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The incidence of abnormal limb development in the Irish thoroughbred from birth to 18 months.
Abstract: A two part survey was carried out in Irish Thoroughbred horses in 1988 and 1989 to establish the incidence and prevalence of developmental skeletal problems, particularly possible manifestations of developmental orthopaedic disease (DOD). Survey One was a retrospective study based on a questionnaire involving the foal crops of 46 stud farms for 3 successive seasons; the 1711 animals initially documented represented 10.46% of Irish foal registrations. The second survey involved repeated monitoring of the 1988 foal crop from birth to 18 months of age on 17 stud farms. The 248 foals initially examined represented 4.24% of foal registrations. Treatment for DOD was deemed necessary for 11.3% of the animals in Survey One. Angular limb deformities and physeal dysplasia ("epiphysitis") together constituted 72.9% of the cases treated. The peak incidence of DOD problems occurred between weaning and the end of December. More than half the animals treated (53.9%) recovered completely, ie achieved expected sale value as yearlings, 27.5% of those treated showed incomplete recovery and mild to moderate loss of sale value and the remaining 18.7% were killed or lost much of their sale value. In the second survey, while 67% of animals exhibited some form of DOD, the incidence and severity of problems treated were not significantly different from those of farms in Survey One. Again, physeal dysplasia and angular limb deformity were the predominant clinical conditions and their severity was greatest during the early winter. During the suckling phase colts had a significantly greater incidence of DOD. At all other stages the incidence and severity of DOD was similar in both sexes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Publication Date: 1992-07-01 PubMed ID: 1499540DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1992.tb02841.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article carries out a two-phase survey into the frequency and severity of abnormal limb development among thoroughbred horses in Ireland, namely developmental orthopedic disease (DOD). The retrospective study suggests that over a 3-year period, 11.3% of studied animals needed treatment for DOD, with physeal dysplasia and angular limb deformities being the most common issues.
Methodology
- The study involved two surveys carried out in 1988 and 1989.
- The first survey was retrospective, based on a questionnaire involving the foal crops of 46 stud farms over three successive seasons. This amounted to 1711 animals, making up 10.46% of Irish foal registrations.
- The second survey involved monitoring the 1988 foal crop from birth to 18 months of age on 17 stud farms.
- The second survey covered 248 foals, which accounted for 4.24% of all foal registrations.
Findings
- The first survey found that 11.3% of the studied animals required treatment for DOD. This included issues like angular limb deformities and physeal dysplasia, which accounted for 72.9% of the treated cases.
- Most DOD problems occurred between weaning and the end of December.
- Of the treated animals, 53.9% recovered completely with expected sale value as yearlings, 27.5% showed incomplete recovery with a mild to moderate loss of sale value, and 18.7% were either killed or lost much of their sale value.
- In the second survey, 67% of animals exhibited some form of DOD, but the incident rate and severity of treated issues were not much different from the first survey.
- It was noted that during the suckling phase, colts had a significantly higher incidence of DOD. However, for all other stages, the severity and incidence of DOD was the same for both sexes.
Implications
- This study provides insight into the incidence and severity of DOD in Irish thoroughbred horses.
- The fact that a substantial percentage of horses faced some form of DOD indicates a need for increased focus on prevention and treatment methods in the industry.
- The similarity of results between the two surveys provides a baseline for further studies in the field.
Cite This Article
APA
O'Donohue DD, Smith FH, Strickland KL.
(1992).
The incidence of abnormal limb development in the Irish thoroughbred from birth to 18 months.
Equine Vet J, 24(4), 305-309.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1992.tb02841.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Husbandry and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bone Diseases / epidemiology
- Bone Diseases / veterinary
- Congenital Abnormalities / epidemiology
- Congenital Abnormalities / veterinary
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horses / abnormalities
- Incidence
- Ireland / epidemiology
- Limb Deformities, Congenital
- Male
- Prospective Studies
- Retrospective Studies
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Sato A, Kato T, Tajima M. Comparison of distal forelimb conformations between Japanese Black and Holstein-Friesian newborn calves. J Vet Med Sci 2021 Jun 9;83(6):940-946.
- Ripollés-Lobo M, Perdomo-González DI, Azor PJ, Valera M. Orthopedic Diseases in the Pura Raza Española Horse: The Prevalence and Genetic Parameters of Angular Hoof Deviations. Animals (Basel) 2023 Nov 10;13(22).
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