Follow-up evaluation of horses after neonatal intensive care.

This is a study on the long-term outcomes of horses that received neonatal intensive care at the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. The researchers studied survival rates, growth development, and financial value of the horses as they grew older.

Research Methodology

• The researchers conducted a follow-up of 131 foals (horses less than 7 days old) admitted to the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between 1981-1983.
• They sent questionnaires to the owners of the surviving foals, which received a response rate of 72%.
• The horses were visited and examined, if possible geographically, and they were compared with age-matched stablemates or siblings, which were used as a control group.

Results and Outcomes

• Of the 131 foals admitted to the hospital, 71 (54%) survived to discharge. At the time of the follow-up, 39 (55%) were still alive, 19 (27%) couldn’t be located, and 13 (18%) had died.
• Thirteen foals (10% of total admitted) died between one day and two years after being discharged from the hospital. Four of these deaths (8%) were consequently suspected from sequelae, a condition that’s a consequence of a previous disease or injury, of their neonatal illness.
• Three foals initially showed stunted growth as yearlings, but by the age of two, they had caught up or even surpassed their stablemates and siblings in physical development.
• The owners’ estimated average value of the surviving horses was +29,812. Horses that were sold fetched prices between +7,000 to +210,000.
• The majority of the horses became useful, athletic adults, with some even winning major racing stakes.
• All living foals seemed unaffected by the physiologic disorders and treatments they had as neonates, and compared favorably with their stablemates and siblings.

Conclusion

• This study highlights the importance and effectiveness of neonatal intensive care for horses.
• It also shows that the majority of horses who receive this care recover fully, grow normally, and can lead healthy, active lives, with some even excelling in professional racing.
• As such, the researchers infer that the improvements in the care for newborn foals has beneficial long-term effects on their survival and wellbeing.