Joint infections in foals - How do you treat?

[Becky]

I have a now 2 1/2 week old foal who has been fighting a joint infection since Tuesday of last week. Things seem to be heading in the right direction, so I am hopeful.

Initially I started him on SMZ's and Penicillin. Twice a day on both. Not the antibiotics my vet prefers (he likes Naxel), but I've had good luck with the Pen and SMZ's in the past. My vet also put him on Equioxx for the inflammation. By Friday, I started having trouble with the Pen injections. I took the mare and colt to Charlotte's on Friday morning for the weekend while I was at a show. Charlotte, too, had trouble giving the Pen. Drawing blood everytime he was stuck and she couldn't inject. Then the colt developed a large hematoma at an injection site. So the Pen was stopped and the colt started going south on Saturday morning. Trying to come up with another oral antibiotic, brother in law Frank, suggested Amoxiillin which my vet had and we started it on Saturday evening. By Sunday, the colt was back to acting perky, alert and the swelling was going down.

I did call one of the local equine hospitals on Saturday to see about taking the mare and colt there for the weekend and let them treat. After talking to Dr Mayberry, it simply wasn't a realistic option. They would put the colt on IV antibiotics (Potassium Penicillin and Amakacin) and flush his hock multiple times. Cost - $1500 - $2000.

To make a long story short, the colt is doing quite well now in my opinion. I didn't detect any swelling this morning. The colt will stay on the antibiotics until next week. He's also getting Ranitidine and Probios daily. The Equioxx was stopped yesterday.

What kind of medications do you use for joint infections and how do you treat?

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Sometimes you can have a poly-arthritis which is an inflammation of the joints and not a joint infection. Your current treatment might work depending on the cause of the poly-arthritis (this case is likely started by a septicemia).

But, joint infections must be treated by much more aggressive therapy including joint flushes. Not every animal will die without theses treatments, but they will all have severe osteoarthritis for life.

Pen G given IM twice daily isn't a bad choice for its antibiotic properties, but I consider it to very painful and unnecessary given today's choices of IV's and multi-day IM choices. At the very least Naxcel is a smaller dose and in a less irritating preparation.

I hope your foal does well.

Dr Taylor

 

[Becky]

Thanks for your response, Dr Taylor. Poly-arthritis is not treated by antibiotics? How would you know what you are dealing with? Aspiration of the joint fluid and culture?

I definitely dislike giving multiple injections daily especially foals. My preference is oral antibiotics as much as possible. Is Naxcel what you would recommend for a bacterial infection in the joints?

A septic foal, cause? Failure of passive transfer or something else? I did not do an IgG on this foal as the dam's colostrum appeared to be adequate. However, prior to my purchase of this mare, her last foal died at about a week of age from apparently pneumonia. The mare is 18 yrs old and I will do an IgG on the next foal after this case.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Poly-arthritis is not treated by antibiotics? Arthritis only describes inflammation of the joint, it does not indicate cause. You can have septic arthritis (bacteria) or sterile. But, in young foals, sterile inflammatory arthritis is common during a septic event.

How would you know what you are dealing with? Aspiration of the joint fluid and culture? Yes.

Is Naxcel what you would recommend for a bacterial infection in the joints? At times, yes, but the key is therapy would include multiple antibiotics, joint flushes, and anti-inflammatories.

A septic foal, cause? Failure of passive transfer or something else? Septic foals are caused by many factors, FPT is just one.

Dr Taylor

 

[tagalong]

We had a foal this year go dead lame on his LF and spike a fever 48 hours after his birth. IgG was fine. The little guy and his dam ended up at the equine hospital for a week and he had IVs and repeated joint flushes.... he is good as new now but we joke that he better be a GREAT show horse...

 

[wildoak]

Becky, I haven't had one in a number of years (knocking on wood!) but we used Naxcel and had the joint flushed, and babies came around just fine. As I remember we had some issues with depression and diarrhea towards the end of the antibiotic regimen but they were treatable.

I put all of my pregnant mares this year on Karbo Combo a couple of months prior to due dates, and will keep them on it through first couple of months with foals. I do think it boosts everyone's immune system - had 3 good easy deliveries, healthy foals... just fyi.

Jan

 

[HGFarm]

I have only had one foal in my life that had joint ill, and the vet came out and flushed joints and this foal was on medications and extra fluids, etc.... round the clock. He made it and healed with no a problem, however my vet was very aggressive with it- it is extremely hard to get rid of, and time is of the essence. It is nothing to fool around with. It was hard work around the clock but well worth it.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Joint ill in a new born calf just breaks my heart. We haven't had one in awhile, (knock on wood) but it sounds like the treatment is much the same as in horses. We use Naxel to treat. What we have done proactively to try to prevent naval ill is that if we get a calf that gets into manure or gets the naval and cord dirty , or breaks the cord off real short, in addition to doing the iodine, we add a preventative shot of Naxel. All our joint ill calves seemed to come from those two senarios, dirty cord or short cord.

 

[Becky]

Thanks everyone for the info. Marker is still hanging in there. Acting normal with no fever and minimal swelling.

I used Naxcel on a previous joint infection a few years ago and it didn't work in that case. But, it would be worth a try again if warranted. I'm keeping on with the antibiotics this colt is on until next week and re-evaluate at that time. Hopefully, Marker will kick this infection and be able to go to the pasture with his buddies.

 

[Becky]

Tonight, Marker has no swelling detected whatsoever in his hock. It's been 60 hours since his last dose of Equioxx. I'm guardedly optimistic his current treatment is working.

Today he was wanting to play with me, but he's not too sure I won't grab him and stick him with needles. I hope he's seen the last of the needles!

 

[K Sera]

Great news! So glad to read this and here's to his continued progress

 

[albahurst]

Glad he is doing better, Becky!

I am wondering if giving E Coli Endotox within the first 12 hrs after birth would help against joint infecitons? I have heard that it does. Did you happen to use this endotox and still have the joint infection develop?

 

[Becky]

Good question, Peggy. And yes, Marker did have the E Coli Endotox at about 2 hours of age. So, in his case, it didn't stop the bacteria that invaded his system. Another foal that had the vaccine, developed diarrhea that had to be treated. So, for me, this year, it hasn't been real effective. However, I will continue to give it.

 

[Becky]

I just wanted to give an update on Marker. He's doing remarkably well! His antibiotics were stopped after last Thursday. He had been swelling free for about 7 days and was having some side effects from the antibiotics, so I decided to stop them and see how it went. I am happy to report he is doing great. No swelling. He's acting like a normal foal in all respects. I'm keeping him separated from the other foals for the time being as I don't want him overstressed just yet, but all is looking good and I think he is going to make a full recovery.

 

[targetsmom]

Great to hear! I have been thinking about him and wondering how he was doing. I sure hope he makes a full recovery.

 

[eagles ring farm]

So glad he has been doing so good... Hope you can know your out of the woods real soon with him

 

[AnnaC]

Great news!! Hope all goes well with him from now on!

 

[Becky]

Thanks everyone. I've very hopeful this is all behind Marker now.

 

[palsminihorses]

Wonderful news Becky!