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Veterinary pathology2015; 53(2); 390-398; doi: 10.1177/0300985815608674

What’s New in Old Horses? Postmortem Diagnoses in Mature and Aged Equids.

Abstract: Postmortem findings in 241 equids admitted to a teaching hospital that were at least 15 years old at autopsy were reviewed (1) to determine disease prevalence, (2) to compare the cause of death (or euthanasia) in equids 15 to 19 years of age (n = 116) with that in equids ≥20 years of age (n = 125), and (3) to catalog coexisting lesions in equids with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Breed and sex were evenly distributed between the age groups. Death or euthanasia was attributed to disease of the digestive system (41.5%), pituitary gland (12.9%), locomotor system (10.0%), nervous system (7.9%), cardiovascular system (4.6%), urinary system (4.6%), reproductive system (4.2%), respiratory system (4.2%), integumentary system (4.2%), lymphoid system (2.5%), liver (2.5%), or systemic neoplasia (1.2%). Nervous system disease was more common in the 15- to 19-year group; urinary tract disease was more common in the ≥20-year group. Neoplastic disease, regardless of systemic location, was the basis for death or euthanasia in 18.7% of all equids. Squamous cell carcinoma, lymphoma, and melanoma were the most common malignant neoplasms. PPID was the most common specific diagnosis, based on the postmortem presence of hyperplasia or adenoma, and was the reason for euthanasia in 47.7% of 65 equids with PPID. The most common nonpituitary causes for death or euthanasia in equids with PPID were colic, lameness, cancer, and spinal cord disease. Coexisting conditions in equids with PPID that were not considered the basis for euthanasia included neoplasms, infections, lameness, and recurrent airway obstruction.
© The Author(s) 2015.
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Publication Date: 2015-10-12 PubMed ID: 26459516DOI: 10.1177/0300985815608674Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research studies postmortem diagnoses of 241 horses aged 15 years or older to determine disease prevalence, compare cause of death, and examine lesions in those having pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Findings suggest that digestive system disease is the dominant cause of death, followed by PPID, and the prevalence of disease varies between different age groups.

Disease Prevalence and Causes of Death in Aged Horses

  • The study analyzed postmortem findings from 241 horses aged at least 15 years, to understand the common causes of death or reasons for euthanasia. This included a comparison between horses of 15 to 19 years (116 equids) and those over 20 years (125 equids).
  • The results showed a wide variety of illnesses causing death or necessitating euthanasia. These could be largely attributed to diseases of the digestive system (41.5% of cases), pituitary gland (12.9%), locomotor system (10.0%), nervous system (7.9%), cardiovascular system (4.6%), urinary system (4.6%), and various other illnesses with lesser prevalence.

Age Factors and Disease Prevalence

  • Nervous system disease was more common in the 15 to 19-year group, while urinary tract disease was a more common cause of death in horses above 20 years of age.
  • Analysis of the data also suggested that neoplastic (cancer) diseases regardless of their systematic location, were a significant cause of death or reason for euthanasia, affecting 18.7% of all horses examined.

Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction

  • The most common specific diagnosis was Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), identified based on postmortem signs of hyperplasia or adenoma, and was the root cause for euthanasia in nearly half (47.7%) of the cases where PPID was diagnosed.
  • The most frequent non-pituitary causes for death or euthanasia in horses with PPID were colic, lameness, cancer, and spinal cord disease.

Coexisting Conditions in Horses with PPID

  • Horses diagnosed with PPID often had additional health issues which, while not being the primary cause of euthanasia, were significant conditions in their own right. These included neoplasms (tumors), infections, lameness, and recurrent airway obstruction.

Cite This Article

APA
Miller MA, Moore GE, Bertin FR, Kritchevsky JE. (2015). What’s New in Old Horses? Postmortem Diagnoses in Mature and Aged Equids. Vet Pathol, 53(2), 390-398. https://doi.org/10.1177/0300985815608674

Publication

Veterinary pathology
ISSN: 1544-2217
NlmUniqueID: 0312020
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 53
Issue: 2
Pages: 390-398

Researcher Affiliations

Miller, M A
  • Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA pegmiller@purdue.edu.
Moore, G E
  • Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Bertin, F R
  • Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Kritchevsky, J E
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aging / pathology
  • Animals
  • Cause of Death
  • Diagnosis
  • Digestive System Diseases / mortality
  • Digestive System Diseases / veterinary
  • Endocrine System Diseases / diagnosis
  • Endocrine System Diseases / mortality
  • Endocrine System Diseases / veterinary
  • Female
  • Geriatrics
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horse Diseases / mortality
  • Horses
  • Lameness, Animal / mortality
  • Male
  • Nervous System Diseases / mortality
  • Nervous System Diseases / veterinary
  • Pituitary Diseases / diagnosis
  • Pituitary Diseases / mortality
  • Pituitary Diseases / veterinary
  • Pituitary Gland, Intermediate / pathology
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / mortality
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / pathology
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / veterinary

Citations

This article has been cited 20 times.
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