Senior horses might be more prone to colic, particularly when underlying conditions affect how their bodies process feed and maintain gut health. Problems such as dental disease, reduced digestive efficiency, and metabolic disorders can all contribute to increased risk. Careful management, including diet adjustments and routine health monitoring, becomes especially important as horses age. In this Ask TheHorse Live excerpt, Michael Fugaro, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, owner and founder of Mountain Pointe Equine Veterinary Services, in Hackettstown, New Jersey, describes the risk of colic in senior horses and how veterinarians might treat these cases.

This podcast is an excerpt from our Ask TheHorse Live Q&A, “Equine Colic 101.” Listen to the full recording here.

 

About the Experts:

Picture of Michael Fugaro, VMD, Dipl. ACVS

Michael Fugaro, VMD, Dipl. ACVS

Michael Fugaro, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, is the owner and founder of Mountain Pointe Equine Veterinary Services, in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Fugaro received his VMD at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, in Kennett Square, where he graduated in 1997. He then completed a large animal internship at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada, and a large animal surgical residency at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana. Previously, Fugaro was the resident veterinarian and a tenured full-professor at Centenary University, in Hackettstown. He has also taught as a visiting instructor at Rutgers University in the Animal Science Department, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Fugaro has held veterinary positions with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health and the New Jersey Racing Commission. He has also been the president of the New Jersey Association of Equine Practitioners, an advisory board member for the Rutgers University Board for Equine Advancement (RUBEA), and an admissions committee member for University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine. When not performing surgeries, Fugaro enjoys golfing and going to the gym. He resides in Morris County, New Jersey, with his wife, Donna, and dog, Curtis.