Foals Flashcards
What are the main diarrheal diseases in a foal? (6)
- Foal heat diarrhea
- Viral Enteritis
- Salmonella
- Clostridia
- Rhodococcus equi diarrhea
- Equine proliferative enteritis ( Lawsonia intracellularis)
Which diarrheal disease in foals tend to affect them in their first 1-2 weeks of age?
- Foal heat diarrhea
- Viral enteritis
- Clostridia
What diseases cause diarrhea more commonly in foals that are at least a month old?
- Salmonella
2. Rhodococcus equi diarrrhea
What is the common age of a foal that equine proliferative enteritis affects?
5-6 month weanlings..so not actually a foal anymore
Which causes of foal diarrhea can be prevented with a vaccine?
- Viral enteritis
- Salmonella
- Equine proliferative enteritis
Which cause of foal diarrhea has a 10 day mark for when foals show clinical signs, what does this 10 day mark mean?
Foal heat diarrhea and it coincides with the first postpartum estrus of the mare
Why do foals, even orphan foals, get foal heat diarrhea?
It is a physiologic change in the GI tract of the foal, so it is self limiting in usually less than 7 days
How would you treat foal heat diarrhea?
It is not necessary, but best to keep them clean to prevent fly strike and scalding, with other basic nursing care
What is the etiology of viral enteritis in foals?
Caused by rotavirus, so adults do not get it. It invades the small intestinal absorptive cells leading to proliferation of crypts cells causing malabsorption and maldigestive diarrhea
What is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in the neonate foal?
Viral enteritis- rotavirus
Why do foals die from viral enteritis?
Hypovolemic shock due to the profuse watery diarrhea that causes dehydration, electrolyte disturbances and acid/base disturbances
What foal diarrheal disease can be diagnosed with PCR?
- Viral enteritis
2. Equine proliferative enteritis
How would you diagnose foal diarrhea in foals suffering from salmonella?
Blood culture
How would you diagnose foal diarrhea in foals suffering from clostridia?
You must detect the genetics for the toxins released by the clostridia species, and these are very labile, so the manure needs to be frozen before it is cultured
Why can you not diagnose rhodococcus equi diarrhea in foals with a fecal culture?
It can be found in normal flora
List three important ways in which you can support a diagnosis of lawsonia intracellularis -equine proliferative enteritis in a foal.
- Ultrasound detection of thickened SI
- CBC showing hyperfibrinogenemia and hypoproteinemia
- Chem profile showing hypoalbuminemia
T/F: The rotavirus that causes viral enteritis survives well in the environment and animals can shed it for months; therefore, overcrowding and poor hygiene/biosecurity needs to be avoided.
TRUE
Which compound is most effective of killing rotavirus?
Phenolic
How would you treat a foal with viral enteritis?
- Feed live cultured yogurt
- Administer human lactate tablets to counteract SI damage
- Nutritional support
- Other supportive care like fluids
Is is more common for a foal to die of viral enteritis or improve? How long does it take them to improve?
More common to improve within 2-5 days, but can take up to 2 weeks
If you can diagnose viral enteritis in a foal with PCR, what sample would you need and what does it detect? What are other test syou can do other than PCR?
Fecal sample and the ELISA can detect serotypes H1 and H2
Latex agglutination test
EM
A month old foal presents to you with profuse water diarrhea, appears to be in sever abdominal pain and is obtunded. You notice there are pigeons roosting in the roof of the stall and the mare is dirty , what disease are you thinking about?
Salmonellosis
What clin path findings would you find in a foal with salmonella?
- Acidemia
- Neutropenia
- Leukopenia
- Hypovolemia
Which disease that causes diarrhea in foals can cause them to be in septic shock before diarrhea develops?
Salmonella
How would you treat a foal suffering from salmonellosis?
- Isotonic Fluids
- Plasma
- Antibiotics not the first choice..very resistant to most
- Nutrition
- Prevention is the KEY..keep stall clean so foal doesn’t get feces in mouth
What type of clostridia strains tend to cause foal diarrhea?
C. Perfringens type A, B and C is most common
C. Difficile
A foal born in the last 24 hours presents to you with hemorrhagic diarrhea and severe gas distention..what is your top differential?
Clostridia infection
Why can clostridial infections in foals be so damaging?
The anaerobes produce gas that distends the intestinal lumen which can lead to bowel perforation and peritonitis ; in addition to the clostridial toxins damaging enterocytes causing villus atrophy
What is the best way to prevent a clostridial or salmonella infection from causing diarrhea in a foal?
Pre-foaling hygiene
How would you treat a clostridial infection in a foal?
Treatment is unrewarding, but can consider:
- Giving an antitoxin
- Probiotics
- Low dose metronidazole
- Fecal transplants
A 3 month old foal presents to you with lung/respiratory signs in addition to uveitis, joint effusion and diarrhea, what foal diarrheal disease is at the top of your differential list?
Rhodococcus equi
How would you treat rhodococcus equi diarrhea in a foal?
Administer for 3-4 weeks:
- Macrolides
- Riframprin
Which foal diarrheal disease also affects pigs and can cause anorexia, edema, lethargy, weight loss and sometimes a fever/diarrhea?
Lawsonia intracullularis-equine proliferative enteritis
Why are foals mostly affected by lawsonia intracelularis in the fall and winter months? How is it transmitted?
They are weaned between August and Feb.
Feco-oral transmission from pigs, wild animals or other horses
How would you treat a weanling foal with equine proliferative enteritis?
- Oxytetracycline
- Crystalloid fluids and plasma
- Nutritional support with increased protein
How can equine proliferative enteritis be prevented? How is the prognosis?
- Vaccine ( for swine)
- Decrease stress
- Parasite control
Good prognosis
How can passive transfer of immunoglobulins between the mare and the foal fail?
- Lack of ingestion of colostrum
- Ingestion of poor quality colostrum
- Failure to absorb colostral antibodies
What is the most common cause for neonatal foal morbidity/mortality?
Septicemia
What microbes are usually responsible for septicemia in foals? (5)
Gram negative bacteria:
- Actinobacillus equuli
- Klebsiella pneumonia
- Escherichia coli
- Salmonella
- Pseudomonas
Why is diagnosing septicemia in a foal difficult?
It is difficult to identify high risk neonates early, as they are the most at risk.
What are some important predisposing factors with the mare that can lead to septicemia in a foal?
- Chronic illness like laminitis
- Prepartum colostrum loss
- Induced births
- Dystocia
- Premature placental separation
- Death
- Older mare with poor colostrum
What are some important predisposing factors with the foal that can lead to septicemia?
- Failure of passive transfer
- Low birth weight
- Premature
- Meconium staining/aspiration
- Abnormal behavior like a lack of suckle
How can a foal and mare be managed correctly in order to prevent septicemia in the foal?
- Don’t overcrowd
- Sanitize
- Ventilate
- Don’t use the wrong antimicrobials or use too mch
- Dilute umbilical cord with dilute chlorhexidine, not 2% iodine
In what ways can gram negative bacteria enter the body to cause septicemia in the foal?
- Inhalation
- Ingestion
- Umbilical contamination
What is different in a foal versus a mare that predisposed them to septicemia?
They are not immunocompetent
What are the PE findings of a septicemic foal? (12)
- Subnormal temperature
- Toxic MM
- Increased CRT
- Petechiation of the pinnae
- Apnea
- Tachycardic
- Diarrhea
- Seizures
- Uveitis
- Hypopyon
- Lame
What is the definitive diagnosis for septicemia in a foal?
Positive blood culture or tissue culture from two or more organs/tissue
What is the diagnostic tool of choice for septicemia foals when they are still alive?
Sepsis score sheet
How does a septicemic foal present?
Lethargic with a decreased appetite and suckle response, sleeping all the time
How would you treat a foal that is septic?
- Bactericidal antimicrobial
- Plasma
- Isotonic fluids
- Correct hypoglycemia and acidemia
- Nutritional support