Prevalence of owner-reported ocular problems and veterinary ocular findings in a population of horses aged ≥15 years.
Abstract: Previous studies suggest that ocular disease is common among aged horses but owners may fail to identify or underestimate their clinical relevance. Objective: To document the prevalence of owner-reported ocular disease in horses aged ≥15 years. In a subset of these horses, to document ophthalmic findings from veterinary examination and compare with owner-reported ocular disease, and to determine risk factors for veterinary ophthalmic findings. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Owners of aged horses completed a survey on management, clinical signs and medical history. Risk factors for the presence of ocular disease as reported by the owner were determined. A subset of these horses underwent an ophthalmological examination. Risk factors for the presence of ocular disease detected during this examination were determined. Agreement between owner-reported data and veterinary ophthalmic findings was assessed. Results: Abnormal ocular findings were detected in 287/327 horses aged ≥15 years that underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, whereas the presence of ocular disease as reported by the horse-owners was only 3.3%. Agreement between owner-reported ocular disease and results of the veterinary examination was low for all categories analysed. An owner-reported history of ocular discharge was associated with increased odds of veterinary-reported diminished vision. Increasing age was associated with increased odds of the presence of an eye abnormality (any) and cataracts. Appaloosa horses had increased odds of cataract compared with other breeds. Horses in work were less likely to have an eye abnormality. Conclusions: Volunteer bias may have influenced our results with owners of sick horses or those more concerned about their horses more likely to volunteer at the initial recruitment phase. Conclusions: This study showed a high prevalence of ocular lesions in aged horses which was not reflected in owner-reported disease. This has highlighted problems in obtaining information on ocular conditions from horse-owners.
© 2018 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2018-08-25 PubMed ID: 30080275DOI: 10.1111/evj.13005Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article explores the disparity between owner-reported ocular diseases in horses and the findings of veterinary ocular examinations in horses aged fifteen years and above. The research indicates a high prevalence of ocular abnormalities in aged horses which is not regularly identified by horse-owners, suggesting a gap in reliable owner-reported information on horse ocular health.
Objective and Methodology
- This research aimed to examine the prevalence of ocular diseases reported by horse owners in horses aged fifteen years and above. It also sought to document ocular findings from professional veterinary examinations and compare them with owner-reported ailments.
- The researchers used a cross-sectional study approach for this objective.
- Horse owners were invited to complete a survey about their horses’ management routines, clinical signs and medical history to gauge owner awareness of ocular diseases.
- The research project furthered its studies on a subset of the horses that underwent professional ophthalmological examination with the goal of determining risk factors for the manifestation of ocular disease.
Results
- The results of the study were quite telling as abnormal ocular findings were discovered in 287 out of 327 horses aged fifteen years and above that had an ophthalmic examination. Yet, the presence of ocular diseases as reported by the owners was a mere 3.3%.
- There was low concordance between owner-reported ocular disease and the results of the veterinary examinations across all categories analyzed. This means that many owners either underestimated or failed to recognize ocular disease in their horses.
- The research found that an owner-reported history of ocular discharge increased the likelihood of veterinary-reported diminished vision in the horse.
- Increasing age was linked to higher odds of the presence of an eye abnormality or cataract. Amongst breeds, the Appaloosa horses showed higher incidences of cataracts compared to others.
- The study also concluded that horses in work were less likely to have an eye abnormality.
Conclusions and Limitations
- The research acknowledges a potential volunteer bias, suggesting that horse-owners who already suspected illnesses in their animals, or had a greater concern for their animal’s well-being, might have been more likely to participate in the initial recruitment phase of the study.
- Despite this limitation, the study demonstrated a high prevalence of ocular lesions in aged horses, which was primarily unreported by the owners. This brings attention to the problems that arise when relying solely on owner-reported information to gauge the ocular health of horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Malalana F, McGowan TW, Ireland JL, Pinchbeck GL, McGowan CM.
(2018).
Prevalence of owner-reported ocular problems and veterinary ocular findings in a population of horses aged ≥15 years.
Equine Vet J, 51(2), 212-217.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13005 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, Cheshire, UK.
- Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, Cheshire, UK.
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, Cheshire, UK.
- Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, Cheshire, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Aging
- Animals
- Eye Diseases / diagnosis
- Eye Diseases / pathology
- Eye Diseases / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horses
- Risk Factors
Grant Funding
- University of Queensland
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Roth LSV, McGreevy P. Horse vision through two lenses: Tinbergen's Four Questions and the Five Domains. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1647911.
- Ing ST, Pinard CL, James-Jenks EM, Leis ML. A retrospective survey of equine ocular diseases evaluated at a referral hospital in Ontario (2011 to 2021). Can Vet J 2025 Mar;66(3):308-317.
- Smith R, Pinchbeck G, McGowan C, Ireland J, Perkins E. Becoming a matter of veterinary concern. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1355996.
- Tahoun A, Elnafarawy HK, El-Sharkawy H, Rizk AM, Alorabi M, El-Shehawi AM, Youssef MA, Ibrahim HMM, El-Khodery S. The Prevalence and Molecular Biology of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Healthy and Diseased Equine Eyes in Egypt. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022 Feb 10;11(2).
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