Geriatric Horses: Management of Chronic Pain and End-of-Life Discussion

Geriatric Horses:
Management of Chronic Pain and End-of-Life Discussion

Led by Alex Bianco, DVM, MS, DACVIM

Horses are living longer, often with chronic disease and/or pain, but they also have human owners that may have strong emotional attachments and struggle with end-of-life decision making. In many cases, the decision to euthanize a geriatric horse is more gradual and more complicated. Chronic pain is difficult to objectively assess in animals and relies on the perception of the owner and/or veterinarian. However, geriatric horses receive less veterinary care than younger horses and lameness may not be recognized as a manifestation of chronic pain. The approach to management of chronic pain in horses should be multimodal and depends on client education and frequent veterinary reassessment.