Dysphagia in an equine referral hospital data.xlsx

This study aims to describe the incidence, signalment, history, etiology, treatment, and outcome of horses presenting to a referral hospital for dysphagia. The study design is a 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 etiological diagnosis. Cases were partitioned into one or more etiological categories of dysphagia (oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, neurogenic) based on recorded diagnosis. Treatment, survival, and resolution of dysphagia was 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 esophageal etiologies of dysphagia was >80%, while recovery of neurogenic dysphagia was 46%. Aspiration pneumonia was a common sequela of dysphagia.