the site of fermentation. A massive community of microorganisms, bacteria and protozoa, ferments the plant material to short-chain volatile fatty acids, methane, and carbon dioxide.

What is the difference between a ruminant and a hindgut fermenter?

Hindgut fermenters have a shorter passage time than ruminants, and hence are less efficient in cellulose digestion, for which they compensate with a higher intake of food (Clauss et al. 2003, 2007, 2009b).

What is a hind gut buffer for horses?

TIME RELEASED HINDGUT BUFFER
EquiShure is an encapsulated form of sodium bicarbonate which is designed to directly target the hindgut of the horse. This hindgut supplement is suitable for horses showing signs of altered digestive function and those which have been diagnosed with hindgut acidosis.

Where are hind gut ulcers in horses?

Hindgut or colonic ulcers, are located further down the digestive tract in the intestines or “colon” of the horse. These ulcers are less commonly studied, but it is known that they are more common in horses that are already suffering from gastric ulcers.

What is the difference between foregut fermentation and hindgut fermentation?

By definition, a foregut fermenter has a pre-gastric fermentation chamber whereas a hindgut fermenter has enlarged fermentation compartments in the cecum and/or colon (Stevens and Hume, 1998). The cow rumen is the most thoroughly studied foregut ecosystem.

What is the main function of the hindgut?

The hindgut, and in particular the rectum, is the primary site of water conservation by reabsorption and determines the ionic composition of the urine by selectively regulating ion reuptake.

What do hindgut fermenters have instead of a rumen?

Hindgut fermenters have an enlarged hindgut as opposed to foregut, as the ruminants do, for microbial fermentation to take place.

Where does midgut end and hindgut start?

The midgut develops into the distal duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, appendix, ascending colon, and proximal 2/3 of transverse colon. The hindgut becomes the distal 1/3 of the transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon and the upper anal canal.

What is the difference between hindgut and midgut?

The midgut is from the mid-duodenum to the initial two-thirds of the transverse colon. The hindgut is from the later one-third transverse colon to the upper portion of the anus.

How does the hindgut develop?

Hindgut development in 3 Steps.
The urorectal septum grows towards the cloacal membrane. Urorectal septum now separates the primitive urogenital sinus, which appears as an anterior swelling, from the anorectal canal. The cloacal membrane ruptures before the urorectal septum reaches it.

Where does midgut start?

duodenum
The midgut consists of small bowel beginning with the duodenum distal to the point of entry of the ampulla of Vater. It also includes the cecum and appendix, as well as the ascending colon and right one half to two thirds of the transverse colon.

Does fermentation occur in the Omasum?

Pregastric fermentation and breakdown of feeds occurs in the rumen, reticulum, and omasum, whereas the abomasum is the true stomach and is similar in structure and function to the non-ruminant stomach.

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Categories: Horse