Senior horses have different preventive care needs, but also that certain disease conditions become more common as horses age. Many of the conditions we associate with “old age” in the horse–like lameness, weight loss, or poor shedding–actually might be preventable or treatable.
Lameness
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Normal “wear and tear” plus any of these practices–long years of an irregular exercise program, poor riding, poor footing, and poor foot care–can set a horse up for lameness. One common cause of lameness in the senior horse, degenerative joint disease (DJD) or arthritis, may cause pain which not only affects the horse’s gait, but also makes proper foot care difficult. If a horse is unable to stand comfortably or bend its legs for hoof trimming or shoeing, inadequate foot care can result, making the original lameness worse. Owners should remember horses require regular foot trimming even if they are not being regularly ridden.Horses experiencing pain from DJD may require analgesics, but treatment should be under the advice of a veterinarian. Various different non-steroidal medications may be used (most commonly phenylbutazone), but these may have serious side effects when given at high doses and/or over a long period of time. Stomach and colon ulcers as well as kidney damage are potential side effects that can be fatal.
Pituitary Disease
The most common endocrine disorder affecting the senior horse is hyperplasia (increased cell growth) of the pituitary gland, often referred to as a pituitary tumor or “Cushing’s Disease.” Despite the fact that not every horse with this condition will exhibit the “classic” signs of the disease, certain changes are considered to be hallmarks:
• hirsutism (excessive long, curly hair) delayed shedding/failure to shed the winter hair coat
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• muscle wasting
• a “pot belly”
• cresty neck
• puffiness above the eyes
• laminitis or founder
• lethargy
• increased susceptibility to infections
The “classic” case probably does not require testing to confirm pituitary dysfunction, but the less obvious cases do. Various blood tests may be performed, your veterinarian can advise you best about what diagnostic tests should be performed after examining your horse.