With advances in medical care and nutrition, horses are living long and active lives. As with all of our patients, regular wellness examinations form the foundation of care of our older patients. Horses 15 years of age and over are considered to be entering their senior years. This is often the time that we start recognizing age related endocrine, musculoskeletal and dental problems with our patients.
Metabolic diseases like PPID (Cushing’s disease) and insulin dysregulation can be caught early with blood testing. Testing during the springtime is the ideal time due to natural seasonal variation of hormones in horses.
Just like with any of us, horses develop osteoarthritis as they age. We can use systemic therapies like adequan, legend, or zycosan. We can manage pain and inflammation with drugs like firocoxib (equioxx), and target specific problem joints with joint injections. We can also work with your farrier by taking farrier-specific radiographs of your horse’s feet to make sure they have the information they need to put together the best shoeing package for your horse.
Dentition in horses is vital for maintaining health. By the time our horses are five years old, they have grown all the tooth they are going to have, so by the time they reach their twenties, they have effectively run out of tooth to chew with. By doing annual to biannual dentals, we can prolong the lifetime of the tooth with little adjustments to maintain occlusion and manage any abnormal wear patterns.
Maintaining dental health is just one important factor for a senior horse’s diet. As they age, a senior horse’s protein and fat requirements increase and many with endocrine disorders need a diet that is low in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC). Diet is extremely variable by the individual, so please feel free to schedule a nutrition consultation with one of our veterinarians.
