The straining foal

Question 1

what can cause abdominal straining in the foal

Answer 1

Meconium impaction
Enterocolitis
Dysmotility
Small intestinal strangulation
Congenital abnormalities
Intussusceptions
Hernias
Gastric or duodenal ulceration
Lactose intolerance

Question 2

List 3 things that can cause urinary straining in foals

Answer 2

uroabdomen
congenital abnormalities
umbilical infection ??

Question 3

what diagnostic tests can we do in foals

Answer 3

IgG
glucose
lactate
haematology and bichem
USG
ultrasound
radiography

+ENEMA

Question 4

clinical signs of meconium impaction

Answer 4

no meconium
colic
tail flagging

Question 5

clinical signs of enterocolitis

Answer 5

d+
colic
tail flagging
sepsis

Question 6

dysmotility clinical signs

Answer 6

colic
tail flagging
sepsis

Question 7

SI stranglulation clinical signs

Answer 7

colic +/- sepsis

Question 8

intussusception clinical signs

Answer 8

colic +/- reflux +/- sepsis

Question 9

lactose intolerance clinical signs

Answer 9

d+

Question 10

clinical signs of uroabdomen

Answer 10

tail flagging
posturing +/- stranguria
dysuria
depression
weakness
hypovolaemic signs

Question 11

clinical signs of umbilical infection

Answer 11

colic
tail flagging
sepsis

Question 12

where does meconium tend to impact

Answer 12

small colon and pelvic inlet

Question 13

what does meconium impaction look like on US

Answer 13

Hypoechoic-anechoic
Intestinal wall contracted around it
Speckled

Question 14

treatment for meconium impation

Answer 14

phosphate enema (can be done twice in first 24 hours)
+
warm soapy water enema

If both of these fail= do a acetylcysteine retention enema

Question 15

Describe a acetylcysteine retention enema

Answer 15

sedate foal
hindend elevated
foley placed in rectum and cuffed
solution administered (4% acetylcysteine), left for 45 mins
clamp then released and this should clear the impaction

Question 16

how often can you do acetylcysteine retention enemas

Answer 16

you can do it twice (12-24 hours in between tries)

Question 17

If enemas don’t work, how can we treat meconium impaction

Answer 17

surgery to remove the impation

Question 18

what is patent urachus

Answer 18

total failure or urachus to obliterate –> urine discharge from umbilicus

Question 19

Treatment of umbilical infections

Answer 19

broad spec Abs
repeat ultrasounds
surgery can be done if there is no response to medical management

Question 20

where do we commonly get secondary infections afterumbilical infections

Answer 20

joints and thorax

Question 21

what is a uroabdomen

Answer 21

presence of urine in abdominal cavity- generally associated with ruptured bladder

Question 22

when does a ruptured bladder normally occur

Answer 22

during parturition due to full bladder

Question 23

diagnosis of uroabdomen

Answer 23

US- sometimes find site of leakage
abdominocentesis - confirmation of urine if the peritoneal creatinine is 2x ther serum creatinine

Question 24

why do we see hyperkalaemia with uroabdomen

Answer 24

due to reabsorption of potassium from the urine in the abdomen

Question 25

why do we see hyponatraemia and hypochloraemia in uroabdomen

Answer 25

because sodium and chlorine are not reabsorbed from the urine in the abdomen but water is

Question 26

T/F colts more commonly get uroabdomens

Answer 26

True