The normal equine neonate

Question 1

What are the normal clinical parameters of a foal between borth and 5 days of age?

Answer 1

• HR peaks at 1 hour of age
• Normal flow murmurs up to 96 hours of age
• RR becomes normal 1 hour pp
• In the 24hours post birth it’s normal to hear crackles on the chest

Question 2

When should the foal start expressing normal behaviours?

Answer 2

• Sternal - 5 mins
• Stand - 1 hour
• Suck reflex - 30min - 2hours
• Nursing - 2 hours
• Urinating - 4 hours
• Defaecating - 4 hours

Question 3

What should the owner do if they are the only person present during foaling?

Answer 3

• Save placenta
• Check nursing/urination/meconium passage
• Umbilical treatment
  
  • Within first four hours
  • 0.5% chlorhexidine
  • 2% iodine
  • Submerge umbilicus completely
  • Not tetracycline spray

Question 4

When does the vet come and check the foal? Why? What will you do?

Answer 4

12-24 hours of age

Check bond between foal and mare

Clinical exam
* Umbilicus
* Hernia/ appropriate treatment
* Nursing
* Latching on
* No nasal return of milk
* Palate
* Overshot or undershot
* Cleft palate
* Anus - Is there one?/ meconium passage
* Eyes – entropion, haemorrhage (sign of sepsis in foals)
* Chest – heart/lungs, rib fractures (if mare was standing during foaling)
* Flexural/Angular limb deformities

Actions
* Blood for IgG concentration
* Enema
* Fleet phosphate enema - owners will often do it
- colts are more prone
* Tetanus antitoxin (3.0mls IM)
* Placental check
* All present (usually tip of non gravid horn that is not expulsed) / no tags
* Evidence of placentitis
* Thickening
* Discharge
* Remember degradation happens quickly (can be coffee colour brown)
* Weight (<6.4kg for TB mare)

Question 5

How do you interpret stall side IgG snap test?

Answer 5

Compare the bottom dot - sample site to the 2 dots above it (marking 400 and 800)