FIGHTING OFF INFECTIONS If foals are exposed to bacteria or a virus in the first week of life, and do not have adequate antibodies to fight off infection, they can quickly become sick, develop life- threatening diarrhea and require immediate and neces- sary treatment. The most serious infectious causes of diarrhea are rotavirus, salmonella and clostridia. Rotavirus is the main cause of viral infection in foals, especially those younger than two months of age. Foals sick with rotavirus will have profuse, watery feces and can also appear lethargic and/or depressed. Enterocytes, located at the tip of the villi in the small intestine, are the tall columnar cells responsible for absorbing nutrients, electrolytes and water. These cells are destroyed by the virus, consequently causing a malabsorption of nutri- ents and a lactase deficiency. These foals are extremely contagious and should be managed accordingly. Keep- ing them isolated to their original stall or in an isolation facility is important in reducing the spread of rotavirus to other healthy foals. Anyone handling or treating diar- rheic foals should wear protective gloves and wash their hands both before, and after, in order to help prevent spreading the virus. Foals treated for rotavirus generally have a good
prognosis if medical care is sought early on, otherwise it’s both labor intensive and expensive to treat. Support- ive treatment can include antibiotics, fluids, probiot- ics and continued monitoring. Diarrhea associated with rotavirus normally lasts from four to seven days, but in some cases, it can persist for weeks. There is a vaccina- tion that can be given to the mare, prior to foaling at eight, nine and ten months, to help booster the antibod- ies in the mare’s colostrum, further protecting the foal. Although most foals can recover completely, fighting the virus can cause a foal to become extremely weak and dehydrated. It is contagious and therefore many foals can be affected on a farm.
“Some of the symptoms you should look out for are decreased nursing,
fever, depression, diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal distension, straining to defecate, increased time lying
down, tail swishing, excessive rolling and overall discomfort.”
Another type of bacteria to be aware of is the strain of
clostridia that affects neonates called C. perfringens. This bacteria lives in the environment and produces toxins in the gut that cause serious damage to stomach and intes- tinal walls, allowing the toxins—and the bacteria—to directly enter the bloodstream. Foals seven days of age or younger can look completely normal then become suddenly sick, severely lethargic, show signs of abdominal pain, collapse and go into shock before they even have diarrhea or show other signs of sickness. Cardiovascular functions decline and foals can die in as little as 24 hours. When they do develop diarrhea, it is normally severe, watery and bloody. C. perfringens produces beta-toxin, which causes necrosis of the intestinal wall and can also lead to hemorrhaging. Metronidazole is the antibiotic used to treat foals with clostridia and it can also be used as a preventative. If you are concerned that your foal may be exposed to this bacteria, you can always begin treat- ment as soon as the foal is born. Salmonellosis (salmonella) is a bacterium that is, in most cases, transferred from the mare to the foal in the first few days. The stress of foaling can some- times cause mares to shed more bacterial cells, espe- cially around the udder and the tail, increasing the foal’s exposure to it. Like clostridia, salmonella can directly enter the bloodstream, infecting other things like growth plates and joints. Without immediate treat- ment, foals can die within 24-48 hours. Salmonella is treated with supportive care and broad spectrum anti- biotics, although there is strong debate over the use of antibiotics because it also damages the normal intes- tinal bacteria, causing the foal to be more susceptible to other disease-causing bacteria. Foals can receive IV fluid therapy to restore proper hydration levels, a GI protectant (like Biosponge) to bind the toxins and low
46 March/April 2015
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