Assessing quality of life in older horses. (2nd September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ireland, Jo
• Is Part Of: UK-vet equine. Volume 4:Number 5(2020)
• Page Start: 124
• Page End: 130
• Publication Date: 2020-09-02
• Subjects: activities of daily living -- equine -- geriatric -- health-related quality of life -- welfare; Horses -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Horses -- Wounds and injuries -- Periodicals; Veterinary medicine -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 636.1089
• DOI: 10.12968/ukve.2020.4.5.124
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2516-0583

Abstract

Abstract : The equine population is ageing and equine geriatric medicine is a growing field. With increasing horse age, both the frequency of veterinary attention and the provision of several preventive health care measures are reduced. Moreover, owners appear to under-recognise several prevalent age-associated diseases, often considering clinical signs as normal signs of ageing. There is a high burden of chronic disease within the geriatric equine population, which may have a detrimental effect on quality of life. In the absence of a validated equine quality of life measurement scale, this review highlights factors and domains that should be evaluated in a comprehensive assessment of the quality of life in older horses. The potential benefits of assessing quality of life as a routine component of veterinary care for older horses are also summarised.