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  Discussion on Blindness developing in 2 month old foal?
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New Member:
katie3

Posted on Friday, Jun 19, 2009 - 5:21 pm:

I wondered if anyone has any experience of a foal developing cloudy corneas and becoming blind? This foal was born April 26th and appeared to be fine. She got the runs at 2 weeks old which were bad enough to need a course of antibiotics. She had a slight temperature and a small amount of discharge from one eye but she seemed to improve. Her dam also seemed "off colour" about this time but never became so unwell that a diagnosis could be made.

Shortly after the course of antibiotics the foal's DrOppings became very hard and she was lacking in energy. A vet examined her but found no cause for her being unwell.

Foal then appeared to be OK for a couple of weeks before developing grey, smelly diarhhoea. There are other foals in the same field and none of them have been at all unwell. Compared to the other foals this one does not appear to be thriving. A day after the grey diarrhoea started the foal became lame on her off hind and her dam developed a thick creamy discharge from her vulva. They were both admitted to vet hospital and the foal put onto antibiotics. She improved in the next 48 hours and was allowed home after 4 days. She had lost a lot of weight and was on twice daily IM antibiotics as well as gastroguard. No definitive diagnosis was made for foal or dam.

On and off throughout this her eyes went cloudy but then cleared again. A day after being discharged from vet hospital her eyes became worse and she cantered into the fence a couple of times so the cloudiness was for the first time affecting her vision.

Today the cloudiness is so bad the foal cannot see at all. The vets have changed her antibiotics again and started her on steroids with a deadline that if she has not improved in 4 days she will need to be put down.

They are talking about it being Rhodococcus despite there never being any respiratory symptoms. Can you help please? What can cause failure to thrive, lameness, cloudy cornea and grey smelly diarrhoea in a young foal? Is there anything else that could be tried to help her?
Member:
mitch316

Posted on Saturday, Jun 20, 2009 - 1:56 am:

Michelle, I have heard of foals being born blind, or going blind shortly after birth, but those were mostly birth defects, injuries, etc. Yours sound more like a sickness, and Rhoddococcus can "hide" sometimes in the really young, as most of their lungs are not loud enough for us to notice without careful examination. Any chance they took a stool sample for a culture? That could rule some things out, for sure. Gray, smelly diarrhea makes me think of a different nasty bug, but I cannot for the life of me remember what it is, but Dr. O would. If I remember right, its smell ranks right up there with a perforated colon or a dog with a bad case of parvo (smell, not color). If it is a disease, I would keep a close eye on the other foals, and it is probably a good idea to separate them any way just in case. I will do a little research, but Dr. O is almost guaranteed to beat me to the punch without having to crack the first book, and since he is going to be my Vice President I have to let him do that now and again (inside joke, not to make light of your situation). We are praying for the best for your little one. But the more I think about it, the more I do say keep this one away from the other foals and be ready to do some cleaning if any of the cultures are positive.(just a thought that keeps niggling the back of my mind)
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Jun 20, 2009 - 7:52 am:

While I agree the Rhodococcus diagnosis seems a bit out there from the facts you present. However the most likely explanation for the probable corneal edema is infection, creating a keratitis. Is there a discharge from the eyes and what is it's character? I cannot find any reports of such bilateral infectious keratitis cases in foals but do find one in humans that was responsive to antibiotics and steroids.

If I understand your post correctly the lameness and diarrhea have cleared up? The clay colored stools suggest a problem with the biliary system of the liver...and has been occasionally associated with severe ulcers of the stomach extending into the duodenum and the swelling and hypertrophy blocking the biliary papillae. Is the foal still on Gastrogard?

As to the unthrifty appearance it certainly can be related to the past infectious problems you describe.

What are the foals current symptoms, vital signs, and has any laboratory work been performed? I am also interested in a more complete history of treatment including the names of the drugs and dosages used.
DrO
New Member:
katie3

Posted on Monday, Jun 22, 2009 - 3:00 pm:

Hi DrO, thankyou for your reply. I've tried to answer as many of your questions as possible.

Her first treatment on 12th May, when she stopped drinking and first went off colour, was Excenel Sterile Powder, Flunixin, Lectade LA sachet and also gastroguard. That was when she was stomach tubed and the Flunixin was given IM for 4 days.

Then on 21st May she had bad diarrhoea and appeared to have gone downhill again. The vet was called again and she was given Norodine paste. I remember that was 50g bodyweigth which I queried with the vets more than once as I didnt think it was high enough. Her body weight is probably closer to 100kg.

I can't tell you the name of the antibiotic she was given when she came out of the hospital but the one she is on now is Neopen, 4ml twice a day, and the steroid is Dexadreson 3ml once a day. Plus Gastroguard.

The grey stools stopped while she was at the vets and there has been no sign of it since. She appears to pass very few DrOppings now, at least we cant find them in the box but the vets are not worried as she is not colicky at all.

Regarding her infectious keratitis is there any data on the risk of it causing permanent visual impairment? The vet checked her over today and confirmed the now yellow cloudiness in her eyes is the infection which seems to have made its way to her eyes. There is a slight improvement today so she is being kept on the antibiotics and steroids for now.

Currently her temp seems to be staying steadily around 38 degrees. She is still a little depressed but brighter than she has been. Still very under weight. She is drinking from the mare but never drinks for long, compared to the normal greedy foals. She has been like that for weeks, she's never drunk a lot in one go. Her stomach was scanned at the vets for sign of infection and came back clear. Could this link in with the rest of her signs and symptoms?

As always many thanks for your help.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Jun 22, 2009 - 8:43 pm:

As to permanent blindness and infectious keratitis it depends on if there is any scarring of the cornea which will create permanent cloudiness. Since you have not written of ulceration right now the cloudiness is probably do to edema and a reversible condition. Whether scarring occurs depends on whether the condition persists or worsens.

Right now I don't see a connection in all this. The corneal edema is not a side effect of any of the drugs you list. I think there is a relation and we have not identified it...possibly an immune deficiency of the foal since there have been several infections in different systems.

Is your foal still on Gastrogard and are you treating the eyes topically and with what?
DrO
New Member:
katie3

Posted on Thursday, Jun 25, 2009 - 3:12 pm:

Sad update. This little foal died this morning. She appeared more off colour and started looking at her belly. The vet was coming anyway to scan another mare so was asked to see the foal while he was there. She died just as he arrived.

He did a quick autopsy and found that her whole intestine was black, dead and foul smelling. Poor little mite. She'd shown no signs of having abdominal pain until her last few minutes.

RIP little one.
Member:
tamarag

Posted on Thursday, Jun 25, 2009 - 3:19 pm:

I am so sorry. I am sure she is running and playing with all the foals in Heaven. Mine went up there on the 29th of April
Member:
lilo

Posted on Thursday, Jun 25, 2009 - 5:44 pm:

So sorry about the sad outcome, Michelle. At least she did not suffer for a long time. Lilo
Member:
frances

Posted on Friday, Jun 26, 2009 - 5:51 am:

Poor little foal. My condolences Michelle.
Member:
canter

Posted on Friday, Jun 26, 2009 - 7:30 am:

Michelle, I'm very sorry for your loss.

Fran
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jun 26, 2009 - 8:03 am:

My condolences Michelle,
Was the bowel twisted or does this appear to be a severe bacterial colitis?
DrO
Member:
mrose

Posted on Friday, Jun 26, 2009 - 9:25 am:

I so sorry!
New Member:
katie3

Posted on Friday, Jun 26, 2009 - 3:25 pm:

Thanks everyone for your condolences. DrO the vet did not specify but since the whole bowel was involved I'm guessing it is more likely to be a colitis/enteritis? I think that fits better with the protracted course as well. Poor little Vienna.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Friday, Jun 26, 2009 - 3:50 pm:

Oh Michelle, I am so sorry to hear about the sad ending for this youngster.
Member:
leslie1

Posted on Friday, Jun 26, 2009 - 9:03 pm:

So very sorry.
L
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