Nursing the geriatric equine patient

This article will outline conditions relevant to the older equine patient and the considerations that need to be taken into account when nursing these patients.

First it is important to define a geriatric animal, the Oxford English Dictionary (2013) defines geriatric as ‘relating to old people, especially with regard to their health care’. So, the geriatric patient is an elderly one and in both horses and donkeys this can be defined as anywhere from 10-20 years depending on the texts you read (Paradis, 2002). This article will look at 20 years plus.

The geriatric horse can pose a number of problems and the geriatric donkey a few more. The donkey can be more of a cause for concern due to its stoical nature; it is essential that equine veterinary nurses (EVN) are aware that the donkey will only usually show signs of discomfort when the condition has progressed to the point at which it has become terminal (Duffield, 2008). The donkey sanctuary provide a wealth of information as well as producing The Professional Handbook of the Donkey and a number of leaflets that can be of use to those not accustomed to dealing with them. It is especially important to be aware that a dull donkey is not a well donkey, they naturally show very subtle signs of pain and discomfort so educating clients on the importance of getting a quiet donkey checked out is paramount (Duffield, 2008).