Prevalence and pathology of foreign bodies (plastics) in Awassi sheep in Jordan

The prevalence and associated pathology of foreign bodies in 1453 sheep presented to the Veterinary Clinic during a 27 month period and in the rumen and reticulum from 300 sheep from Amman and Irbid slaughterhouses were studied in Jordan. Of the 1453 sheep, 130 had rumen impaction by plastic and were treated by rumenotomy, The type and location of foreign bodies were examined in 54 out of the 130 sheep. Plastics were the most common (74%), rope and leather were the least common (7%), and all were found in the rumen. Pins and nails were encountered (18.5%) in both rumen and reticulum. Plastic bags were also the most common (78%) foreign bodies found in the rumen of sheep examined in Amman and Irbid from slaughterhouses. In 20 sheep (6.6%), metal masses were found in the rumen. Only in 3 sheep (1%) were pins and nails present in the reticulum, Gross examination of the rumens with plastic revealed areas of sloughing, hemorrhages, congestion and stunting of the papillae, Histopathological examinations revealed areas of coagulative necrosis, hyperemia, inflammatory processes and focal hyperplasia. Several mitotic figures and cells with more than one nucleolus were also present. The results suggest that the plastics in the rumen may play an important role in the pathogenesis of rumenitis. The results, also, suggest that the most common types of foreign bodies in Jordan are plastics and a clean up of the environment would substantially reduce the prevalence of foreign body-pica syndrome in sheep.