Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Indigestible Foreign Bodies in the Forestomach of Slaughtered Cattle: A Cross-Sectional Study in Eastern Ethiopia.

Indigestible foreign bodies (IFBs) can impair digestion and reduce animal productivity, thereby posing a serious economic burden on livestock owners and the national economy. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2024 to March 2025 to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of IFBs in the forestomach of cattle slaughtered at Haramaya University and Haramaya Municipal Abattoirs, Oromia region, Eastern Ethiopia. A total of 384 cattle were selected randomly and examined postmortem for the presence of IFBs. The overall prevalence of IFBs in cattle was 35.7% (137/384; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 31.1%-40.6%). The most important risk factors significantly associated with the occurrence of IFBs were poor body condition (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.72-8.0), older age (AOR = 4.8; 95% CI: 2.41-9.97), being from rural areas (AOR = 2.2; CI: 1.15-4.39), and being female (AOR = 3.8; 95% CI: 2.10-7.03), while breed of cattle showed no significant association. Among the forestomach compartments, a higher prevalence of foreign bodies was detected in the rumen (67.15%) than in the reticulum (32.85%). Nonmetallic materials accounted for the majority of detected IFBs (80.3%), with plastic objects being the most common (37%). The high prevalence observed in this study underscores the widespread environmental contamination and inadequate solid waste disposal practices in the area. Therefore, public awareness and the implementation of proper waste management systems are needed to minimize the ingestion of foreign materials by cattle and improve animal health and production.