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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.
Prevalence and performance effects of neonatal disease in Thoroughbred and Standardbred foals in South-Eastern Australia. There is little information on foal mortality and the epidemiology of diseases in the neonatal period in Australian equine breeding enterprises. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 1219 foals on 15 breeding farms in south-eastern Australia to identify the proportion of foals recognised on farm as abnormal at birth or within the first 48 h postpartum, determine the prevalence and risk factors for neonatal disease and assess the subsequent performance of foals in the study population. Results: Overall, 27 foals died within 6 weeks of birth in the study population (2.2%), 142 foal...
Evaluation of Blood Glucose and Lactate Concentrations in Mule and Equine Foals. Information about mule physiology is scarce. Glucose and lactate serve as prognostic tools in neonates; thus, real-time evaluations would be beneficial. Our main objective was to measure glucose and lactate concentrations from healthy mule and equine foals from birth to 720 hours. Glucose and lactate concentrations were evaluated with a benchtop Randox Daytona analyzer (LAB) using plasma and with an Accutrend Plus system (ACP) using whole blood. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED (P < .05), intraclass coefficient correlation and Bland-Altman analysis. Glucose and lactate concentrations fro...
Comparison of body temperature in donkeys using rectal digital, infrared, and mercury-in-glass thermometers during the hot-dry season in a tropical savannah. The study aimed at comparing variations in body temperature values recorded using rectal digital, infrared, and mercury-in-glass thermometers in donkeys during the hot-dry season, prevailing under tropical savannah conditions. Thirty donkeys that served as subjects were divided into three groups of adults, yearlings, and foals. Values of the body temperature of each donkey were recorded bihourly, starting from 06:00 h till 18:00 h, by digital (5-cm depth of insertion), mercury-in-glass (3 cm depth), and infrared thermometers. The values obtained by each type of the thermometer were compared wi...
[Uroperitoneum in neonatal foals – a review of the literature]. Uroperitoneum is a typical disease in newborn foals. An accumulation of urine develops in the abdominal cavity in consequence to a congenital or acquired leakage in the urinary tract. Colts are more frequently affected than fillies. The most common cause of uroperitoneum is a rupture of the dorsal urinary bladder wall. The urinary bladder is affected in 73.1 %, the urachus in 21.6 % and the ureter in 5.2 % of cases. Typical clinical signs occur 2-5 days postpartum, and encompass reduced general condition, abdominal distention, mild colic symptoms and unphysiologic micturition. Ultrasou...
Effect of maternal overnutrition on predisposition to insulin resistance in the foal: Maternal parameters and foal pancreas histoarchitecture. Results from previous studies indicate that maternal overnutrition during late gestation predisposes foals to metabolic disease, however, specific mechanisms resulting in disease remain unknown. Quarter Horse mares (n = 16), were randomly assigned to dietary treatments, beginning on gestational day 235, and consisted of a control group (CON- diet meeting nutrient requirement; n = 8) or an overfed diet (HIGH; n = 8) where mares received an additional 40 % above CON. On gestational days 285 and 315, an intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGTT) was conducted. Following parturition, foals were s...
The Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of Probiotic Bacteria for Equine Use. Probiotic bacteria are used widely as nutritional supplements and treatment interventions in the management of livestock and companion animals. The aim of this review is to summarize the current evidence reporting on the safety, tolerability and efficacy of probiotic bacteria use in horses. An online search of five databases for studies reporting on the use of probiotic bacteria use in horses which were either healthy or had a gastrointestinal or extraintestinal disease was conducted. A total of 18 articles were eligible for full review. No clear benefits were identified to support supplementa...
Plasma lipidome of healthy and Rhodococcus equi-infected foals over time. Many foals that develop thoracic ultrasonographic lesions as a result of Rhodococcus equi infection heal on their own. However, most of these foals receive antimicrobials because foals at risk of developing clinical pneumonia cannot be identified. Untargeted lipidomics is useful to identify candidate biomarkers. Objective: (a) To describe the changes that occur in foal lipidomics as a result of ageing (birth to 8 weeks) and (b) To compare these results with those observed in foals after experimental infection with R. equi. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Healthy newborn foals (n = 9) ...
Interleukin-6 pathobiology in equine placental infection. Ascending placentitis is the leading cause of abortion in the horse. Interleukin (IL)-6 is considered predictive of placental infection in other species, but little is understood regarding its role in the pathophysiology of ascending placentitis. Sub-acute ascending placentitis was induced via trans-cervical inoculation of S zooepidemicus, and various fluids/serum/tissues collected 8 days later. Concentrations of IL-6 were detected within fetal fluids and serum in inoculated (n = 6) and control (n = 6) mares. RNASeq was performed on the placenta (endometrium and chorioallantois) to asses...
A reassortant G3P[12] rotavirus A strain associated with severe enteritis in donkeys (Equus asinus). In contrast to horses, the only evidence suggesting gastrointestinal disease in neonatal donkeys is associated with Group A rotaviruses (RVAs) is the detection of viral antigens by ELISA in just 1 of 82 symptomatic donkey foals. No additional, more comprehensive investigations have been conducted, and RVAs if circulating in donkey populations have not been molecularly characterised. Objective: To investigate if RVAs are associated with an outbreak of severe enteritis in neonatal donkeys and if associated determine the genotype(s) along with the phylogenetic relationship to RVA strains circulat...
Survey of the equine broodmare industry, abortion, and equine herpesvirus-1 vaccination in Ontario. A survey of Ontario horse breeders was conducted in 2016 and retrospectively asked farm-level management questions regarding herd sizes, vaccination, respiratory disease, and abortion over the years 2014 to 2015. A total of 88 farm owners completed the survey, reporting 857 broodmares. Using logistic regression modelling, management influences on vaccine use, and the reporting of respiratory disease or abortion was investigated. Having veterinary records and the reasons for breeding were significantly associated with the odds of an abortion even after controlling for broodmare herd size. The o...
An Evaluation of Three Different Primary Equine Influenza Vaccination Intervals in Foals. In order to evaluate the effect of three different primary vaccination intervals on EI vaccine response, 21 unvaccinated thoroughbred foals were randomly divided into three groups of 7 and vaccinated with three different intervals of primary immunization (i.e., with 1, 2 or 3 months intervals between V1 and V2, respectively). The antibody response was measured for up to 1 year after the third immunization V3 (administered 6 months after V2) by single radial hemolysis (SRH) assay. All weanlings had seroconverted and exceeded the clinical protection threshold 2 weeks after V2 and 1 month after V...
Plasma disposition of ceftazidime in healthy neonatal foals following intravenous and intramuscular administration. Cephalosporin antimicrobials can be utilized for the treatment of sepsis in neonatal foals, particularly when an aminoglycoside is contraindicated. Some cephalosporins, however, are not utilized because of cost, sporadic availability, or uncertainty about efficacy. The plasma disposition of ceftazidime, a third-generation cephalosporin with a broad spectrum of activity against a wide variety of gram-negative bacteria and minimal renal side effects has not been reported in neonatal foals. In this study, the plasma disposition of single intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) doses of ceftazidim...
Host-directed therapy in foals can enhance functional innate immunity and reduce severity of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Pneumonia caused by the intracellular bacterium Rhodococcus equi is an important cause of disease and death in immunocompromised hosts, especially foals. Antibiotics are the standard of care for treating R. equi pneumonia in foals, and adjunctive therapies are needed. We tested whether nebulization with TLR agonists (PUL-042) in foals would improve innate immunity and reduce the severity and duration of pneumonia following R. equi infection. Neonatal foals (n = 48) were nebulized with either PUL-042 or vehicle, and their lung cells infected ex vivo. PUL-042 increased inflammatory cytokines...
Primary vaccination in foals: a comparison of the serological response to equine influenza and equine herpesvirus vaccines administered concurrently or 2 weeks apart. This study compared concurrent and separate primary vaccination against equid alphaherpesviruses 1 and 4, genus Varicellovirus, subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae, and equine influenza A virus, genus Alphainfluenzavirus, family Orthomyxoviridae. Their vernacular names are equine herpesvirus 1 and 4 (EHV1/4) and equine influenza virus (EIV). Infection with these respiratory pathogens is associated with loss of performance, interruption of training schedules, and on occasion, cancellation of equestrian events. Vaccination is highly recommended, and for some activities it is a man...
Glucagon, insulin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol in response to carbohydrates and fasting in healthy neonatal foals. The endocrine pancreas and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) are central to energy homeostasis, but information on their dynamics in response to energy challenges in healthy newborn foals is lacking. Objective: To evaluate glucagon, insulin, ACTH, and cortisol response to fasting and carbohydrate administration in healthy foals. Methods: Twenty-two healthy Standardbred foals ≤4 days of age. Methods: Foals were assigned to fasted (n = 6), IV glucose (IVGT; n = 5), PO glucose (OGT; n = 5), and PO lactose (OLT; n = 6) test groups. Blood samples were collected frequently for 210 min...
Grazing Mares on Pasture with Sycamore Maples: A Potential Threat to Suckling Foals and Food Safety through Milk Contamination. Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is seasonal intoxication resulting from the ingestion of seeds and seedlings of the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) that contain toxins, among them, hypoglycin A (HGA). Literature mentions several cases of AM among gravid mares and in unweaned foals. The objective of this study was to determine whether HGA and/or its metabolite are present in milk from grazing mares exposed to sycamore maple trees as confirmed by detection of HGA and its metabolite in their blood. Four mare/foal couples were included in the study. Both HGA and its metabolite were detectable i...
Bacterial dispersal and drift drive microbiome diversity patterns within a population of feral hindgut fermenters. Studies of microbiome variation in wildlife often emphasize host physiology and diet as proximate selective pressures acting on host-associated microbiota. In contrast, microbial dispersal and ecological drift are more rarely considered. Using amplicon sequencing, we characterized the bacterial microbiome of adult female (n = 86) Sable Island horses (Nova Scotia, Canada) as part of a detailed individual-based study of this feral population. Using data on sampling date, horse location, age, parental status, and local habitat variables, we contrasted the ability of spatiotemporal, life history...
Two Novel Cases of Autosomal Translocations in the Horse: Warmblood Family Segregating t(4;30) and a Cloned Arabian with a de novo t(12;25). We report 2 novel autosomal translocations in the horse. In Case 1, a breeding stallion with a balanced t(4p;30) had produced normal foals and those with congenital abnormalities. Of his 9 phenotypically normal offspring, 4 had normal karyotypes, 4 had balanced t(4p;30), and 1 carried an unbalanced translocation with tertiary trisomy of 4p. We argue that unbalanced forms of t(4p;30) are more tolerated and result in viable congenital abnormalities, without causing embryonic death like all other known equine autosomal translocations. In Case 2, two stallions produced by somatic cell nuclear tran...
Opsonization but not pretreatment of equine macrophages with hyperimmune plasma nonspecifically enhances phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Rhodococcus equi. Evidence regarding the efficacy of equine hyperimmune plasma to prevent pneumonia in foals caused by Rhodococcus equi is limited and conflicting. Objective: Opsonization with R. equi-specific hyperimmune plasma (HIP) will significantly increase phagocytosis and decrease intracellular replication of R. equi by alveolar macrophages (AMs) compared to normal plasma (NP). Methods: Fifteen adult Quarter Horses were used to collect bronchoalveolar lavage cells. Methods: In the first experiment, AMs from 9 horses were pretreated (incubated) with either HIP, NP, or media only (control) and then infecte...
Factors associated with survival and racing performance of 114 Thoroughbred foals with septic arthritis compared with maternal siblings (2009-2015). There is little consensus on factors associated with survival in foals with septic arthritis and limited data on long-term racing performance of Thoroughbred foals treated for septic arthritis. A more thorough understanding of short- and long-term outcome is necessary to help inform owners, and subsequently guide treatment. Objective: To investigate factors associated with survival, and to analyse racing performance of foals with septic arthritis compared with their maternal siblings. Methods: Retrospective cohort and a case-control study. Methods: Veterinary clinical records of Thoroughbred f...
Incidence and causes of pregnancy loss after Day 70 of gestation in Thoroughbreds. Pregnancy loss after Day 70 of gestation manifests as abortion, stillbirth or perinatal death. While previous studies have reported the diagnoses of laboratory submissions, none have quantified the incidence and causes of abortions, stillbirths and perinatal mortality at a population level. Objective: To report the incidence and causes of pregnancy loss after Day 70 of gestation in a cohort of Thoroughbreds. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Outcomes of Day 70 pregnancies were collected from eight Thoroughbred farms over the 2013-2017 breeding seasons. Stud, veterinary and laborato...
Occipital condyle defects assessed by radiography or CT can be a normal finding in foals. Age of complete ossification of equine occipital condyles has not been published. Consequently, clinical significance of occipital condyle defects on radiographs or CT scans of young horses remains unknown. The goals of this single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study were to characterize incidental occipital condyle defects and to define the age of complete ossification. The margin of occipital condyles was classified as regular or with defect(s). Analyses were made on 121 horses, including 106 radiographic and 19 CT studies showing the occipital condyles of horses less than 5 years o...
Evaluation of the efficiency of TaqMan duplex real-time PCR assay for non-invasive pre-natal assessment of foetal sex in equine. Accurate diagnosis of foetal sex in pregnant mare is helpful for many breeders, both for private or commercial purposes. In this study, in order to pre-natal foetal sexing in equine, we used TaqMan duplex real-time PCR to detect the specific regions of SRY and TSPY genes on extracted cell-free foetal DNA from maternal blood. Peripheral blood samples from 50 pregnant Arabian mares with singleton foetuses were collected. Cell-free foetal DNA was extracted from maternal plasma, and duplex real-time PCR assays were performed with TaqMan probes and primers. Amplification of glyceraldehyde-3-phospha...
A deterministic simulation model for the evaluation of reproductive performance in Thoroughbred mares. The objective of the present study was to develop a deterministic simulation model for evaluating the reproductive performance of Thoroughbred mares. As an application, the model was used to estimate the herd level asymptotic foaling percentage (AFP) for evaluating the performance of mares in stabilized mare herds using the convergent method for estimating a steady-state distribution of mares. In this model, it was assumed that the mares were mated only during the breeding season. The effects of early pregnancy loss and fetal loss on reproductive performance were investigated. The sensitivitie...
Dynamics of androgens in healthy and hospitalized newborn foals. Information on steroids derived from the adrenal glands, gonads, or fetoplacental unit is minimal in newborn foals. Objective: To measure androgen concentrations in serum and determine their association with disease severity and outcome in hospitalized foals. Methods: Hospitalized (n = 145) and healthy (n = 80) foals. Methods: Prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study. Foals of ≤3 days of age from 3 hospitals and horse farms were classified as healthy and hospitalized (septic, sick nonseptic, neonatal maladjustment syndrome [NMS]) based on physical exam, medical history, and laborato...
Dynamic Change of Free Serum L-carnitine Concentration in Relation to Age, Sex, and Exercise in Anglo-Arabian Thoroughbred Horses. The physiological role of L-carnitine in equine species is worthy of investigation; however, the systemic content of free L-carnitine and its dynamic change in growing foals as well as in exercising horses are still poorly investigated. In this study, the influence of age and exercise on free serum L-carnitine levels was evaluated in equine species. Ten foals were monitored from 6 up to 18 months of age (group 1), whereas 60 horses were divided in six groups in accordance with their age: group 2, 2-year-old; group 3, 3-year-old; group 4, 4-year-old; group 5, 5-year-old; group 6, 6-year-old; g...
A 25-year retrospective study of Chlamydia psittaci in association with equine reproductive loss in Australia. is primarily a pathogen of birds but can also cause disease in other species. Equine reproductive loss caused by has recently been identified in Australia where cases of human disease were also reported in individuals exposed to foetal membranes from an ill neonatal foal in New South Wales. The prevalence of in association with equine reproductive over time and in different regions of Australia is not known. This study was conducted to detect in equine abortion cases in Australia using archived samples spanning 25 years. We tested for in 600 equine abortion cases reported in Australia ...
Quantitative assessment of left ventricular volume and function by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, ultrasound velocity dilution, and gated magnetic resonance imaging in healthy foals. To compare measurements of left ventricular volume and function derived from 2-D transthoracic echocardiography (2DE), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and the ultrasound velocity dilution cardiac output method (UDCO) with those derived from cardiac MRI (cMRI) in healthy neonatal foals. Methods: 6 healthy 1-week-old Standardbred foals. Methods: Foals were anesthetized and underwent 2DE, TEE, and cMRI; UDCO was performed simultaneously with 2DE. Images acquired by 2DE included the right parasternal 4-chamber (R4CH), left apical 4- and 2-chamber (biplane), and right parasternal short-axis...
Development of the equine hindgut microbiome in semi-feral and domestic conventionally-managed foals. Early development of the gut microbiome is an essential part of neonate health in animals. It is unclear whether the acquisition of gut microbes is different between domesticated animals and their wild counterparts. In this study, fecal samples from ten domestic conventionally managed (DCM) Standardbred and ten semi-feral managed (SFM) Shetland-type pony foals and dams were compared using 16S rRNA sequencing to identify differences in the development of the foal hindgut microbiome related to time and management. Results: Gut microbiome diversity of dams was lower than foals overall and within ...
