Neonates Flashcards
Neonatal
first 4-5 days of life
Neonatal foals are susceptible to what?
Many diseases, can be life-threatening to immediate & long-term health
Normal newborn behavior within moments of birth:
spontaneous respiration & sitting sternal
Normal newborn behavior 5-10 min post birth:
suckle reflex develops & foal trying to stand
Normal newborn behavior 1-2 hrs post birth:
foal standing
Normal newborn behavior 3 hrs post birth:
nursing
Normal newborn behavior 12 hrs post birth:
urinates & passes meconium
What needs to be addressed after delivery of foal?
- Oxygenation, respiratory rate (60 bmp at 5 min post birth)
- Pulse assessment (60 bmp at 5 min. & increases to >100 over 1st hr)
- Temperature regulation
- care of umbilical cord & umbilicus
- Nutrition (nursing)
- Bonding of mare & foal
- Passage of meconium
- Adequacy of passive transfer of antibodies
- PE of foal by vet
Common clinical signs of disease in neonatal foal:
- Dull/depressed
- Inability to stand
- Lack of nursing/poor ability to nurse
- Dehydrated/cool limbs/poor pulses
- Progressively weak/recumbent
Dummy Foal Syndrome:
Neonatal maladjustment syndrome (NMS) occurs in 1-2% of newborn foals
What occurs when a foal has dummy foal syndrome:
appear healthy, then shortly after exhibit neurological abnormalities (detached from mare, disoriented, unresponsive, confused, trouble nursing).
Failure of passive transfer:
foals are dependent on antibodies absorbed following ingestion of mare’s colostrum in first few hours of life for protection against infectious diseases
Failure of passive transfer causes:
Poor quality colostrum (loss of colostrum due to mare lactating several hours before birth) & premature lactation
At what point is the absorption of antibodies at its high?
first 6-8 hours after birth, stopping at 24-36 hours of age
Treatment of neonatal nursing:
stabilization, fluid therapy, nutritional & respiratory support, maintaining body temp., managing pain & neurological signs, monitoring blood pressure, urination & fecal production (fluid in, urine out), if down change recumbency q2hr.
Care of recumbent foals (unable to stand on their own):
separate from mare by divider, turned every 1-2 hrs to prevent: pressure sores, urine scalding, lung compression (can lead to consolidation & pneumonia), assist to stand & nurse every 1-2 hrs
What if the foal is unable to nurse?
foal will have an indwelling stomach tube for enteral feeding or receive Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
Procedure for IV catheter for recumbent foals:
IV is secured through sutures & neck wrap is holding it in place. Must be checked daily, fluids are ran through fluid pump, and must mark all fluid bags.
Oxygen therapy for recumbent foal:
often required, oxygen line is placed up one nostril & secured to the muzzle. End of line must be cleaned every few hours.
What if the foal is not nursing?
Mare must be milked out every 2-4 hours.
How to enable bonding with recumbent foal:
allow the mare to smell the foal whenever standing & turning.
