Signs & Symptoms of Heart Disease in Older Horses

Heart disease and heart problems and are just as fatal for horses as they are for people. Knowing some of the signs of heart disease and heart problems in older horses can help an owner make preliminary judgments, although getting a veterinarian's expertise is always suggested.

  1. Symptoms

    • As the horse ages, a heart murmur is very common, as the valves that supply the heart with the intake and outflow of blood wear out with time. When these murmurs become pronounced, it causes a back flow of blood into the heart chamber and poor circulation, follow. The common symptoms of this is stocking (swelling) in the legs and edema under the belly and in the chest area. The horse will appear lethargic and spend more time resting than moving around; the less he moves, the more the edema will build up.

    Advanced Symptoms

    • As the disease progresses, the horse will exhibit signs of labored breathing. It will also drop weight and appear listless and disinterested in food. There will be no colic symptoms, just a general overall malaise. The pulse in the neck may become more visible, and the mucous membranes will darken as blood flow is restricted.

    Final Stages

    • Some of the final symptoms of advanced heart disease are labored breathing, even when standing still, and froth coming from the nose of the horse as it struggles to breathe. When these symptoms occur, heart failure is impending, and the window for treatment is limited to hours and days. Euthanasia is the usual choice for an animal at this stage of heart disease.