Neonates and Periparturient Mares: Tips and Tricks for Diagnosis and Management.

The research article discusses the challenges of diagnosing and managing colic, a common abdominal pain condition, in newborn foals and pregnant or recently pregnant horses, and provides insights into best practices for understanding the disorder’s diverse causes, symptoms and treatment approaches.

Challenges in Diagnosing Colic in Foals and Broodmares

• The research explains how colic, distinguished by its characteristic severe abdominal pain, is a common condition affecting young foals and pregnant or periparturient mares. Despite the condition’s prevalence, its diagnosis remains a challenge due to its many causes and diverse presentation.
• The range of disorders that can lead to colic and the variety of etiologies involved make diagnosis complex.

Colic in Periparturient Mares

• The article highlights that broodmares, or females used for breeding, similarly experience colic frequently. There are some colic conditions that are either unique to can only be found in broodmares or are found more commonly in them than in other horses.

Dealing with Colic: Diagnosis and Management

• The paper goes on to review the most commonly encountered types of colic events in newborn foals and periparturient mares, seeking to provide a comprehensive understanding of these conditions in order to enable correct diagnosis.
• Moreover, the article provides information on the medical management techniques that could be used. These might involve either medication or surgical intervention, depending on the specific nature and severity of the colic event. The goal is to equip practitioners with the knowledge they need to choose and deploy the most effective treatment strategies for each individual case of colic.