A Questionnaire Study on the Use of Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine for Horses in Sweden

Abstract

Complementary or alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM) includes treatment methods with limited scientific evidence. Swedish veterinarians are legally obliged to base treatments and recommendations on science or well-documented experience, but most CAVM methods are not well documented in animals. The aim of this study was to explore the use of CAVM in Swedish horses. Electronic questionnaires were distributed to horse owners, equine veterinary practitioners and CAVM therapists. Of the 204 responding horse owners, 83% contacted a veterinarian first in case of lameness, while 15% contacted a CAVM therapist. For back pain, 52% stated a CAVM therapist as their first contact and 45% a veterinarian. Only 10–15% of the respondents did not use any CAVM method for prevention or after injury. Of the 100 veterinarians who responded, more than half did not use CAVM themselves but 55% did refer to people who offer this service. Of the 124 responding CAVM therapists, 72% recommended their clients to seek veterinary advice when needed, 50% received referrals from a veterinarian, and 25% did not collaborate with a veterinarian. The two most common methods used by the respondents in all three categories were stretching and massage. Most veterinarians and therapists were not content with the current lack of CAVM regulation.

A Systematic Review of Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine in Sport and Companion Animals: Soft Tissue Mobilization

“…A New Zealand study shows that 26% of dressage riders use different types of massage for their horses and the main indication for using allied health personnel to treat their horse was back problems [ 7 ]. The same results are shown in a Swedish study, indicating that massage is predominantly used for back and muscle problems in horses [ 8 ]. Further, an international study, asking equine veterinarians what rehabilitation modality they used, stated that 83% of the respondents used stretching and 69% used massage [ 9 ].…”

“…Soft tissue mobilization can be conducted by trained professionals, but it is also performed by laypeople and animal owners. Studies have shown that massage is commonly used both in companion animals and in sport horses [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. A study on Swiss warmblood horses reports massage to be used in 8% of the horses treated for lameness and back problems [ 6 ].…”

A Questionnaire Study on the Use of Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine for Dogs in Sweden

“…Compared to Swedish horse owners [24], Swedish dog owners seem to rarely use CAVM for their dogs, but the same methods (massage and stretching) appear to be the most common. This was mostly a reflection of the methods preferred by CAVM therapists, although the ranking of methods such as acupressure and laser therapy differed somewhat between dog owners and therapists.…”

“…The study was performed as an MSc project at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences [23], in parallel to a similar project on horse owners and equine veterinary practitioners [24]. Electronic questionnaires were constructed and distributed to dog owners, small animal veterinary practitioners, and CAVM therapists as described in Gilberg et al [24], and the therapist questionnaire was the same as in that study. Briefly, the dog owner questionnaires were distributed via social media, and the questionnaires for veterinarians and therapists were distributed via professional organisations.…”

“…Of the 124 therapists who responded to the questionnaire, 107 completed it. As this questionnaire is the same as in Gilberg et al [24], only data directly relevant for this study are presented here, while other detailed results can be found in the referred paper. Most of the respondents (69%) worked with multiple species, and about half (48%, n = 116) treated dogs.…”