Main causes of death in aged horses in a retirement facility in California can be attributed to the digestive and musculoskeletal systems.

Overview

• This study investigated the primary causes of death in elderly horses (20 years or older) living in a retirement facility in California.
• The research aimed to identify which health issues most frequently contributed to mortality, based on medical histories and necropsy reports from 2010 to 2020.

Study Objective and Design

• Objective: To determine the main causes of death in aged horses at a single retirement facility in California.
• Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study analyzing past medical records, veterinary reports, and necropsy results.
• Population: 91 horses aged 20 years or older who died or were euthanized between 2010 and 2020.
• Procedure: Each horse underwent a standard postmortem evaluation conducted by the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
• Euthanasia decisions were collaborative, made by facility staff and veterinarians.

Data Collection and Analysis

• Data sources included: signalment (basic information about each horse), medical histories, necropsy reports, and attending clinician records.
• The main cause of death was assigned based on the primary condition contributing to death or euthanasia.
• Causes of death were classified by affected body systems and specific disease entities.

Key Findings

• Total horses included: 91.
• Major causes of death by system:
  • Digestive system diseases: 41.8% (38/91)
  • Musculoskeletal system diseases: 22% (20/91)
  • Nervous system diseases: 13.2% (12/91)
  • Neoplasia (cancers): 8.8% (8/91)
  • Unexpected deaths: 5.5% (5/91)
  • Trauma: 5.5% (5/91)
• Within digestive diseases:
  • Strangulating lesions were the most common cause (13 out of 38 digestive cases), indicating conditions like twisted intestines causing obstruction.
• Within musculoskeletal diseases:
  • Osteoarthritis was the leading condition (10 out of 20 cases).
  • Laminitis, a painful inflammation of the hoof, was the next most common (5 out of 20 cases).
• Within neurological diseases:
  • Compressive myelopathy due to facet joint osteoarthritis occurred in 3 out of 12 cases.
  • Temporohyoid osteoarthropathy, a disease affecting the bones near the horse’s skull and ear, was also identified in 3 out of 12 cases.

Conclusions and Implications

• This study sheds light on the main health challenges leading to death or euthanasia in aged horses living in retirement facilities, particularly those in California.
• Digestive system disorders, especially strangulating lesions, are the largest contributors to mortality in this aged population.
• Musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis and laminitis also represent significant health concerns.
• Neurological conditions, while less common, still play an important role in morbidity and mortality.
• For veterinarians providing care to elderly horses in retirement settings, a focus on diagnosing and managing digestive, musculoskeletal, and neurologic diseases is critical.
• These findings can help improve health monitoring, treatment strategies, and end-of-life care decisions in aged equine populations.