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Topic:Foals
"Foals" encompasses a stage in the lifecycle of equines with distinct physiological and developmental characteristics. Foals are young horses, typically under one year of age, undergoing rapid growth and development. They require specific nutritional, health, and management practices to support their transition to adulthood. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the growth, development, health challenges, and management practices associated with foals and horses, providing insights into their care and welfare across different life stages.
Hemodialysis for treatment of oxytetracycline-induced acute renal failure in a neonatal foal. Acute renal failure in a 4-day-old foal secondary to oxytetracycline toxicosis was treated by hemodialysis. Oxytetracycline had been administrered as treatment for forelimb flexor tendon contracture. Conservtive treatment with fluids, furosemide, and dopamine partially alleviated serum electrolyte concentration imbalances, but was ineffective in promoting diuresis or decreasing azotemia. Three hemodialysis treatments over 4 days were administered, after which the clinical appearance of the foal improved, and biochemical and electrolyte values returned to within reference ranges. The nephrotoxi...
Characterisation of osseous bodies of the distal phalanx of foals. The distal phalanx and metacarpal physis of both forelimbs of 32 Thoroughbred foals 3-32 weeks of age were radiographed to identify those limbs with osseous bodies at a palmar process (PP) of the distal phalanx. Osseous bodies (ossicles) were identified radiographically in 19% of the foals. Sixteen of the 32 foals were selected for microradiographic and histological evaluation: 6 foals with radiographic evidence of ossicles and 10 foals without. Fourteen ossicles of the PP were observed radiographically. Ossicles were either a triangular bone fragment at the palmar aspect of the distal angle o...
Correction of patellar luxation by recession sulcoplasty in three foals. Lateral luxation of the patella in four femoropatellar joints of three foals was repaired by recession sulcoplasty and medial imbrication of the joint. One foal was euthanatized because of septic arthritis caused by incisional dehiscence, and the other two foals were normal 2 years after surgery. Recession sulcoplasty combined with medial imbrication of the joint capsule resulted in a functional femoropatellar joint and should be considered in foals affected with lateral patellar luxation.
Growth hormone secretion in the horse: unusual pattern at birth and pulsatile secretion through to maturity. A heterologous radioimmunoassay was developed and validated for the measurement of horse GH in plasma. It utilized recombinant-derived bovine GH as the radiolabelled ligand, a guinea-pig anti-porcine GH serum as first antibody and pituitary-derived horse GH as standard. Cross-reactivities were high with all of the pituitary and recombinant-derived GH preparations tested (49-140%) and very low (< 0.3%) with horse FSH, LH and prolactin. A synthetic analogue of GH-releasing factor(1-29) stimulated the expected pattern of GH release in foals. Plasma GH concentrations in foals were low at birth (< ...
Histoplasmosis in horses. Histoplasmosis was diagnosed in nine horses during 1986-1990. The infection with Histoplasma capsulatum caused granulomatous placentitis and abortion in one mare in the 7th month of gestation and three mares in the 10th month. Four newborn foals died from severe granulomatous pneumonia within a few days of birth; and a weanling thoroughbred developed granulomatous pneumonia and lymphadenitis at 5 months of age.
Clinical pharmacokinetics of amikacin in hypoxic premature foals. The pharmacokinetics of amikacin, administered iv at 7 mg/kg, every 8 h, were evaluated over the first 48 h of hospitalisation in 7 critically ill hypoxic premature foals and compared with those in 8 full-term nonhypoxic critically ill neonatal foals. The pharmacokinetic data were used to calculate dosage schedules that would maintain the plasma amikacin concentrations in individual foals within a target range of > or = 15 micrograms/ml but < 30 micrograms/ml for peak values and < or = 3 micrograms/ml for trough values. The results indicated a statistically significant increase in the...
Gastric pH monitoring in healthy, suckling pony foals. Gastric pH was monitored in neonatal foals from birth to 3 months of age. Background pH decreased, especially during the first week of life. Milk had complex effects that depended on pH prior to sucking, confounded by the age of the foal: nearly neutral background pH tended to be acidified after milk intake; moderately acid background pH tended to be neutralized; low background pH was only slightly increased by milk. Absolute magnitude of the effects of milk decreased with age. Existence of a proulcerative intragastric environment in preweaning foals is postulated, but this must be considered ...
[Foal diseases and foal loss]. An investigation was carried out upon occurrence and course of infectious and non infectious diseases as well as the mortality in foals born and raised at the State Stud Marbach/Lauter between 1982 and 1991. The foals have been investigated from birth to weaning, they consisted of 177 Thoroughbred Arabians and 285 German Warmblood foals (total 462 foals). The diseases were divided into pre-, peri- and postnatal according to their known or assumed cause and onset. There was a preponderance of prenatal diseases (11.25%) whereas the perinatal rate was 1.30% and the postnatal rate of diseases was ...
Linkage of serum resistance, aerobactin production, and resistance to antimicrobial agents on conjugal plasmids in some strains of Escherichia coli isolated from septic foals. Fifteen isolates of Escherichia coli obtained from the blood and tissues of septic foals had plasmid DNA of size ranging from 2.5 to 93 megadaltons. These isolates grew in normal equine serum (serum resistant), a trait previously documented to be expressed by isolates obtained from blood and tissues of septic foals, but not by isolates obtained from the feces of clinically normal horses. Of these isolates, 3 contained conjugal plasmids that encoded resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents linked to serum resistance and, in 1 isolate, to production of aerobactin as well. Serum resistance and...
Proceedings of the John P. Hughes International Workshop on Equine Endometritis. Davis, California, August 1992. The paper is a report from a workshop discussing equine endometritis, a condition affecting horse fertility. The event was held in honor of Professor John Hughes and his significant contributions [...]
Pathogenicity of a thymidine kinase-deficient mutant of equine herpesvirus 1 in mice and specific pathogen-free foals. Both intranasal (i.n.) and intracerebral (i.c.) inoculation of mice with wild-type equine herpesvirus type 1 (wt EHV-1) caused clinical signs and mortality. Virus could be recovered from target organs (turbinates, lungs and blood) for several days. By contrast, the thymidine kinase (TK)-deficient deletion mutant PR1 produced markedly less clinical disease following both i.n. and i.c. inoculation, and, in particular, no mortality occurred. PR1 did, however, establish productive infections following either route of inoculation. High titres of virus were recovered from target organs although viru...
Assessment and treatment of equine humeral fractures: retrospective study of 54 cases (1972-1990). Fractures of the humerus were diagnosed in horses at The Ohio State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Twenty-four horses (44.4%) were destroyed after radiographic assessment (mean age of 5.0 years). Surgical treatment was elected in 13 horses (24.1%, mean age of 0.42 years). Conservative management, consisting of prolonged stall rest, was chosen for 17 horses (31.5%, mean age of 2.2 years). In the surgically treated group, 3 foals (23.1%) all less than 2 months of age at the time of fracture and treated with intramedullary stack pinning, survived and became athletically sound. After con...
Effect of sucralfate on healing of subclinical gastric ulcers in foals. The effect of sucralfate on healing of subclinical gastric ulcers and gastric inflammation was investigated in twelve 6- to 7-month-old foals. Foals with endoscopically evident gastric lesions on day 0 were assigned to 1 of 2 groups, on the basis of mucosal inflammation and number and severity of ulcers, to create groups of foals with approximately equal severity of lesions. None of these foals had clinical signs of gastroduodenal ulcer disease. Groups were assigned to receive sucralfate (22.0 mg/kg of body weight) or corn syrup for 14 days, PO, every 8 hours. On day 15, gastroscopic examinati...
Clinical signs and radiographic diagnosis of a portosystemic shunt in a foal. A three-month-old native pony foal had a history of recurrent episodes of bizarre neurological behaviour. The results of clinical examinations were non-specific but clinicopathological investigations indicated hepatic encephalopathy. A percutaneous, needle liver biopsy revealed histopathological changes consistent with a portosystemic shunt, which was later identified by operative mesenteric portovenography, and confirmed at post mortem.
Hypercoagulable state associated with a deficiency of protein C in a thoroughbred colt. Protein C is a vitamin K-dependent serine protease with anticoagulant and profibrinolytic activity which is synthesized in the liver. Decreased protein C activity was detected in a Thoroughbred colt with clinical and histopathologic evidence of recurrent venous thrombosis. Although protein C activity was reduced, protein C antigen concentration was normal. Consumptive coagulopathies produce a decrease in both the functional and antigenic concentrations of protein C, thus a defect in protein C synthesis was suspected. Inhibition of gamma-carboxylation secondary to vitamin K antagonism results i...
A prospective study of septicaemia in colostrum-deprived foals. Fourteen mares and their foals were attended at parturition. After mare-foal bonding, 8 colostrum-deprived (CD) foals were removed from their dams, deprived of colostrum, and provided with an alternative milk source for the first 24 h of life. The mares were milked out every 2-4 h during this period to remove colostrum, after which the CD foals were returned to their mares and allowed to nurse. Six colostrum-fed (CF) foals were allowed to suck colostrum in the normal manner. Foal serum IgG concentration was determined by single radial immunodiffusion (means, CD = 0 mg/dl; CF = 1,508 mg/dl). Ac...
Pharmacokinetics of cefotaxime in neonatal pony foals. Serum concentrations of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime were measured in 1-week-old pony foals after IV administration of a single dose of cefotaxime. The cefotaxime disposition data conformed to a two-compartment model with elimination half-life of 0.60 hour. The combined cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime data was best described by a four-compartment model. The apparent half-life describing the disappearance of desacetylcefotaxime was 1.69 hours. Dosage of 40 mg/kg of body weight given IV every 4 to 6 hours for neonatal foals with gram-negative septicemia and every 2 hours for foals with ...
Trichophytobezoar as a cause of transverse colon obstruction in a foal. A 5-week-old belgian colt was examined for colic of 12 hours duration after several episodes of diarrhea. Physical examination revealed signs of abdominal pain, mild dehydration and normal auscultable borborygmi in all abdominal quadrants. Distention of the cecum, large colon and small intestinal was evident on abdominal radiographs. The foal was treated medically as the owners declined surgery. The colt was euthanized because of continued deterioration and failure to respond to medical therapy. Post-mortem exam revealed the presence of a trichophytobezoar obstructing the distal part of the tr...
Maturation of insulin and glucose responses to normal feeding in foals. Postprandial insulin and glucose concentrations were measured in 3 Arabian and 3 Thoroughbred foals at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months of age. Prefeeding serum insulin concentrations were similar in foals at 1 day (25.9 +/- 5.1 pmol/L), 1 week (32.4 +/- 5.8 pmol/L), and 1 month (38.2 +/- 7.9 pmol/L), but had increased significantly to 131.0 +/- 20.2 pmol/L at 3 months of age (P < 0.05). There was significantly increased serum insulin secretion after a feed in foals at 3 months of age (P < 0.05) when compared with that at younger ages. Prefeeding serum glucose concentrations ranged fr...
Conservative management of femoral diaphyseal fractures in four foals. Femoral fractures in young horses can occur as a result of severe trauma and generally have a poor prognosis despite treatment. Four young horses with femoral diaphyseal fractures were managed with conservative treatment consisting of prolonged rest, analgesics, hind limb support, and corrective farriery. A favorable outcome in the form of pasture soundness with potential for limited athletic usefulness was obtained in 3 out of the 4 cases. This report supports the use of conservative treatment of selected diaphyseal femoral fractures in young horses.
Growth hormone (GH) secretory pattern and GH response to GH-releasing factor (GRF) or thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in newborn foals. The present study was undertaken to assess GH secretory profiles in 12 light-breed foals and their dams during forty days after delivery, and the possible influence of GRF and TRH on plasma GH concentrations in these newborn foals. GH secretory pattern was pulsatile in one day- as well as in forty days-old foals. The number of secretory spikes (10 per 24 h) did not vary between days 1 and 40. In the same times, GH secretion did not show any circadian rhythm either in foals or in their dams. Mean daily plasma concentrations (measured through blood samples collected every 20 min for 24 h) were l...
Some aspects of perinatal maturation and adaptation. Physiological challenges facing the perinatal individual are huge. This is partly because of the marked and abrupt change from the intrauterine to the extrauterine environment, but also because the physiological responses to that change depend upon systems whose maturation is affected markedly by birth. Perinatal maturation appears, therefore, both to precede and accompany the physiological adaptations required for neonatal survival. This review does not provide a comprehensive coverage of perinatal physiology but directs attention towards evaluating constraints on foetal and neonatal thermoge...
Pyrrolizidine alkaloidosis in a two month old foal. A foal, small and jaundiced from birth, succumbed after two months to chronic hepatic damage which was characterised by fibrosis, biliary ductular hyperplasia and the presence of pleomorphic hepatocytes containing either a single large nucleus or multiple nuclei. The fixed liver contained sulfur-bound pyrroles, which are derived from pyrrolizidine alkaloids. During pregnancy the pasture was heavily infested with the pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing plant, Senecio madagascariensis. The hepatic disease affecting the foal appears to have been initiated by consumption of the alkaloids by the mare...
Clinical view of disturbances in equine foetal maturation. This review summarises comparative aspects of equine pregnancy and birth. The allantochorion covers the entire endometrial surface of the mare's uterus and the placenta is microcotyledonary and epitheliochorial in structure. The foetus has, therefore, to pass through the allantochorion at birth. The umbilical cord has amniotic and allantoic portions and remains intact after delivery, enabling an arterial venous circulation to be maintained for several minutes. Maternal IgG does not cross the placental barrier and passive transfer post-natally is essential for immune status. Gestation in Thorou...
