BACKGROUND This study was performed to compare thyroid function of premature foals to term foals. HYPOTHESIS Premature foals are more markedly hypothyroxinemic than expected for their severity of illness alone. ANIMALS Twenty clinically normal term foals; 28 sick, hospitalized term foals; 24 sick, hospitalized premature foals. METHODS Thyroid hormones (TH) and thyrotropin (TSH) were measu...

Previously it was reported that compared to surviving septic foals, non-surviving foals had a 35-fold increase in interleukin-10 (IL-10) and 15-fold increase in IL-6 gene expression in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). As gene expression profiles can be time-consuming, we sought to determine if serum IL-6 and IL-10 in foals would aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of septicemia. ...

BACKGROUND Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/EDM) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting genetically predisposed foals maintained on α-tocopherol (α-TP)-deficient diet. OBJECTIVE Intramuscular α-TP and selenium (Se) administration at 4 days of age would have no significant effect on serum or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) α-TP in healthy foals. Serum and ...

BACKGROUND Age and rate of acoustic stimulation affect peak latencies in brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAER) in humans. Those effects are unknown in foals. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES Our goals were to (1) establish reference values for BAER in foals by using 3 different stimulation protocols, (2) evaluate the effects of age and stimulation frequencies on BAER tracing in foals up to 6 months...

the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of sex, season and year of birth on growth rate of biometric measurements and body weight gain of thoroughbred foals during first six months of life. 103 thoroughbred foals (53 colts and 50 fillies) from golejewko stud born between 2006 and 2008, were used in this study. thoroughbred foals born in winter months were characterized by significantly ...

BACKGROUND Diarrhea in foals affects up to 60% of foals during the first six months of life. The effect of diarrhea on the fecal bacterial microbiota in foals has not been investigated. Little is known on the fecal bacterial microbial richness and diversity of foals at a young age. The objective was to compare the fecal bacterial microbiota of healthy foals to foals with diarrhea at two and fou...

The aim of the present study was to estimate genetic parameters of body measurements in TurkishArabian foals. Records of wither height, front cannon circumference, heart girth, and body length were usedfor body measurements at birth, 6 months of age, 1-year-old and 2-year-old. Heritability of bodymeasurements of Turkish Arabian foals was estimated by using records of foals sired by stallions wh...

BACKGROUND Accurate diagnostic markers for sepsis in neonatal foals are needed. Plasma C-reactive protein concentration (p[CRP]) and haptoglobin concentration (p[Hp]) are well-established biomarkers of infection in humans, but studies are lacking in foals. HYPOTHESES p[CRP]) and p[Hp] are increased in septic foals compared to sick nonseptic and healthy control foals, and are predictive of sur...

OBJECTIVE To quantify absorption of colostral IgG by healthy neonatal foals and to test the hypothesis that delayed ingestion of macromolecules prolongs the duration of intestinal permeability to immunoglobulins (Ig) in newborn foals. ANIMALS Thirteen mixed breed foals. PROCEDURE Foals were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, which were fed either a glucose-electrolyte solution or a ...

OBJECTIVE To determine types and frequency of ophthalmic lesions detected in neonatal foals evaluated for nonophthalmic disease at 3 veterinary referral hospitals and to investigate associations between systemic and ophthalmic diseases in these foals. DESIGN Prospective cross-sectional study. ANIMALS 70 foals < 30 days old. PROCEDURES Complete ophthalmic examinations were performed. Signa...