Meconium Impaction
Does your newborn
foal need an enema? By Patrick M. McCue, Courtesy of America’s Horse Daily
Meconium is the first feces passed
by the newborn foal and is made up of digested placental fluid, gastrointesti- nal secretions and cellular debris. It is usually dark greenish brown or black in color, firm pellets to pasty in consisten- cy and is generally passed within the first three to four hours after birth. Failure to pass meconium results in significant abdominal pain for the foal. A foal is considered to have
retained meconium or a meconium impaction if frequent unsuccessful attempts to pass meconium occur with- in the first 12 to 36 hours of life. It has been estimated that 1.5 percent of all foals are affected by meconium impactions. Colts reportedly have a higher incidence of meconium impactions than fillies. Mild clinical signs are usually
apparent within six to 24 hours after birth and include failure to completely pass meconium, a progressive increase in abdominal pain, and frequent postur- ing and straining to defecate. Affected foals may also be depressed and reluc- tant to nurse. The standard treatment for foals
with a routine meconium impaction is administration of an enema. Two types of enemas are routinely used for foals. Perhaps the most common is a com- mercial sodium phosphate enema (Fleet brand or generic equivalent). An effective alternative is to administer an enema of about a pint of warm soapy water by gravity flow through a soft, flexible catheter. Breeding farms may choose to
routinely give all newborn foals an enema within the first one to two hours after birth or may selectively adminis- ter enemas only to foals that do not
40 . March 2012 .
www.PacificCoastJournal.com
pass meconium on their own. Either management strategy is acceptable. Foals that do not successfully pass meconium in the first few hours of life should be treated because of the poten- tial for significant complications, including colic, failure to nurse ade- quately and inflammation of the colon and rectum. If enemas don’t resolve a meconi-
um impaction, your American Association of Equine Practitioners veterinarian should be contacted. Administration of a commercially available acetylcysteine enema might be more successful. Acetylcysteine solution is slowly
infused into the rectum through a soft, flexible catheter. The catheter is clamped shut and the solution allowed to remain in the rectum for 15 to 30 minutes before the clamp is opened and the catheter removed. The foal should then be monitored for complete pas- sage of the retained meconium and observations continued for the next 24 to 36 hours. The presence of yellow “milk stool” indicates meconium has passed completely. Additional therapy may be impor-
tant in the management of foals with meconium impactions. Colostrum intake should be monitored, as it is a valuable source of antibodies required for passive transfer and has a strong laxative effect. Foals with colic associ- ated with meconium impactions might not nurse as vigorously and could be at risk of failure of passive transfer. Your veterinarian might also administer intravenous fluids, medications to pro- vide pain relief or other treatments as needed. Rarely, but occasionally, a severe refractory case of meconium impaction can require surgical inter- vention. As with many medical conditions,
early recognition and treatment is important in the successful manage- ment of meconium impactions.
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