Hypoplasia of the stomach in a thoroughbred foal

Authors: Pearson AB, Murfitt CG
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 36, Issue 3, pp 158, Sep 1988
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Horse, Livestock
Subject Terms: Abdomen, Alimentary system/gastroenterology, Congenital disease
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: We would like to record the occurrence of an unusual congenital anomaly in a thoroughbred foal. The filly foal was born after an apparently normal gestation of 345 days. During her pregnancy the dam had been well fed on pasture and supplementary grain during the winter months. She had been dewormed every two months with either 10cc 1% ivermectin orally or on two occasions injected subcutaneously with 10 cc 1% ivermectin. Thirty mg of selenium was given at the time of deworming. Three weeks prior to foaling this mare had received 2 ml of bivalent equine salmonella vaccine. The foal at birth was apparently healthy, very stronge and above average size, and treated as is routine on this stud, with prophilactic penicillin – Streptomycin, tincture of iodine topically to its umbillical stump and manual removal of meconium. However, by two days of age the filly was becoming weak and dehydrated. She had a strong appetite but milk ran from her mouth whilst suckling. Cardinal signs were normal and no abnormality could be determined within her mouth of pharynx. A human paediatric gastric tube with an outside diameter of 8mm could not be passed readily and certainly not to its usual length. Only a small amount of mare’s milk…

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