"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.
Okudaira M, Cresswell EN, Wollman CW, McDonough SP, Engiles JB, Reesink HL.To describe the development and maturation of equine proximal sesamoid bones (PSBs) in fetuses and young horses using radiography, microcomputed (micro)-CT, and histology. Methods: A descriptive study. Forelimb PSBs from 12 equids ranging in age from 105 days of gestation to 540 days postgestation were evaluated. Radiography was used for preliminary assessment of metacarpophalangeal joint and PSB mineralization, and micro-CT imaging was performed to assess mineralized PSBs. Tissue volume, bone volume fraction, height, width, depth, trabecular thickness, and anisotropy were quantified from midp...
Stasiak K, Dunowska M, Rola J.Equine rhinitis A (ERAV) and B (ERBV) viruses are respiratory pathogens with worldwide distribution. The current study aimed to determine the frequency of infection of ERAV and ERBV among horses and foals at Polish national studs, and to determine genetic variability within the viruses obtained. Virus-specific quantitative RT-PCR assays targeting a 5' untranslated region were used to screen nasal swabs collected from 621 horses at 16 national horse studs from throughout Poland, including 553 healthy horses and 68 horses with respiratory disease. A partial DNA polymerase gene was amplified and ...
Son JK, De Paz P, Kim J, Sanaei R, Seungho R, Bailey S, Davies HMS.The risk of carpal injury in racehorses may be related to the morphology, yet whether carpal morphologies are set from birth or change through growth remains unclear. Objective: To quantify carpal bone changes through growth. Methods: Twenty privately owned Thoroughbred foals born between January 2022 and May 2023 were radiographed bimonthly from birth to 10 months of age. Imprint training was used to take radiographs safely without chemical restraints. Fifteen individual and 11 relative angular carpal parameters were measured using ImageJ on dorsopalmar radiographs of the carpus at zero degre...
Cho PW, Park SA, Sledge D, Gruenwald R, Townsend WM.The aim of this report was to provide a clinical description and clinical, ultrasonographic, and histologic images of a foal with microphthalmia and multiple ocular abnormalities. Methods: A 12-h old Friesian-American Paint Horse crossbred filly presented for blindness, microphthalmia and marked ventral strabismus in both eyes. Methods: A complete ophthalmic examination was performed. Ultrasound biomicroscopy and B-mode ultrasonography were performed. The globes were submitted for histopathology. Results: Ultrasound biomicroscopy demonstrated a hyperechoic cornea void of the typical epithelium...
Bernick A, Demattio LS, Wehrend A.Uroperitoneum is a typical disease of the newborn foal, which occurs rarely but regularly. Ultrasonography is considered the most important imaging method for diagnosing this disease. Thus far, only one older case series comprising 31 foals suffering from uroperitoneum has systematically listed results of ultrasound examinations. Objective: This paper presents the findings of an ultrasonographic examination of 34 foals with uroperitoneum in order to inform future interpretation of ultrasonographic data in suspected uroperitoneum cases. Methods: Ultrasonographic data of 34 neonatal foals up to ...
Hisaeda K, Ono T, Kadekaru S, Hata A, Miyama TS, Kutara K, Sugimoto K, Hiasa Y, Ohzawa E, Kunieda T, Iwata E, Kitagawa H.Plasma or serum amino acids are used to evaluate nutritional status and metabolic disorders. In this study, we aimed to set reference values of serum amino acid concentrations in the Noma horse, a Japanese native horse. Thirty-one horses were classified into six age groups: neonatal foal (0-4 days), foal (0.5-1 years), youth (5 years), middle age (10 years), old (15 years), and extra-old (>20 years). Horses >5 years of age were analyzed together as the adult group. In the adult horses, there were no significant differences among the serum amino acid concentrations of each age group. The ...
Sobral GG, Neto OCG, Lima TC, Carneiro GF.Providing plasma with immunoglobulins is essential for the health of foals with failure of passive transfer of immunity. The use of lyophilized plasma (LP) offers a simple and affordable option in terms of transportation and storage. This study aimed to measure the concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG), total protein (TP), and total solids (TS) in fresh equine plasma before and after lyophilization. Plasma was collected from six healthy male horses. The samples underwent freeze-drying and were reconstituted in deionized water to their original volume. The concentrations of IgG in both fresh...
Lindinger H, Wehrend A.In horses, parturition is characterized by the fact that any delays may rapidly result in the death of the foal. Therefore, birth monitoring and the rapid detection of dystocia are of great importance. For this purpose, the differentiation between behavior associated with physiological parturition and activities related to difficult parturition is important. The aim of this publication is to present the physiological behavior of mares during parturition on the basis of a literature review. The behavior of mares in the opening phase of parturition is highly individual. In general, it is charact...
Dos Santos Rosse N, Reis ECC.The resistivity index (RI) evaluates haemodynamic based on arterial resistance. Alterations in renal blood flow are important for the early detection of kidney damage, as perfusion might be one of the first affected aspects. Objective: To retrieve published studies on equine renal RI to develop a standardised method of renal ultrasonographic examination and to evaluate the current reference range for the renal RI in horses. Methods: Systematic review. Methods: An electronic search in Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases was performed in February 2023 using the terms 'RI'...
Deniz Ö, Ekinci G, Onmaz AC, Derelli FM, Fazio F, Aragona F, Hoven RVD.Rhodococcus equi (R. equi), a gram-positive facultative intracellular pathogen, is a common cause of pneumonia in foals and represents a major cause of disease and death. The aim of the present study was to investigate the time-depended changes in White Blood Cells (WBC), basophils (Baso), neutrophils (Neu), lymphocytes (Lymf), monocytes (Mon), eosinophils (Eos), platelet (PLT) counts, fibrinogen (Fbg) concentration, interferon (IFN-α, IFN-γ) and interleukins (IL-2 and IL-10) in foals with clinical R. equi pneumonia. The main treatment was with azithromycin-rifampicin for 14 days. Blood was ...
Bertelsen L.A Quarter horse filly was evaluated for a two-week old wound of the right hind cannon bone after the mare stepped on her. A sequestrum was noted radiographically and was surgically debrided. After continued follow-up a left hind varus deformity was noted and was corrected with a lateral transphyseal screw in the distal left tibia. After the varus deformity was improved, a lateromedial radiograph was taken of the distal left tibia and tarsus and talocalcaneal subluxation was seen. The same view was taken of the right tarsus and the same deformity was noted. After finding no case reports on the ...
Cuccato M, Bertuglia A, Divari S, Brambilla E, Grieco V, Bollo E, Scaglione FE.An aborted female foal was submitted for necropsy. During the gross examination, the ovaries were pale, grayish, and enlarged (6 × 5 cm), with a well-developed vascular structure surrounding the external surface; the cut surface of the ovaries showed a brownish parenchyma with white follicular areas mainly localized in the peripheral region. The ovaries were fixed for histological investigations. The histological evaluation of the ovaries showed polygonal-shaped cells with abundant cytoplasm and round or oval nuclei, arranged in cords of single cells. The tissue architecture was characterized...
Wadbled L, Finck C, Santschi EM, Morehead JP, Fogarty U, Lemirre T, Beauchamp G, Richard H, Laverty S.Assess femorotibial features in foals with and without medial femoral condyle (MFC) subchondral radiolucencies (SR+ and SR-). Methods: 3 independent, sequential radiographic studies were performed. Study 1 retrospectively measured femorotibial morphological parameters in repository radiographs (SR- and SR+). Study 2 qualitatively compared drawings of intercondylar notch shape in postmortem radiographs (SR-). Study 3 prospectively measured femorotibial parameters in 1-month-old foals (SR-). In studies 1 and 3, 13 morphologic parameters were measured. Limb directional asymmetry was assessed in 2...
Mady EA, Osuga H, Toyama H, El-Husseiny HM, Inoue R, Murase H, Yamamoto Y, Nagaoka K.The gut microbiota (GM) is essential for mammalian health. Although the association between infant GM and breast milk (BM) composition has been well established in humans, such a relationship has not been investigated in horses. Hence, this study was conducted to analyze the GM formation of foals during lactation and determine the presence of low-molecular-weight metabolites in mares' BM and their role in shaping foals' GM. The fecal and BM samples from six pairs of foals and mares were subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA metagenomic and metabolomic analyses, respectively. The composition of foal G...
Stahl LT, Müller A, Krohn J, Büttner K, Wehrend A.An adequate supply of trace elements is very important for equine neonates, as deficiencies can lead to health problems and even death. Unassigned: This study investigated serum concentrations of selenium (Se), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in neonatal foals up to the 8th day of life. The influences of disease, age, and failure of passive transfer (FPT) on these concentrations were analyzed. Unassigned: Serum concentrations of Se, Cu, and Zn were determined from blood samples of 93 foals by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The foals were divided into 2 groups based on health...
Willis AT, Dahlgren AR, Woolard KD, Ghosh S, Donnelly CG, de la Concha-Bermejillo A, Pacheco A, Watson KD, Berryhill E, Aleman M, Wensley F....In 2020, a novel neurologic disease was observed in juvenile Quarter Horses (QHs) in North America. It was unknown if this was an aberrant manifestation of another previously described neurological disorder in foals, such as equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM). Objective: To describe the clinical findings, outcomes, and postmortem changes with Equine Juvenile Spinocerebellar Ataxia (EJSCA), differentiate the disease from other similar neurological disorders, and determine a mode of inheritance. Methods: Twelve neurologically affected QH foals and the...
Holmes CM, Babasyan S, Wagner B.The end of gestation, ensuing parturition, and the neonatal period represent highly dynamic phases for immunological changes in both mother and offspring. The regulation of innate immune cells at the maternal-fetal interface during late term pregnancy, after birth, and during microbial colonization of the neonatal gut and other mucosal surfaces, is crucial for controlling inflammation and maintaining homeostasis. Innate immune cells and mucosal epithelial cells express antileukoproteinase (SLPI), which has anti-inflammatory and anti-protease activity that can regulate cellular activation. Unas...
Vaske A, Gautier C, Winter J, Aurich C.We followed the hypothesis that equine neonates with reduced transfer of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) are at increased risk of neonatal infection. We investigated TNFα concentrations in colostrum of healthy mares and blood of their neonates in a non-hospitalized population of Warmblood mares where delivery, neonatal adaptation and health was closely monitored by veterinarians. Concentration of TNFα and IgG was determined in colostrum respective milk and in neonatal blood collected immediately after delivery and 18 h thereafter in 97 foals that were assigned to groups failure of passive ...
Olstad K, Bugge MD, Ytrehus B, Kallerud AS.The neuro-central synchondrosis (NCS) is a physis responsible for the growth of the dorsal third of the vertebral body and neural arches. When the NCS of pigs is tethered to model scoliosis, stenosis also ensues. It is necessary to describe the NCS for future evaluation of its potential role in equine spinal cord compression and ataxia (wobbler syndrome). Objective: To describe the NCS, including when it and other physes closed in computed tomographic (CT) scans of the cervical spine of foals, due to its potential role in vertebral stenosis. Methods: Post-mortem cohort study. Methods: The cerv...
Pires LSA, Abrahão C, Dias de Castro LL, Hammerschmidt J, Antunes J, Molento CFM, Molento MB.Horse welfare assessment (HWA) does not account for individual or herd parasite infection. This study investigated the connection between HWA and individual parasite fecal egg count (FEC) in 90 Thoroughbred horses. All horses were naturally infected with gastrointestinal parasites and were evaluated for individual welfare indicators and FEC monthly, for 12 months. Horses were divided into three groups of 30 mares, 30 foals aged between 13 and 16 months (G2013), and 30 foals aged between two months and one year (G2014). A horse welfare protocol was developed and 1024 assessments were carried ou...
Terpeluk ER, Schäfer J, Finkler-Schade C, Schuberth HJ.Feed supplements supporting animal welfare and performance are becoming increasingly important. Immunomodulatory effects of such products have been observed in many species. The aim of this study was to analyze whether food supplementation with a fermentation product (SCFP) affects the occurrence of foal diarrhea in early life, and whether the SCFP feeding has an impact on the immediate response to a parenteral vaccination at the age of 6-9 months. Eleven foals received the SCFP (OLI) and eleven foals were fed a placebo (PLA) for 29 days. Growth, diarrhea, and diarrhea severity were observed ...
Gustafsson K, Sykes BW, Verwilghen D, Palmers K, Sullivan S, van Galen G.Trimethoprim-sulfonamide (TMPS) combinations are widely used to treat a range of infectious diseases in horses, but some equine practitioners are reluctant to use them for treatment of both neonatal and older foals. Considering the emergence of increased antimicrobial resistance, the use of protected antimicrobials commonly prescribed to foals should be avoided and alternative first-line therapy considered, where appropriate. This review examines the characteristics and pharmacokinetics of TMPS and its suitability for treatment of foals. Data regarding dosage and route of administration are re...
Pereira-Figueiredo I, Rosa I, Sancho Sanchez C.Horses are often still exposed to stressful or inadequate conditions and difficult relationships with humans, despite growing concerns about animal welfare. In the present study, we investigated the impact of different approaches of short-term handling sessions on young Lusitanian horses raised on a high-breed farm, specifically on their later adaptability to humans and stressful environments. Thirty-one foals (3 months old ± 15 days), from both sexes, were separated into three groups, one submitted to 3 consecutive days of handling sessions (Int-H), another to one handling session each month...
Aminou O, Badaoui B, Machmoum M, Piro M.The International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG) currently advocates for a transition towards single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers as a potential alternative for equine parentage verification. To ascertain the efficacy of this transition, it is imperative to evaluate the performance of parentage testing using SNPs in juxtaposition with short tandem repeats (STRs). As per ISAG's recommendation, we used an equine genotyping-by-sequencing panel with 144 SNPs for this purpose. Equine parentage is currently realized using 16 microsatellites (STRs) excluding the LEX3 marker. In this stud...
Turini L, Francesca B, Matilde V, Francesca B, Valentina M, Micaela S.While the passive transfer of immunity in horse and donkey foals has been extensively studied, there is limited information for mule foals. Immunoglobulin type G (IgG) and serum total protein concentration (TP) were assessed at different sampling times to evaluate the correlation between serum radial immunodiffusion (SRID) with electrophoresis, refractometry, and dry chemistry analyzer (Biuret), and to estimate serum IgG concentrations using serum TP in mule foals. We analyzed a total of 30 samples collected at birth, and at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h of life from 6 mule foals by SRID, electrophores...
Lambertini C, Spaccini F, Mazzanti A, Spadari A, Lanci A, Romagnoli N.In horses, lidocaine infusion is administered intraoperatively for analgesia and for a reduction of inhalant anaesthetic requirement. The objective of the study was to describe the anaesthetic effects of lidocaine infusion in isoflurane anaesthetised foals. Unassigned: Twelve foals (<3 weeks old) undergoing surgery were included in the study (LIDO group). Foals were premedicated with midazolam and butorphanol IV, anaesthesia was induced with ketamine and propofol IV and maintained with isoflurane. Lidocaine was administered intraoperatively at 0.05 mg/kg/min. Also, the anaesthetic records o...
Abbas G, Bauquier J, Beasley A, Jacobson C, El-Hage C, Wilkes EJA, Carrigan P, Cudmore L, Hurley J, Beveridge I, Nielsen MK, Hughes KJ, Stevenson MA....This study assessed worm control practices used by Australian Thoroughbred farm managers with an online questionnaire survey. The questionnaire comprised 52 questions (close-ended: 44; open-ended: 8) about farm demography and general husbandry practices, farm managers' knowledge of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and their importance, diagnosis, worm control strategies and anthelmintics, anthelmintic resistance (AR) and grazing management. Following the pilot survey, the link for the questionnaire survey was sent to all (n = 657) registered members of the Thoroughbred Breeders Australia on ...
Michotte M, Raes E, Oosterlinck M.The diagnostic value of plain radiography for diagnosing synovial penetration in limb wounds near synovial structures has not been determined. Objective: To assess diagnostic accuracy of plain radiography to identify synovial penetration in horses with traumatic limb wounds. Methods: Retrospective case study. Methods: Case records of horses presented to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University (2011-2021) with limb wounds near synovial structures were categorised in groups with and without synovial penetration using results of synovial fluid analysis and surgical findings. Plain ...
Wood MK, Mason RM, Burk SV, Birmingham SSW.The goal of this study was to determine whether oral administration of α-casozepine (Zylkene) supplementation decreases the risk of disease in foals, as measured through salivary cortisol levels, temperature, clinical signs of disease, and body weight before and after weaning. Methods: 20 Thoroughbred foals were observed over 10 weeks, beginning 14 days prior to the time of weaning. Methods: Experimental foals were randomly selected and given α-casozepine daily for 10 weeks, while the controls received a placebo with the same frequency as the experimental group. The average daily height and ...
Berghaus LJ, Cathcart J, Berghaus RD, Ryan C, Toribio RE, Hart KA.Rhodococcus equi (R. equi), a pneumonia-causing intracellular bacterium, results in significant morbidity and mortality in young foals, while healthy adult horses rarely develop disease. Survival and replication within alveolar macrophages (AMφ) are the hallmarks of R. equi's pathogenicity. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) and its ligand, the active vitamin D metabolite 1,25(OH)2D, are important in immune responses to intracellular bacteria. The vitamin D/VDR pathway regulates the downstream production of cytokines in infected human AMφ. The immunomodulatory role of the vitamin D/VDR pathway in ...
Huber L, Giguère S, Slovis NM, Carter CN, Barr BS, Cohen ND, Elam J, Erol E, Locke SJ, Phillips ED, Smith JL.The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of strains resistant to macrolides and rifampin over time in clinical samples from foals submitted to diagnostic laboratories in central Kentucky. We performed a retrospective observational study of all clinical samples from foals that were submitted to veterinary diagnostic laboratories in Kentucky between January 1995 and December 2017. Samples were included if the bacterium was cultured and tested for susceptibility to erythromycin or rifampin. susceptibility testing to erythromycin was available for 2,169 isolates of , while s...
van Heel MC, Kroekenstoel AM, van Dierendonck MC, van Weeren PR, Back W.Conformational traits are important in breeding, since they may be indicative for performance ability and susceptibility to injuries. Objective: To study whether certain desired conformational traits of foals are related to lateralised behaviour while foraging and to the development of uneven feet. Methods: Twenty-four Warmblood foals, born and raised at the same location, were studied for a year. Foraging behaviour was observed by means of weekly 10 min scan-sampling for 8 h. A preference test (PT) was developed to serve as a standardised tool to determine laterality. The foals were evaluated...
Smith KC, Blunden AS, Whitwell KE, Dunn KA, Wales AD.A detailed review of laboratory records for equine abortion is fundamental in establishing current disease trends and suggesting problems important for further research. Objective: To review the causes of abortion and neonatal death in equine diagnostic submissions to the Animal Health Trust over a 10 year period. Methods: The diagnoses in 1252 equine fetuses and neonatal foals were reviewed and analysed into categories. Results: Problems associated with the umbilical cord, comprising umbilical cord torsion and the long cord/cervical pole ischaemia disorder, were the most common diagnoses (38....
Ribera T, Monreal L, Armengou L, Ríos J, Prades M.Increased synovial fibrinolytic activity (detected by increases in synovial D-Dimer concentrations) has been observed in different joint diseases in humans and adult horses, presumably in order to minimize fibrin deposition within the joint and thus avoid its detrimental effects. Objective: To investigate fibrinolytic pathway activation in joint sepsis in foals by measuring synovial D-Dimer concentrations. Methods: Eighteen septic foals with septic joints, 9 septic foals without septic joints, 9 systemically healthy foals with septic joint, and 3 controls are included. Methods: Prospective obs...
Hollis AR, Furr MO, Magdesian KG, Axon JE, Ludlow V, Boston RC, Corley KT.Critical illness is associated with hyperglycemia in humans, and a greater degree and duration of hyperglycemia is associated with nonsurvival. Hypoglycemia is also seen in critically ill humans, and is associated with nonsurvival. This might also be true in the critically ill foal. Objective: To investigate the association of blood glucose concentrations with survival, sepsis, and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Methods: Blood glucose concentrations at admission (515 foals) and 24 hours (159 foals), 36 hours (95), 48 hours (82), and 60 hours (45) after admission were analy...
Castagnetti C, Pirrone A, Mariella J, Mari G.The use of blood lactate concentration as an indicator of prognosis and disease severity has become a common practice in equine medicine, especially with the validation of handheld analyzers. However, few authors described lactate concentration in critically ill foals, and there are no published studies about the use of handheld analyzers in neonatal foals. In this study, for the first time in the equine neonate, we validated the Lactate Scout analyzer, both in healthy and in critically ill foals. The study also describes the normal range for blood lactate in 26 healthy neonatal foals during t...
Duncan JL, Pirie HM.The clinical signs, pathology and clinical pathology associated with single experimental infections of Strongylus vulgaris in worm-free pony foals are described. The major clinical signs which became apparent in the infected foals during the first three weeks were pyrexia, anorexia, dullness and abdominal pain. Within the first two weeks of infection lesions were confined to the intestine and terminal branches of the intestinal arteries and consisted of mucosal, submucosal and serosal haemorrhage together with arteritis of submucosal and serosal arteries and also a marked inflammatory reaction...
Wada R, Kamada M, Anzai T, Nakanishi A, Kanemaru T, Takai S, Tsubaki S.Twelve foals, between 27 and 83 days old, were infected with 2 strains of Rhodococcus equi by intratracheal administration. Ten of the 12 foals were inoculated with 10(4)-10(10) colony forming units (cfu) of ATCC 33701 strain. The other 2 foals were inoculated with 10(9) cfu of a plasmid-cured derivative of the ATCC 33701 strain (ATCC 33701P-). All of the 10 foals challenged with the ATCC 33701 strain showed clinical signs of pulmonary disease within 5-13 days, such as gross lesions associated with acute bronchopneumonia and microscopic lesions associated with granulomatous pneumonia. The two ...
Flaminio MJ, Rush BR, Davis EG, Hennessy K, Shuman W, Wilkerson MJ.Studies in infants and foals indicate an age-dependent maturation of peripheral lymphocyte subsets. The age-dependent relationship for maturation of cellular immune responses, such as phagocytosis and lymphocyte responses of the peripheral and pulmonary-derived leukocytes, has not been characterized in foals. Lymphocyte subpopulations, mitogen stimulation response of lymphocytes, lymphokine-activated killing cell activity, phagocytosis and oxidative burst activity, and serum immunoglobulin (Ig) classes G and M concentrations were determined in developing foals. This study illustrates age-depen...
Nordengrahn A, Rusvai M, Merza M, Ekström J, Morein B, Belák S.Equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV-2), a member of the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily, was studied in a two-phase respiratory disease complex of young foals as a predisposing factor for the secondary bacterial invasion of lungs with Rhodococcus equi (R. equi). Foals were immunized against EHV-2 on a farm where R. equi pneumonia regularly occurred during the last years. The immunizations were performed by using a subunit vaccine which selectively presents envelope glycoproteins of EHV-2 in a multimeric form of immunostimulating complexes (iscoms). The etiological role of EHV-2 was estimated by observ...
Nielsen MK, Wang J, Davis R, Bellaw JL, Lyons ET, Lear TL, Goday C.The equine ascarid parasite Parascaris equorum is well known as a ubiquitous parasite infecting foals. A sibling species, Parascaris univalens, was first described over 130 years ago, but very little attention has been given to its existence and possible implications for anthelmintic resistance, clinical disease, or host age spectrum. P. univalens only possesses one germ line chromosome pair as opposed to two for P. equorum, but the two species are otherwise considered morphologically identical. For the present study, live worms obtained from the University of Kentucky parasitology horse herd ...
Heldens JG, Hannant D, Cullinane AA, Prendergast MJ, Mumford JA, Nelly M, Kydd JH, Weststrate MW, van den Hoven R.Pregnant mares and young foals were vaccinated with Duvaxyn EHV1,4, an inactivated and adjuvanted vaccine containing both the EHV-1 and 4 antigens. SN and CF antibody titres were induced two weeks after first vaccination. Antibody levels were boosted after second vaccination, however they never reached the levels induced after virus challenge. Young foals were challenged with virulent EHV-1 and EHV-4 field viruses. Pregnant mares were challenged with the highly abortigenic EHV-1 strain Ab4. Vaccinated animals showed a clear reduction in clinical signs and virus excretion compared to unvaccinat...
Muscatello G, Anderson GA, Gilkerson JR, Browning GF.The ecology of virulent strains of Rhodococcus equi on horse farms is likely to influence the prevalence and severity of R. equi pneumonia in foals. This study examined the association between the ecology of virulent R. equi and the epidemiology of R. equi pneumonia by collecting air and soil samples over two breeding seasons (28 farm-year combinations) on Thoroughbred breeding farms with different reported prevalences of R. equi pneumonia. Colony blotting and DNA hybridization were used to detect and measure concentrations of virulent R. equi. The prevalence of R. equi pneumonia was associate...
Dowling BA, Dart AJ.The in vitro and in vivo mechanical properties of the superficial digital flexor tendon have been described. To date the focus has been on single load to failure testing, however refined in vivo methods may prove useful to evaluate the effects of treatment and exercise on tendons. During maximal exercise, the adult superficial digital flexor tendon operates close to its functional limits with a narrow biomechanical safety margin. This combined with exercise and age associated microdamage, and a limited adaptive ability may increase the risk of fatigue failure. Studies evaluating treatment regi...
Foote CE, Love DN, Gilkerson JR, Whalley JM.A silent cycle of equine herpesvirus 1 infection has been described following epidemiological studies in unvaccinated mares and foals. In 1997, an inactivated whole virus EHV-1 and EHV-4 vaccine was released commercially in Australia and used on many stud farms. However, it was not known what effect vaccination might have on the cycle of infection of EHV-1. Objective: To investigate whether EHV-1 and EHV-4 could be detected in young foals from vaccinated mares. Methods: Nasal and blood samples were tested by PCR and ELISA after collection from 237 unvaccinated, unweaned foals and vaccinated an...
Lorenzo JM.The changes in the physico-chemical and textural properties, lipolysis and volatile compounds during the manufacture of dry-cured foal "cecina" were studied. The pH increased during the last stages of processing but gradually declined over the curing period. TBARS values, hardness and chewiness increased with processing time from 0.14, 2.74 and 0.83 to 3.49 mg malonaldehyde/kg, 20.33 kg and 5.05 kg∗mm, respectively. Ripening time also affected the colour parameters: lightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) (P<0.001). The total average content of free fatty acid (FFA) increased signif...
Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Abortusequi is frequently reported as a cause of abortion in mares and neonatal septicemia and polyarthritis in Asian and African countries, but only sporadically in Europe and the United States. We report an outbreak of S. Abortusequi in foals in Italy, characterized by high mortality. In a herd of Murgese horses, 10 of 34 newborns died at birth and a further 7 died, after developing severe clinical signs, during the first 10 d of life. Tissue specimens from different organs of 2 dead foals, synovial fluids from 4 sick foals, and vaginal and rectal ...
Lopez AM, Hines MT, Palmer GH, Alperin DC, Hines SA.Rhodococcus equi infects and causes pneumonia in foals between 2 and 4 months of age but does not induce disease in immunocompetent adults, which are immune and remain clinically normal upon challenge. Understanding the protective response against R. equi in adult horses is important in the development of vaccine strategies, since those mechanisms likely reflect the protective phenotype that an effective vaccine would generate in the foal. Twelve adult horses were challenged with virulent R. equi and shown to be protected against clinical disease. Stimulation of cells obtained from bronchoalve...
Comin A, Veronesi MC, Montillo M, Faustini M, Valentini S, Cairoli F, Prandi A.Stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and elevated cortisol concentrations in fetal plasma are associated with foal maturity, viability and adaptation to independent life. However, non-invasive measurement of cortisol in hair samples has not yet been validated in horses. The current study developed a radioimmunoassay to analyse cortisol in horse hair and was used to measure cortisol hair concentration at birth and at 30 and 60 days of age as a retrospective study of HPA axis activity. Cortisol was detectable in the hair of foals from birth until 2 months, but decreased w...
McGuire TC, Poppie MJ, Banks KL.Thirty sick Arabian foals and 78 clinically normal Arabian foals were examined for combined (B- and T-lymphocyte) immunodeficiency. Diagnosis was based on lymphocyte counts and serum immunoglobulin (Ig) content or microscopic examination of lymphoid organs. Ten of the 30 sick foals and 2 of the 78 clinically normal foals had combined immunodeficiency. The 2 affected foals in the group of 78 subsequently developed fatal pneumonia.
Lymphocyte counts were made from 9 of the 12 immunodeficient foals; the range was 0 to 936/cmm., whereas the normal mean was 4,119/cmm., with a standard deviation ...
Scoggin CF.Advancing age can adversely affect a thoroughbred brood-mare's reproductive efficiency and influence the commercial and athletic potential of her progeny. Causes for the decline in fertility include decreased oocyte and embryo quality, anatomical defects and endometrial degeneration. In addition, evidence exists that as the age of a dam increases, her foals will be at increased risk of morbidity and mortality during the neonatal period. Health issues can have lasting and deleterious effects on surviving foals, including decreased sale value and reduced athletic performance. The purpose of this...
Muscatello G.Rhodococcus equi pneumonia is a worldwide infectious disease of major concern to the equine breeding industry. The disease typically manifests in foals as pyogranulomatous bronchopneumonia, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Inhalation of aerosolised virulent R. equi from the environment and intracellular replication within alveolar macrophages are essential components of the pathogenesis of R. equi pneumonia in the foal. Recently documented evidence of airborne transmission between foals indicates the potential for an alternative contagious route of disease transmission. In the...
Magdesian KG.Diarrhea is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal foal. Numerous noninfectious and infectious agents are responsible for enterocolitis and enteritis. This article provides an overview of the differential diagnoses for neonatal diarrhea and general and specific guidelines for therapy.
McGuire TC, Poppie MJ.A severe combined immunodeficiency disorder was demonstrated in two Arabian foals which were full siblings. The defect in the B-lymphocyte system was shown by hypogammaglobulinemia, lymphopenia, and absence of germinal centers. The almost total absence of thymic tissue in one foal and the lack of thymic dependent lymphocytes in the spleens of both foals demonstrate a T-lymphocyte defect. In a retrospective study of total available Arabian foal cases, 4 of 15 had evidence of immunodeficiency.
Álvarez-Narváez S, Berghaus LJ, Morris ERA, Willingham-Lane JM, Slovis NM, Giguere S, Cohen ND.The practice of prophylactic administration of a macrolide antimicrobial with rifampin (MaR) to apparently healthy foals with pulmonary lesions identified by thoracic ultrasonography (i.e., subclinically pneumonic foals) is common in the United States. The practice has been associated epidemiologically with emergence of R. equi resistant to MaR. Here, we report direct evidence of multi-drug resistance among foals treated with MaR. In silico and in vitro analysis of the fecal microbiome and resistome of 38 subclinically pneumonic foals treated with either MaR (n = 19) or gallium maltolate (...
Olstad K, Ytrehus B, Ekman S, Carlson CS, Dolvik NI.Material available for research into osteochondrosis (OC) in humans tends to represent chronic lesions. Comparative studies of early lesions in young animals are, therefore, important in clarifying the pathogenesis of OC in humans. Recent studies in pigs provide strong evidence that lesions of articular OC are associated with a focal failure in the cartilage canal vascular supply to epiphyseal growth cartilage (articular-epiphyseal cartilage complex excluding the articular cartilage). The purpose of the present study was to examine histological sections from a specific predilection site for ar...
Hong CB, Donahue JM, Giles RC, Petrites-Murphy MB, Poonacha KB, Roberts AW, Smith BJ, Tramontin RR, Tuttle PA, Swerczek TW.Pathologic and microbiologic examinations were performed on 1,211 aborted equine fetuses, stillborn foals, and placentas from premature foals in central Kentucky during the 1988 and 1989 foaling seasons to determine the causes of reproductive loss in the mare. Placentitis (19.4%) and dystocia-perinatal asphyxia (19.5%) were the 2 most important causes of equine reproductive loss. The other causes (in decreasing order) were contracted foal syndrome and other congenital anomalies (8.5%), twinning (6.1%), improper separation of placenta (4.7%), torsion of umbilical cord (4.5%), placental edema (4...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Ionita M, Collins SS.Horse foals on five farms in Central Kentucky were used in field studies in 2007 evaluating activity of paste formulations of four compounds (fenbendazole-FBZ, ivermectin-IVM, oxibendazole-OBZ, and pyrantel pamoate-PRT) against internal parasites with emphasis on ascarids (Parascaris equorum). It has been well established the last few years that there is widespread resistance of P. equorum to ivermectin. The main purpose of the present research was to obtain current data on ascaridicidal activity of FBZ, OBZ, and PRT; also, to acquire further information on ascarid resistance to ivermectin. Ad...
