Dietary Approaches to Optimize the Fasting Period Before Laparoscopic Surgery in Horses: An Overview

This article highlights the role of preoperative feeding before laparoscopic interventions in horses. Laparoscopy is increasingly used in equine surgery. Preoperative feeding and determination of an optimal fasting time are important events for a successful surgery and rapid recovery of the animal. Optimal fasting time is necessary to limit gut distension during the laparoscopic intervention. On the other hand, fasting horses for long time may lead to postoperative complication. Therefore, an ideal preoperative diet targets low gas formation and short transit time in the gastrointestinal tract. The article mainly focuses on the effects of feed ingredients (forages and concentrates types), feeding regimes (amount and feeding intensity and feed change), feed processing (concentrate processing, particle size), as well as dietary supplements (plant oils, essential oils) on the hindgut fermentation and transit time to determine a feeding approach that fulfills best the aforementioned conditions. Taken together, feeding stem-rich long hay in several small portions, in 2-hour intervals, may help in reducing the fasting time <26 hours before common laparoscopic interventions in horses.