Final Exam - Foal Thorax

Question 1

what is bronchointerstitial pneumonia in foals?

Answer 1

ARDS - sporadic, rapidly progressive disorder affecting foals 1 week to 8 months, not transmissible

unknown etiology - but associated with hot humid weather (transport & heat stress)

Question 2

what are some clinical findings associated with bronchointerstitial pneumonia?

Answer 2

acute onset, tachypnea, fever, respiratory distress, flared nostrils, increased abdominal effort

decreased bronchovesicular sounds, referred large airway sounds,

Question 3

what clinpath findings are associated with bronchointerstitial pneumonia?

Answer 3

neutrophilic leukocytosis, hyperfibrinogenemia, hypoxemia, hypercapnia, & respiratory acidosis

Question 4

T/F: severeity of radiographic appearance in foals with bronchointerstitial pneumonia doesn’t equate to severity of respiratory distress

Answer 4

true - rads often look fine

Question 5

how is bronchointerstitial pneumonia treated?

Answer 5

airconditioning, maintain normothermia, aggressive intensive care, & CORTICOSTEROIDS

Question 6

what is the gross histopathologic appearance of bronchointerstitial pneumonia?

Answer 6

wet heavy lungs that fail to collapse

Question 7

how is bronchointerstitial pneumonia controlled?

Answer 7

recommend avoiding heat stress

Question 8

what is SCID?

Answer 8

lethal primary immunodeficiency of arabian foals where they fail to produce functional b & t lymphocytes

Question 9

T/F: SCID is an autosomal recessive trait

Answer 9

true - involves both dam & sire

Question 10

what is the clinical presentation of a SCID foal?

Answer 10

normal at birth - recurrent viral/bacterial/fungal infections (usually respiratory) that begins at 1-2 months with the waning maternal Ig - fatal by 5-6 months

Question 11

why is accurate diagnosis of SCID essential in foals?

Answer 11

implicates dam & sire

Question 12

how do you get a tentative antemortem diagnosis of SCID in foals?

Answer 12

persistent lymphopenia, absence of IgM, recurrent infections, & non-responsive to treatment

Question 13

how do you get a definitive diagnosis of SCID?

Answer 13

vet gen DNA diagnostic test - detects heterogenous carriers & homozygous affected foals in an EDTA blood tubes or mucosal brushes for mouth swabs

Question 14

what is the most common isolate of bacterial bronchopneumonia in foals?

Answer 14

streptococcus zooepidemicus

Question 15

what is the most common isolate in life threatening pneumonia in foals?

Answer 15

rhodococcus equi

Question 16

what are the clinical signs of bacterial pneumonia in foals?

Answer 16

mucopurulent discharge, cough, abnormal lung sounds, BAR, no fever

Question 17

how is bacterial pneumonia diagnosed in foals?

Answer 17

TBA - septic inflammation

Question 18

what is the most common cause of severe pneumonia in foals age 3-16 weeks?

Answer 18

rhodococcus equi - endemic farms

Question 19

what is pneumocystic carinii?

Answer 19

unicellular eukaryote that completes life cycle within the alveoli associated with disease in immunosuppressed foals

Question 20

how is pneumocystis carinii diagnosed?

Answer 20

BAL cytology - most sensitive diagnostic test

Question 21

what are some clinical signs of pneumocystis carinii?

Answer 21

cough, nasal discharge, acute onset of respiratory distress & cyanosis

Question 22

how does parascarus equorum cause respiratory disease in foals?

Answer 22

larvae migrate through the lungs of foals & weanlings - larvae in lungs 7-14 days ingesting parasitic eggs

Question 23

how is parascarus equorum diagnosed?

Answer 23

eosinophilic response in BAL

Question 24

what are some clinical signs of parascarus equorum?

Answer 24

mucoid nasal discharge, tachypnea, afebrile, may have colic signs if intestinal worms

Question 25

what is the treatment for parascarus equorum?

Answer 25

larvicidal fenbendazole & ivermectin to kill the larvae