Rhodococcus equi causes severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals and in immunocompromised humans. Replication of virulent isolates within macrophages correlates with the presence of a large plasmid which encodes a family of seven virulence-associated proteins (VapA and VapC to VapH), whose functions are unknown. Although cell-mediated immunity is thought to be crucial in eliminating R. equi i...

BACKGROUND Bacterial sepsis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal foals, but accurate diagnostic and prognostic markers are lacking. Adrenomedullin (AM) is a polypeptide with diverse biologic effects on the cardiovascular system that increases in septic humans and laboratory animals. HYPOTHESES Plasma AM concentration (p[AM]) is increased in septic neonatal foals comp...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Allopurinol in foals born from mares with placentitis. Twenty foals were assigned into two groups: Healthy foals (n=10), born from healthy mares and Placentitis foals (n=10), born from mares with placentitis. Five foals from each group were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. Treatment groups received Allopurinol (40mg kg-1 ora...

The objectives of this study were to compare relative vaccine-specific serum immunoglobulin concentrations, vaccine-specific lymphoproliferative responses, and cytokine profiles of proliferating lymphocytes between 3-day-old foals, 3-month-old foals, and adult horses after vaccination with a killed adjuvanted vaccine. Horses were vaccinated intramuscularly twice at 3-week intervals with a vacci...

BACKGROUND Despite the paucity of data available, stall-side serum amyloid (SAA) assays are commonly used to make diagnostic and treatment decisions in foals with bronchopneumonia. HYPOTHESIS Measurement of SAA concentrations can accurately differentiate pneumonic from healthy foals. ANIMALS Fifty-four pneumonic foals between 3 weeks and 5 months of age were compared to 44 healthy controls....

BACKGROUND There is conflicting data regarding the efficacy of tulathromycin for the treatment of foals with bronchopneumonia. HYPOTHESES Tulathromycin is effective for the treatment of bronchopneumonia in foals and noninferior to the combination of azithromycin and rifampin. ANIMALS A total of 240 foals on a farm endemic for infections caused by Rhodococcus equi. METHODS In a controlled,...

Case Description- Two foals were referred for lameness evaluation. Case 1 was an 8-month-old male KWPN foal and the second one was a 2-day-old female Arabian foal. Clinical Findings- The KWPN foal was presented with severe lameness at walk and the second foal was unable to stand. In both patients luxation of the patella was confirmed on physical and radiological examinations. Treatment and Outc...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate severe hyponatraemia in foals presenting as medical emergencies to an intensive care unit (ICU) in order to determine the prevalence, clinical findings, primary diagnosis and outcome. DESIGN Retrospective case study of records from Thoroughbred foals aged less than 3 months presenting to an ICU as medical emergencies in 2002-12; foals with severe hyponatraemia (serum sod...

Antimicrobial agents are commonly used in neonatal foals for the treatment or prevention of sepsis. However, due to concerns about development antimicrobial resistance and increasing pressure on veterinarians rationalise use, we should be trying reduce unnecessary use antimicrobials. This article reviews many important considerations when selecting an foals. Firstly, consider general difference...

BACKGROUND Hypocalcemia is a frequent abnormality that has been associated with disease severity and outcome in hospitalized foals. However, the pathogenesis of equine neonatal hypocalcemia is poorly understood. Hypovitaminosis D in critically ill people has been linked to hypocalcemia and mortality; however, information on vitamin D metabolites and their association with clinical findings and ...