Horse owners’ knowledge, and opinions on recognising colic in the horse.
Abstract: Colic is the most common emergency problem in the horse. An owner's ability to recognise colic and seek assistance is a critical first step in determining case outcome. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess horse owners' knowledge and opinions on recognising colic. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to horse owners with open and closed questions on their knowledge of normal clinical parameters in the horse, confidence and approach to recognising colic (including assessment through case scenarios), and their demographics. Descriptive and chi squared statistical analyses were performed. Results: There were 1564 participants. Many respondents either did not know or provided incorrect estimates for their horse's normal clinical parameters: only 45% (n = 693/1540) gave correct normal values for heart rate, 45% (n = 694/1541) for respiratory rate and 67% (n = 1028/1534) for rectal temperature. Knowledge of normal values was statistically associated with participants' educational qualifications (P<0.01). Owners said if they suspected their horse had colic they would assess faecal output (76%; n = 1131/1486), gastrointestinal sounds (75%; n = 1113/1486), respiratory rate (65%; n = 967/1486) and heart rate (54%; n = 797/1486). There was a lack of consensus on whether to call a vet for behavioural signs of colic, unless the signs were severe or persistent. The majority of participants (61%) were confident that they could recognise most types of colic. In the case scenarios, 49% were confident deciding that a surgical case had colic, but 9% were confident deciding an impaction case had colic. Conclusions: Most respondents were UK based; risk of self-selection bias for owners with previous experience of colic. Conclusions: There was marked variation in horse owners' recognition and responses to colic, and significant gaps in knowledge. This highlights the need for the development of accessible educational resources to support owners' decision-making.
© 2019 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2019-09-23 PubMed ID: 31461570PubMed Central: PMC7027804DOI: 10.1111/evj.13173Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article focuses on examining horse owners’ knowledge and standpoints on recognizing the signs of colic in horses. The study finds considerable gaps in knowledge and inconsistent responses towards colic, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive educational resources for horse owners.
Objectives and Methods
- The main aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and viewpoints of horse owners on recognizing colic, a leading emergency problem in horses.
- A cross-sectional study design was used, and an online questionnaire was disseminated comprising both open and closed questions. The survey focused on the participant’s knowledge of regular clinical parameters in horses, their confidence, and approach towards recognizing colic, along with basic demographics.
- The researcher followed up with descriptive and chi-square statistical analyses to interpret the collected data.
Results
- The research work had 1564 respondents. The results found a considerable lack of knowledge or inaccurate estimations regarding critical clinical parameters: only 45% gave correct values for heart rate and respiratory rate, and 67% for rectal temperature.
- Knowledge accuracy was significantly correlated with the participant’s educational qualifications.
- Owners mentioned assessing faecal output (76%), gastrointestinal sounds (75%), respiratory rate (65%), and heart rate (54%) if they suspected their horse had colic.
- There was inconsistency in choosing to call a veterinarian for behavioral signs of colic unless the signs were severe or persistent.
- Interestingly, 61% of the participants felt confident about recognizing most types of colic. However, only 49% were confident in identifying a surgical colic case, while merely 9% felt sure deciding an impaction colic case.
Conclusions
- The majority of the participants were from the UK, and there was a self-selection bias risk, particularly amongst owners with previous colic experience.
- Results depicted a significant variation in recognizing colic signs by horse owners; hence it underscores the crucial need for easily understandable educational resources to facilitate better decision-making by horse owners in potential colic cases.
Cite This Article
APA
Bowden A, Burford JH, Brennan ML, England GCW, Freeman SL.
(2019).
Horse owners’ knowledge, and opinions on recognising colic in the horse.
Equine Vet J, 52(2), 262-267.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13173 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Colic / veterinary
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Surveys and Questionnaires
Grant Funding
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
- University of Nottingham
References
This article includes 18 references
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