Foal with sepsis SDL Flashcards
First foal from mare (& owner)
Foal is initially normal at birth & then seen to be lying down more & not staying with mare
The owner requests a visit
What questions are important to ask?
Major body system assessment
Has the foal had IgG measured?
Has the mare been systemically well during pregnancy?
Has the foal passed meconium?
Was gestation length normal?
SNAP Test for IgG
Foal likely has failure of passive transfer, sepsis and is sick
Needs intensive care
Discuss referral. If no referral, bacteriocidal antibiotics, plasma & hartmanns fluids (1L boluses until clinical parameters improve)
What can you see in this radiograph of a foal?
Marked interstitial pattern in caudodorsal lung fields – likely haematogenous spread of pneumonia
Septic joint secondary to sepsis/systemic bacteraemia
Sample joint, look at under microscope & do cell & protein count
Flush joint, change systemic antibiotics, use different antibiotics locally (into joint or as IVRA)
What can you see in this sample of joint fluid in a foal with a septic joint?
Degenerate neutrophils
Foal with septicemia might show increased levels of TLR4 (plays fundamental role in pathogen recognition & activation of innate immunity)
Interpret the PCR to see if the foal is expressing TLR4
Have ladder on left, negative control & positive control
Then 2 test samples which are showing band at TLR-4 area
Can’t trust this though as negative control isn’t negative entirely
This isn’t showing band at our TLR size & is likely contamination during test
Look at the qPCR graph of the foal with a septic joinr. How would you interpret the results? Consider the controls and test samples.
Negative Control (Flat green Line): No amplification → No contamination
Positive Control (Green curve): Confirms PCR reaction worked
Test: Colourful lines in same area as positive control
Close grouping of replicates: Indicates high accuracy & reproducibility
Overall Interpretation: foal expressed TLR-4, as amplification curves match positive control
