The prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias in horses of the Sanandaj area

Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias, caused by disorders in the generation and transmission of cardiac impulses, is included among the heart disorders that cause inefficient blood circulation. The most commonly-used method for diagnosing this disorder is electrocardiography. In this study, we aimed to identify and diagnose different types of arrhythmia prevalent among the seemingly-healthy horses of Sanandaj City, with particular regard to breeds specific to this region. The researcher took electrocardiograms of 50 horses in Base-Apex, including Kurdish purebreds (n = 4), Arab purebreds (n = 20), and hybrid horses (n = 26; 35 male and 15 female overall). The results of the electrocardiograms showed arrhythmias in 16 (32%) out of all the horses in this study. Of these, 23% of the stallions, 10% of mares, 40% of the Kurdish purebreds, 8% of the Arab purebreds, and 26% of hybrid horses suffered from arrhythmias. Different types of arrhythmia diagnosed included sinus arrhythmia (10%), sinus tachycardia (8%), wandering pacemaker (8%), and first degree atrioventricular block (6%). The frequencies of arrhythmia in horses found in this study were similar to the results of other researchers. It is important to distinguish between physiological and pathological arrhythmias in horses after diagnosis, since arrhythmias can have a great impact on exercise performance.