Caring for Your Senior Horse

At what age is a horse considered geriatric or senior? Does owning a senior horse mean that he must eat a feed labeled as a “senior” feed? As always, the answer is, it depends. Our horses are living longer lives than ever, thanks to an evolving understanding of the needs of geriatric horses and our ability to provide high quality care. There is no set age cutoff as to when a horse is considered geriatric, but most experts agree this can be around age 20. However, age is just a number, and many horses are still active and competing into their twenties, while others are happily retired. The main issues we see in our older horse population include dental disease, altered dietary needs, metabolic disease/PPID (Cushings), and arthritis.

 

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Dental Changes

The ideal time to begin focusing on your horse’s regular preventative veterinary care is when he is young. Horses receiving regular preventative care, especially veterinary dentistry, preserve their teeth longer and can age more gracefully. Waiting until signs of dental disease or difficulty chewing are observed often indicates advanced disease and more limited treatment options. Most horses benefit from yearly dentistry, which includes a thorough sedated oral exam with a dental speculum, light source, and mirror. A thorough oral exam is vital to accurately assess, document, and treat any issues.

Horses suffering from abnormal dental wear, cracked or missing teeth, or severe periodontal disease may require more frequent care. Even though horse teeth are described as “long rooted,” they do eventually wear out, so proper care ensures the longest possible life of the tooth. Common dental issues in older horses include fracture of cheek teeth, complete expiration or wearing out of cheek teeth, loose/painful teeth, and periodontal disease. The incisors can also be affected by similar conditions.

Staying on top of your senior horse’s dental care helps ensure that he gets what is needed from his diet. Sometimes severe dental disease and impaired chewing ability necessitates eliminating hay from the diet entirely. Complete feeds are formulated specifically for horses that can no longer chew hay effectively. These diets have greatly improved the quality and length of life for senior horses with compromised teeth.

Nutritional Changes

Nutrition recommendations for the geriatric horse are formulated around maintaining an ideal body condition. In the geriatric horse, this can be complicated by difficulty chewing, poor teeth, metabolic disease, and decreased ability to digest fiber and protein. For older horses in good weight and with adequate dentition, little dietary change may be required. For older horses who have difficulty maintaining weight and/or compromised teeth, complete feeds as mentioned above can help. These feeds are high in easily digestible fat, fiber, and protein, and are designed as easy-to-chew. They are formulated to replace hay entirely for those horses that can no longer adequately chew hay.
Adding water to soften the feed can reduce the risk of choke and ensure additional water intake. Feeding recommendations are often listed as pounds of feed per day depending on whether the horse is also eating hay, so it is important to weigh out your horse’s portion so that any necessary adjustments can be made more accurately.

Metabolic Changes

A curly haircoat and muscle loss over the back aren’t just signs of aging- They can indicate a common underlying condition: equine pars pituitary intermedia dysfunction, more commonly known as PPID or Cushings disease. This is a treatable (but not cureable) condition that is very common in geriatric horses, resulting in hormonal imbalances and symptoms such as delayed shedding, curly hair coat, muscle loss over topline, increased drinking and urinating, personality changes, and increased susceptibility to infections and laminitis. Diagnosis is made by a blood test as well as by history and clinical signs. Management involves daily administration of pergolide (Prascend) tablets, which help restore normal hormone levels and alleviate the clinical signs of the disease.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a separate metabolic condition, but it sometimes occurs in conjunction with PPID. EMS horses typically show signs of being an “easy keeper”- cresty neck, regional fat deposits behind the shoulders and at the tail head. Horses with EMS are more susceptible to laminitis and usually have a higher baseline insulin level than normal. EMS horses are managed with strict attention to diet (minimizing sugar and starch) and exercise to help them maintain a lean body weight.

Joint and Muscle Changes

Just like us, aging horses suffer from daily aches and pains. An examination with your vet can help identify major and minor issues and

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determine what treatment plan works best for you and your horse. Many options are available to keep our old horses comfortable.
Nutraceuticals (supplements) are very popular, although many of these products lack proof of efficacy and ingredients. More researched options include medications such as adequan (administered intramuscularly) and Legend (administered intravenously). These medications help provide the components necessary to keep joints healthy.

Joint injections target individual joints to reduce pain and inflammation and improve mobility. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as Equioxx are also helpful, along with acupuncture and chiropractic care. Stable management is equally important- maximum turn out time allows horses to move at will, and monitoring herd dynamics ensures that older horses are not prevented from accessing food and water. In addition to these considerations, regular veterinary and farrier care will help your senior horse enjoy his golden years with you.

As always, if you have any questions about caring for your senior horse, please contact your veterinarian who can offer a personalized plan to help keep your geriatric horse happy, healthy, and comfortable well into their senior years.

VS Update from State Veterinarian’s Office – 7/2/2015 Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) – Positive Diagnosis in Two Colorado Counties

animals CDA bannerSTATE VETERINARIAN’S OFFICE (VS) – Positive Diagnosis in Two Colorado Counties Tips for Livestock Owners and Veterinarians Horses on two Montrose and one Delta County premises tested positive for the disease and have been placed under quarantine. Colorado has become the fourth state in the country to have confirmed cases of vesicular stomatitis (VS) in 2015. Previous positive cases of vesicular stomatitis this year have been diagnosed in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

On July 2nd, the National Veterinary Services Laboratory reported positive tests on samples submitted from horses in Montrose and Delta Counties. The initial Colorado disease investigations were accomplished by field veterinarians from the State Veterinarian’s Office at the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

“The primary spread of VS is thought to occur through insect vectors; the horses involved in these cases have no history of travel,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. Keith Roehr. “Vesicular stomatitis can be painful for animals and costly to their owners. The virus typically causes oral blisters and sores that can be painful causing difficulty in eating and drinking.”

A 2014 outbreak of VS created 556 livestock investigations in Colorado resulting in 370 quarantines with the final quarantines released in January 2015. Livestock owners who suspect an animal may have VS or any other vesicular disease should immediately contact their local veterinarian.

Livestock with clinical signs of VS are isolated until they are determined to be of no further threat for disease spread. There are no USDA approved vaccines for VS. While rare, human cases of VS can occur, usually among those who handle infected animals. VS in humans can cause flu-like symptoms and only rarely includes lesions or blisters.

New for 2015 VS Investigations: A notable change in the 2015 State response to VS has come from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) delisting of VS as a foreign animal disease in horses; VS continues to be listed as a foreign animal disease for cattle and other livestock. This USDA procedural change will allow greater flexibility in how VS is managed in respect to equine cases. The primary change will now be that quarantines may be released as soon as 14 days after the onset of clinical signs of the last affected horse on a premises.

“Science has shown that the transmission of the virus is for a brief period of time after the initial clinical signs of VS. Our goal is to appropriately adjust our response to this disease to reduce the negative economic impact to the equine community,” continued Roehr.

With the delisting of VS as a foreign animal disease, Colorado veterinarians may now take a lead role in the management of the disease in equine cases. In earlier cases, CDA or USDA field vets were required to perform the disease investigations on horses; the delisting now allows local veterinarians to perform the initial investigations, collect samples, and collaborate with animal health officials regarding movement restrictions and quarantines. The Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has been approved to perform VS tests on horses in Colorado. This will provide a more timely response on test results.

Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) Signs and Transmission:

VS susceptible species include horses, mules, cattle, bison, sheep, goats, pigs, and camelids. The clinical signs of the disease include vesicles, erosions and sloughing of the skin on the muzzle, tongue, teats and above the hooves of susceptible livestock. Vesicles are usually only seen early in the course of the disease. The transmission of vesicular stomatitis is not completely understood but components include insect vectors, mechanical transmission, and livestock movement.

Tips for Livestock Owners:

Strict fly control is an important factor to inhibit the transmission of the disease. Avoid transferring feeding equipment, cleaning tools or health care equipment from other herds. Colorado veterinarians and livestock owners should contact the state of destination when moving livestock interstate to ensure that all import requirements are met. A list of contact information for all state veterinarians’ offices is available at: http://www.colorado.gov/aganimals. Colorado fairs, livestock exhibitions, and rodeos may institute new entry requirements based on the extent and severity of the current VS outbreak. Certificates of Veterinary Inspection issued within 2-5 days prior to an event can beneficial to reduce risks. Be sure to stay informed of any new livestock event requirements.

Important Points for Veterinarians:

Any vesicular disease of livestock is reportable to the State Veterinarian’s Office in Colorado – to report call 303-869-9130. If after-hours, call the same number to obtain the phone number of the staff veterinarian on call. With the delisting of VS as a foreign animal disease, Colorado veterinarians may now take a lead role in the management of the disease in equine cases. In earlier cases, CDA or USDA field vets were required to perform the disease investigations on horses; the delisting now allows local veterinarians to perform the initial investigations, collect samples, and collaborate with animal health officials regarding movement restrictions and quarantines. In livestock other than equine VS is still considered a foreign animal disease, any case with clinical signs consistent with VS will warrant an investigation by a state or federal foreign animal disease diagnostician (FADD). When VS is suspected in livestock other than equine the FADD will gather the epidemiological information, take the necessary blood samples, collect the necessary fluid or tissue from the lesions, and inform the owners and the referring veterinarian as to necessary bio-security and movement restrictions.

During the event, important VS disease prevention procedures include minimizing the sharing of water and feed/equipment, applying insect repellent daily (especially to the animal’s ears), and closely observing animals for signs of vesicular stomatitis.

For additional information, contact the Colorado State Veterinarian’s Office at 303-869-9130 or to view the current location of cases and other important updates and information you can visit: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_our_focus%2Fsa_animal_health%2Fsa_animal_disease_information%2Fsa_equine_health%2Fsa_vesicular_stomatitis%2Fct_vesicular_stomatitis.

Is Your Barn Clean?

Particularly in light of the current VSV outbreak here in Colorado, we thought it a good time to remind everyone of proper disinfection and biosecurity for barns, horse farms, and hospitals. A critical component of disease prevention involves proper cleaning and disinfection practices!

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How to Prepare Your Performance Horse for Optimal Output

Everyone is familiar with preventative medicine.  From vaccinations, to dental care, to eating right, preventative medicine applies to humans, as well as to our equine friends.  However, one area of preventative medicine that is often overlooked for all species is athletic performance.

What we ask of our own bodies, as well as what we ask of our equine athletes, is far beyond the natural athletic requirements of the body.  If you watch a horse in the pasture, or even a wild horse, they spend the vast majority of the day with their head down, wandering while eating.  Occasionally something may spook them, and they might run for a short distance and then stop to gather their wits.  But we don’t see horses running in circles, chasing a cow, or jumping over obstacles of their own volition.

With this “overuse” in mind, is there a different way that we should treat our “high performance” friends?

One place where problems tend to pop up is in joints. Muscle soreness from overuse and overexertion is a temporary issue since muscle tissue generally heals quickly and well.  On the other hand, joint damage, even something very minor, can begin a cycle of synovitis and inflammation of the joint.  This chronic inflammation cycle can quickly damage a joint, adding up over time and eventually leading to a lame horse.

A challenge for us as stewards of our horses’ health is that each horse is different in their pain tolerance, leaving us in a difficult position.  If a horse has a high pain tolerance, they may allow this damage and inflammation to build to an irreparable level.

So what can we do to be more proactive with our equine athletes? Preventative lameness workups can be critical in keeping the high performance horse, or even a weekend warrior, in top health and mobility.  Though a horse may not be having obvious lameness issues, the problems can be far more subtle and difficult to detect.  Over time, there can be slight decreases in a horse’s willingness to work, level of performance, behavior, etc.  These changes can be difficult to notice when we see them every day.  A preventative lameness exam, including flexions, may pick up these subtle issues before they become a major problem.

With a number of treatment options and preventative methods available, there is a lot of support that we can give our equine athletes to prevent injury and breakdown, and allow them a longer, more comfortable performance career.  They’ll also have a happier retirement!!!

Contact us today to set up an appointment for a preventative lameness exam for your athletic partner.