Neurology: examination - foal in Horses (Equis) | Vetlexicon
equis - Articles

Neurology: examination – foal

ISSN 2398-2977


Introduction

  • Healthy newborn foals differ significantly from the adult in their response to neurologic testing.
  • Foals respond to external stimuli with exaggerated movements, and tend to collapse when firmly restrained.
  • Head carriage is more angular than in the adult and a base wide stance is normal in young foals.
  • The menace reflex is absent at birth and develops within 2 weeks.
  • Gait of foals is generally dysmetric.
  • In lateral recumbency, foals show abnormal reflexes, eg increased extensor tone, hyper-reflexive tendon reflexes, crossed extensor reflexes and recumbent extensor thrust reflexes.
  • Seizures are more common in neonatal foals than in adults.
  • Certain neurological diseases are much more common in foals than adults, eg botulism Botulism, meningitis, idiopathic seizures.
  • It is important to distinguish neurological disease caused by extracranial disease, eg seizures due to hypoglycemia and that caused by intracranial disease, eg idiopathic epilepsy.
  • See also Foal: resuscitation and care.

Uses

  • The neurologic examination is the most important diagnostic tool in the evaluation of neurologic disease.
  • The objective is to localize the site of the lesion in the nervous system and decide upon possible etiologies.
  • An understanding of the function and anatomy of the central nervous system (CNS) is essential.

Advantages

  • Diagnostically very informative.
  • Within the scope of all veterinarians and no specialist equipment required.

Disadvantages

  • More difficult than in adult due to foal's tendency to resist restraint and then collapse under firm restraint.

Technical problems

  • A detailed knowledge of the functioning and anatomy of the CNS is essential.
  • An understanding of the way that responses in foals differ from that of adults and also differ between foals of different ages due to timing of nervous system development is essential.

Procedure

  • 30-90 min.

Decision taking

Criteria for choosing test

  • General physical examination Foal: evaluation - neonate may lead to suspicion of neurologic disease.
  • Foals remaining recumbent after birth.
  • Foals exhibiting seizures.
  • Premature and dysmature foals Reproduction: prematurity / dysmaturity. A neurologic examination should be performed to rule out CNS and peripheral nervous system lesions which may cause decreased tendon reflexes as well as weakness.

Requirements

Subscribe To View

This article is available to subscribers.

Try a free trial today or contact us for more information.

Preparation

Subscribe To View

This article is available to subscribers.

Try a free trial today or contact us for more information.

Technique

Subscribe To View

This article is available to subscribers.

Try a free trial today or contact us for more information.

Aftercare

Subscribe To View

This article is available to subscribers.

Try a free trial today or contact us for more information.

Outcomes

Subscribe To View

This article is available to subscribers.

Try a free trial today or contact us for more information.

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

  • Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
  • Chaffin M K et al (1997) Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain of normal neonatal foals. Vet Radiol & Ultrasound 38 (2), 102-111 PubMed.
  • Knottenbelt, D C (1996) Equine neurologic disease and dysfunction - a diagnostic challenge for the practitioner. Part 2 - The clinical neurologic examination. Equine Vet Educ (5), 260-270 WileyOnline.
  • Lunn D P & Mayhew I G (1989) The neurologic evaluation of horses. Equine Vet Educ (2), 94-101 WileyOnline.
  • Adams R & Mayhew I G (1984) Neurologic examination of newborn foals. Equine Vet J 16 (4), 306-312 PubMed.