Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
A survey of health care and disease in geriatric horses aged 30 years or older.
- Journal:
- Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Ireland, Joanne L et al.
- Affiliation:
- Institute of Infection and Global Health · United Kingdom
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This study looked at the health care and common diseases in older horses and ponies, specifically those aged 30 years or older, in North-West England and North Wales. Out of 128 horse owners surveyed, 87 responded, and 69 horses were examined by a veterinarian. The examination revealed that 16% of the horses were underweight, while 10% were overweight, which was different from what the owners reported. Most horses showed signs of lameness or had limited movement in their joints, but only a small number of owners recognized these issues. Additionally, all the horses had some eye problems, and while dental issues were found in all examined horses, many owners were unaware of these problems. Overall, the study highlighted that many health issues in these older horses were not being recognized or reported by their owners.
Abstract
This study reports on aspects of preventive health care and on the prevalence of disease in geriatric (≥30 years old) horses and ponies in North-West England and North Wales. Of 128 questionnaires mailed to horse owners, 87 useable responses were received and 69 horses were subject to veterinary examination. Of the animals examined, 16% were underweight with body condition scores (BCS)<2/5, and 10% were overweight (BCS>3/5). This contrasted with the owner responses that reported 23% of the animals surveyed to be underweight and only 3% to be overweight. When assessed at trot, 77% of the horses were lame on at least one limb, with 97% having a reduced range of motion in at least one joint. Only 16% of these animals were reported by owners to have been lame within the previous 12 months. Owner-reported changes to hair coat were significantly associated with hirsutism or abnormal moulting detected at clinical examination (39%). At least one ophthalmic lesion was identified in all of the horses and ponies examined and 17% of owners reported that their animal had experienced visual problems within the previous year. Although dental abnormalities were detected in all animals where an oral examination was performed, only 42% of owners reported that their horse suffered from a known dental disorder. In general, despite a high prevalence of disease detected in these geriatric animals and with the majority having multiple abnormalities at clinical examination, there was under-reporting/under-recognition of these health problems by owners.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21550271/