If this condition is diagnosed when the foal is less than 24 hours old, it should be prevented from nursing its mother. Nutrition should be given in the form of milk replacer via a nasogastric tube. A majority of the mother’s antibodies are gone from her milk after 24 hours, so if this condition is noticed after this time point, the foal does not need to be prevented from nursing any longer.
Other treatment will include IV fluids to help support the foal’s circulatory system and kidney function, supplemental oxygen if needed, and systemic antibiotics to prevent the foal from secondary bacterial infections. If the foal’s anemia is severe, a blood transfusion may be required.
Living and Management
If neonatal isoerythyolysis is caught early enough and the foal is not severely compromised at the initiation of treatment, the prognosis is much more favorable than with a foal who has been severely affected days before treatment is started. Supportive care will be required for a period of time, as the foal slowly begins to produce healthy red blood cells to replace the ones it has lost.
Prevention of neonatal isoerythyolysis is far more successful than treatment. If you know your mare has ever had a blood transfusion, or has previously had a foal with NI, do not allow any of her subsequent foals to nurse her within 24 to 48 hours of birth. Some breeds such as Arabians and Thoroughbreds are more genetically prone to carrying the Aa and Qa blood types. If you are planning to breed either of these, it is sometimes recommended to find stallions that are negative to these blood types for your breeding program.
The nose and the stomach
The prediction of a disease’s outcome in advance
Something that is related to the whole body and not just one particular part or organ
The term for a female horse over the age of four that has not been sterilized
A condition in which the skin becomes yellow in color as do the mucous membranes; this is due to excess amounts of bilirubin.
Extreme loss of blood
Another term for jaundice
A condition of the blood in which normal red blood cell counts or hemoglobin are lacking.