‘Some foals bounce back from rotavirus, but others don’t’

THE recent bad weather has seen a sharp rise in the number of foals being presented to vets with varying degrees of diarrhoea, leading to dehydration.

“The muddy wet conditions are affecting a lot of foals that come in to us,” commented Sarah O’Dwyer.

While foals being attended to by the team at Troytown GreyAbbey receive round-the-clock care, Sarah says it is vital for owners to act swiftly if their foals at home are showing signs of diarrhoea.

“Rotavirus is always prevalent at this time of year and is highly contagious. Some foals bounce back from it, but others don’t.” Typical signs include diarrhoea, lethargy, anorexia, and abdominal distension.

Unlike the canine rotavirus which can be transmitted to humans, the equine rotavirus is species specific and known to only really affect young foals.

In recent weeks Sarah has also seen several cases of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum which mainly affects very young foals. This bacterium lives in the soil as well as the intestinal tract of many normal birds and mammals, including the horse.

Clinical signs include severe abdominal pain or colic, foul smelling and sometimes bloody diarrhoea and dehydration.

Foals can appear healthy at birth, but the disease is rapidly progressive and associated with a high mortality rate.

Sarah notes that breeders are still struggling to get their mares back in foal due to the bad spring. “The wet, cold weather will always affect their cycles, but hopefully if it picks up soon breeders can get back on track.”