Clinical exam of a foal Flashcards
(30 cards)
Duration of pregnancy for full term foal in days
Normal mares have a broad range of gestation.
(min. 320)
330-340 is typical
still normal up to 360 days
Born before 320 days: premature
Can even go over 410 days/13+months: over-term.
Gestation length varies up to 50 days!
When does a foal count as premature
Born before 330 days gestation: premature.
So, just short of 11 months.
When would you induce a mare
mares aren’t generally induced even when over typical gestation times.
overdue from 360 days
can even go over 400 days and still result in a healthy foal!
dysmature means what in foals
Born in the right time, but looks premature.
Stages of foaling. + duration
Stage I: 30 min – 6 h
Uterine contractions start, cervix opens.
Stage II: 10-30 minutes
Expulsion of fetus.
Stage III: 1-3h
passing of fetal membranes
The newborn foal’s liver’s glycogen storage lasts
4-6 hrs
How do foals get antibodies, placenta or colostrum
Antibodies do not cross the placenta during pregnancy.
The foal acquires antibodies with colostrum.
The window for globulin absorption is 18-20 hrs after birth.
The window for globulin absorption in foals is
18-20 hrs after birth.
Must receive milk at latest 2 hrs after birth, and colostrum ASAP
Antibody production in foals starts when?
in the 2nd month.
What is the “1-2-3 rule” for foaling?
- Foal gets up in 1 hr max (usually gets up 20min after birth)
- Nurses in 2 hrs max
- Fetal membranes are passed in 3 hrs max
Most of those things normally happen much faster.
How do you sort a foal’s umbilical cord?
The umbilical cord will rupture on its own. If not, and if it prevents the foal from getting up, tear it.
Better to tear instead of cutting, the blood vessels retract better this way.
Keep about 10 cm stump.
Ligate the stump with soft string and dip in dilute chlorhexidine.
2 umbilical arteries, 1 umbilical vein
How much does a foal weigh at birth?
The foal weighs about 10% of the adult weight.
Mini Shetland: 12-15 kg
Warmblood: ca 50 kg
Draft horse: 60-70 kg
What are 3 important locations for palpation in the neonatal foal?
ribs (fractures poss.)
joints (for septic changes! min 3x/day in hospital)
umbilical stump (abscesses, persistent urachus)
Foal heart rate Changes during the first 24 hrs of life. Explain how.
Less than 1h of age: ca 60/min
2-12 h: 100-200/min
24 h to 2 weeks: 80-100/ min AT REST
Then decreases gradually
Arrhythmias common during first hrs of life.
Murmurs during first 7 days of life: if foal hemodynamically ok (bright, alert, pink mucous membranes) – ignore. If not or if murmur continues: additional dgn required.
Foal respiration rate Changes during the first 24 hrs of life. Explain how.
During 1st hr of life ca 60/min.
Lungs contain fluid which is resorbed quickly.
Soft bubbly crackles.
Up to 24h: rate 20-40/min
Later around 20x min.
Foal body temp.
37.5-38.9°C
Generally over 38.0.
Below 38.0C suspect that the foal is not active enough or is hemodynamically compromised.
Menace response develops in what timeframe in foals?
in 2-3 weeks after birth.
Daily weight gain for a 50 kg foal.
Daily weight gain 0.5-1 kg for 50 kg foal.
Good colostral specific gravity
SG >1.060 – should be sufficient
Brix refractometer more commonly used (measures sugar, not protein).
When and how do you test for failure of passive transfer?
Foal around 24 h of age: do a SNAP IgG test.
Results:
IgG <400 mg/dl complete failure of passive transfer
IgG 400-800 mg/dl partial FPT
IgG >800 mg/dl normal
How can you tell a foal has diarrhea?
When feces is stuck to their anus and the surrounding area.
Foal feces should be pasty but still firm enough that it falls away from the body and should not stick.
How is failure of passive transfer treated?
Foal over 18 h of age:
IV equine plasma administration
If foal under 18h old, you can administer colostrum for example, via a bottle or via a nasogastric tube.
You can use frozen colostrum rom another mare if the foal’s mare hasn’t produced enough.
Because subchondral bone has very good blood supply in foals, systemic septic processes may cause
synovial sepsis or osteomyelitis
This does not happen in adult horses!
NB: both systemic AND local antibiotics required for these foals!
Coprophagia in foals.
is normal behavior
