Each year, septicemias takes a heavy toll of foals. Foals are exposed to any quantity of diseases, plenty of which can lead on to septicemia. The weak point of all foals is the leftover stump of the umbilical cord.
Care should be taken to keep the umbilical cord intact for some time after birth. When the cord is cut off too quickly , it robs the foal of a substantial amount of blood. The best choice is to permit the cord to break off in natural course. The area should be sterilized as soon as that happens. The most typical disinfectant used for this purpose is iodine compound. This easy act of disinfecting the umbilical cord stump with this disinfectant is sufficient precaution for keeping the foal safe from diseases which can lead to septicemias, and therefore, it should not be delayed or skipped. Even when you are unable to get to the foal for hours after its birth, the very first thing you should do is set about disinfecting its umbilical cord stump.
Typical infection causing bacteria include Salmonella abotivoquina, Salmonella typhimrium, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pyogenes, Clostridium perfringens and Actinobacillus equuili. Clostridium perfringens can cause inflammation of the foal’s intestines.
You also need to watch out for some conditions that might render the foal at the mercy of septicemia if they exist in either the mare or the foal or both. It is common to see these conditions abundant in foals that fall prey to septicemia. These conditions include:
– Dystocia
– Placentitis
– Induced parturition (labor)
– Fever
– Premature birth
– Unhygienic birth conditions
– Delayed suck reflex
– Insufficient colostral antibodies
– Poor ventilation.
Septicemia announces itself in a few initial symptoms, which include:
– Decreased appetite
– Mild dehydration
– Weak suck reflex
– General weakness
– (occasionally) fever.
As foaling season approaches there will be a lot of foal births that occur before temperatures increase. While many of these foals may not carry risk for septicemia, they do stand exposed to other conditions like pneumonia. Sadly, septicemia could be the ultimate result of such contagions. The presence of bacteria may constitute another risk, especially in a barn that is poorly ventilated. Foals are always vulnerable, but more so if born just before hotter spring temperatures set in. A close watch should be maintained on foals that appear to be in danger.
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