Prevalence of Foreign Bodies in the Rumen and Reticulum of Goats Slaughtered at Herat Governmental Slaughterhouse, Afghanistan

Goat rearing plays a crucial role in fighting poverty and food insecurity in Afghanistan. However, devastating droughts and poor environmental management systems cause various health issues, such as the ingestion of indigestable foreign bodies (IFBs). The ingestion of IFBs can have serious consequences for goats, including reduced production, weight loss, electrolyte imbalances, and even death. The current study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of IFB ingestion in goats in Herat Slaughterhouse, Herat, Afghanistan. A cross-sectional study was performed at Herat Governmental Slaughterhouse, Herat-Islam Qala Highway, Herat Province, Afghanistan, from July to September 2023. A total of 600 goats were included in this study. The age, sex, and body condition of all included goats were recorded. After the slaughter, the goats were inspected for IFBs, and their rumen and reticulum were incised and examined. Indigestable foreign body classifications were noted and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26. out of six hundred goats (487 male and 113 female), 147/600 (24.5%) had IFBs in their rumens. No IFBs were observed in the reticulum. Plastic was the most commonly detected IFB at 86/600 (14.33%), followed by a plastic thread at 27/600 (4.5%), bag thread at 7/600 (1.16%), lather at 8/600 (1.33%), mixed at 6/600 (1%), chocolate cover at 3/600 (0.5%), balloon at 4/600 (0.66%), wood at 2/600 (0.33%), piece of cloth at 1/600 (0.16%), camel dung at 1/600 (0.16%), cotton thread at 1/600 (0.16%), and wire at 1/600 (0.16%). A total of 116/600 (19.33%) of the goats aged ≥ 1 and ≤2 years presented a high frequency of IFBs. The lowest prevalence of IFBs was detected in goats aged 6 years (1/600; 0.16%). There was no correlation between IFBs and body condition in the examined goats in the current study. The occurrence of IFBs was demonstrated in goats slaughtered at Herat Governmental Slaughterhouse, which can negatively affect the overall productivity and production of goats in Herat Province. In conclusion, effective environmental management systems, safe waste disposal, and prompt foreign body removal are crucial preventive measures.