PREVALENCE OF INDIGESTIBLE FOREIGN BODIES (IFBs) IN RUMINANTS SLAUGHTERED IN GOMBE METROPOLITAN ABATTOIR

The study was conducted in Gombe Metropolitan abattoir to assess the prevalence of indigestible foreign bodies (IFBs) and to determine the association of prevalence with predisposing factors in slaughtered ruminants. The study was laid in a completely randomized design. Sampling of animals was carried out using systematic random sampling. The prevalence of indigestible foreign bodies was computed and analyzed using Chi Square (χ2) test. Results indicated that out of 1,157 animals examined, 538 (46.50 %) were found to be positive. The prevalence was found to be significantly higher in Sheep (39.54%) than in cattle (15.92) and goats (34.53%). The results further relvealed that the prevalence of foreign bodies in female is higher than male with 38.97% and 20.46% respectively. Among the different age groups, a significantly (p< 0.05) higher prevalence was recorded in older animals than in younger animals. The indigestible foreign bodies (IFBs) observed were polythene bags, ropes, sack threads, rag, Fruit seeds, solid mass and plastic with polythene having higher prevalence of 30.70%. The prevalence of indigestible foreign bodies in the study area is high and was influenced by several factors among which are specie, age and body condition score. The variation in IFB prevalence across species underscores the importance of species-specific management and prevention strategies.