Severe metabolic acidemia, hypoglycemia, and sepsis in a 3-week-old quarter horse foal.

The research focuses on a case study of a 3-week-old female quarter horse foal presenting with sepsis, severe metabolic acidemia, hypoglycemia, and symptoms indicating distress and inflammation including uveitis and suspected abdominal pain, potentially caused by exposure to an insecticide spray.

Background and Presentation of the Case

• The study revolves around a 23-day-old foal that displayed an array of symptoms, leading the researchers to undertake detailed medical examination and testing. The foal had a history of weakness (requiring help to stand at birth) but had been generally well in the early weeks, suckling from her mother and being kept at pasture.
• Significant change was noticed a day after the pasture field was treated with an insecticide, with the foal showing abnormal eye conditions, reduced activity and feeding, along with increased time spent in recumbency.

Initial Examination

• The foal underwent a detailed physical examination that documented vital signs including temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and weight. The foal exhibited symptoms such as low mood, weakness, prolonged capillary refill time, corneal opacity, a constricted right pupil, bruxism, and an expiratory grunt.
• These symptoms alongside the distressed behavior and physical abnormalities, pointed towards the likelihood of uveitis in the eyes and shock. An inappropriately slow heart rate ruled out hypothermia but highlighted the potential presence of hyperkalemia and hypoglycemia.

Diagnosis and Suspected Causes

• The team called for an ophthalmology consult to better understand the eye problems.
• Given the symptoms, sepsis was suspected along with potential leptospiral infection, a possible cause of uveitis.
• Examination also revealed signs suggestive of abdominal pain, which could potentially be due to gastric ulceration, enteritis, peritonitis, and acute hepatitis.

In conclusion, the symptoms and signs observed in the foal suggested multiple physiological anomalies including severe metabolic acidemia, hypoglycemia, and sepsis. The event correlation with the use of insecticide in the field indicates a probable linkage. However, the research does not definitively conclude the direct cause and effect, warranting further investigation.