Dysphagia in an equine referral hospital, 182 cases

Dysphagia describes a clinical sign of pathologies of the oral cavity, pharynx, and oesophagus that carries potentially serious consequences for horses. Given the diversity of differential diagnoses that may cause dysphagia, an understanding of the prevalence of dysphagia in hospitalised patients, the distribution of aetiologies and clinical outcomes could inform diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

This study aims to describe the incidence, signalment, history, aetiology, treatment, and outcome of horses presenting to a referral hospital for dysphagia.

Retrospective case series.

Referral hospital cases over a 12-year period were screened and included in the analysis for patients >6 months of age with at least one clinical sign of dysphagia and an aetiological diagnosis. Cases were partitioned into one or more aetiological categories of dysphagia (oral, pharyngeal, oesophageal, and neurogenic) based on recorded diagnosis. Treatment, survival, and resolution of dysphagia were reported.

Dysphagia was recorded in 1.1% of all cases. Inclusion criteria were met for 182 cases. Resolution of clinical signs for oral, pharyngeal, and oesophageal aetiologies of dysphagia was >80%, while recovery of neurogenic dysphagia was 46%. Aspiration pneumonia was a common sequela of dysphagia.

The retrospective design of the study was limited by the completeness of the medical record. Horses in this study population may not be representative of all dysphagia cases.

Dysphagia is an uncommon condition in hospitalised patients. Prognosis is good for most aetiologies, but resolution of dysphagia of neurogenic origin occurs less frequently than the other causes of dysphagia.