Surge in laminitis cases reported in annual British horse survey

A survey which provides an annual snapshot of British Equus caballus wellness has identified a surge inward reports of laminitis.

The latest National Equine Health Survey, conducted inward May, found that 7.15 per centum of horses had suffered a bout of laminitis inward the previous year, amongst 43 per centum of them recorded equally commencement episodes.

This contrasts amongst the 2013 survey data, which showed that 4.4 per centum had suffered laminitis, amongst 25 per centum listed equally commencement occurrences.

Further run is needed to confirm if this increment is representative of the amount Equus caballus population inward Britain.

“The increment inward laminitis may travel linked to the mild winter, extensive rainfall together with consistently warm spring,” said Gemma Taylor, teaching officeholder amongst the charity Blue Cross, which runs the survey inward partnership amongst the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA).

“These weather were ideal for flushes of grass growth, known to travel a trigger for the disease.”

However, lameness remains the fundamental wellness occupation for British horses, the results reveal.

This year’s results revealed that nearly i inward 5 horses – 18.5 per centum – suffered during the twelvemonth from lameness due to articulation illness or other non-foot related problems. The results are consistent amongst final year’s non-foot related lameness figure of 18.6 percent.

Lameness was found to get got affected 13.8 per centum of horses inward the 2010-2012 surveys.

Foot lameness, excluding laminitis, accounted for exclusively a quarter of all lameness.

Skin illness was recorded inward 18.3 per centum of cases (14.6 per centum inward 2013 together with 15.2 per centum inward 2010-2012).

Sarcoids were i time again a prevalent tumour, at 5.6 per centum inward the latest survey, compared to 2.8 per centum the twelvemonth before.

Overweight horses or ponies were recorded past times their owners inward 16.9 per centum of cases, compared amongst 7.8 per centum inward 2013 together with 7.5 per centum inward 2010–2012, amongst nigh horses – 79 per centum – beingness recorded equally ideal/normal weight together with four per centum equally underweight.

New information was obtained on weight monitoring, amongst 59 per centum of respondents proverb that they assessed weight regularly, amongst 85 per centum using weigh tapes.

Respiratory illness was reported past times 7.1 per centum of respondents, compared amongst 5 per centum inward all previous surveys. The cracking bulk of these, 96 percent, were affected past times allergic respiratory disease. Infectious respiratory illness was reported inward 0.3 per centum of horses – a like prevalence to previous surveys.

This year’s survey included a inquiry on Atypical Myopathy. Thirteen cases confirmed past times veterinarians were reported.

Josh Slater from the Royal Veterinary College, who is fellow member of BEVA’s Health together with Medicines Committee together with analysed the data, said: “We are keen to kicking the bucket along to collect information on the prevalence of Atypical Myopathy through the survey.”

He said the release of cases of the illness that occurred each twelvemonth was non known together with although the survey provided a snapshot, information was needed on a much larger release of horses to accurately approximate its prevalence.

Participation inward the survey increased significantly this year. Information was collected from 11,002 horses, ponies, donkeys together with mules across Britain, representing an increment of to a greater extent than than double final year’s figure of 4730.

The bulk of horses reported (88 percent) were kept either inward livery yards or person yards, amongst exclusively 0.7 per centum kept past times equine welfare charities.

Slater commented: “Year on twelvemonth nosotros are edifice a unique database on the wellness together with illness status of the United Kingdom of Great Britain together with Northern Ireland equine population that volition let wellness benchmarking across the equine industry.

“The annual surveys get got shown consistent trends together with already challenged to a greater extent than or less established dogma on illness prevalence, for illustration laminitis, together with validated much of the accepted veterinary opinion, for illustration on lameness together with colic.”

The survey is sponsored past times nutrition theatre Spillers together with brute wellness fellowship Zoetis. It is supported past times Britain’s leading equestrian organisations together with charities.

The survey results tin travel downloaded from www.bluecross.org.uk. To register for side past times side year’s survey, larn here. 

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