Abstract
Simple SummaryAs the scientific basis for most methods used in CAVM (complementary and alternative veterinary medicine) is not well-founded, there is a need for evaluation of the efficacy as well as safety of many methods. In order to better understand what evidence and knowledge are most urgently needed, we must know what methods are used, by whom and for what reasons. We asked Swedish horse owners, equine veterinary practitioners and CAVM therapists about their use of CAVM. CAVM appears to be common in Swedish horses; most horse owners used it for both prevention and treatment of injuries. The two most frequently used methods were stretching and massage. There is some collaboration between equine veterinary practitioners and CAVM therapists, which might provide an opportunity for proper diagnoses by veterinarians before CAVM therapy. Most of the study participants wanted CAVM to be more regulated, to facilitate communication and ensure animal welfare.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.
Highlights
The therapist questionnaire was constructed in collaboration with a parallel study on Complementary or alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM) in dogs [37] and these results appear in both reports
Twelve percent of the horses with locomotor problems had not been seen by a veterinarian in relation to the injury, 83% of the respondents stated that contacting a veterinarian was their first choice in case of lameness and 15% that they contacted a CAVM therapist
CAVM appears to be frequently used in Swedish horses, both for the prevention and treatment of injuries
Summary
The umbrella term includes a wide range of methods, from those that could almost be considered as conventional medicine to those where animal studies are lacking or even suggested to have no effect in animals [2,3,4,5]. The literature reviews published generally state that there is insufficient scientific research to draw any firm conclusions regarding the clinical efficacy of treatments for specific indications for many of CAVM methods [6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21]. The reasons often listed are, a limited number of studies, small sample sizes, lack of control groups, and other methodological limitations, as well as considerable heterogeneity in reported treatment effects [7,10,12]. As more scientific evidence is gathered, the definitions of these methods may change
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