Discussion

Aims: To describe the prevalence of clinical signs consistent with endocrinopathies and laminitis in geriatric horses and ponies (aged >15 years) in North West England and North Wales. Methods:
From responses to a cross-sectional survey (n = 918/1144), 200 geriatric horses were selected for noninvasive veterinary clinical examination, using systematic random sampling. Results: Median age of animals examined was 20 years (range 15 - 40 years). Owner- reported prevalence was 3% for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID); 1% for equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and
3% for laminitis. There was moderate agreement (K = 0.42) between owner-reported coat abnormalities (23.5%) and hirsutism or abnormal coat shedding at examination (22%). Animals exhibiting coat abnormalities were older than those with normal coats (median ages 26.0 and 18.3 years) (P<0.001). Animals with signs of PPID were older than those without clinical signs (median ages 26.3 and 18.0 years) (P<0.001). Age was not associated with the presence of clinical signs consistent with EMS (P = 0.25). Overall, 18% of animals had evidence of laminitis (owner-reported current and/or previous laminitis or signs of chronic laminitis at examination). Of these, 77.8% exhibited clinical signs of an endocrinopathy: 52.8% had signs consistent with PPID and 44.4% had signs consistent with EMS, with 19.4% displaying signs of both disorders. Clinical signs of endocrine disorders were associated with laminitis (P<0.001), and owner-reported PPID was associated with a history of laminitis (P = 0.006). Conclusions and practical significance: The prevalence of clinical signs of endocrine disorders was high and the majority of animals with laminitis or signs of lamellar pathology also displayed clinical signs associated with endocrinopathies. Low owner-reported prevalence suggests there are high levels of undiagnosed endocrinopathies in geriatric horses. Increased veterinary involvement and improved owner education should facilitate earlier identification of endocrinopathies and aid management of health and welfare problems. Acknowledgement: This study was funded by The Horse Trust.