In Practice 3: 22-29 (1981)
© 1981 British Veterinary Association

Diarrhoea in foals

The majority of foals will at some time develop diarrhoea. Typically, the clinical signs are mild with no systemic involvement and the foal goes on to make a spontaneous and uneventful recovery. The relative importance of the aetiological agents which have been discussed remains unknown. It is probable that the majority of foal diarrhoea cases result from mild enteric colibacillosis, rotavirus or cornavirus infections, dietary changes, S westeri infestation and probably other, as yet undefined, agents acting either individually or in concert to produce disease.

Cases with severe diarrhoea and systemic signs are most commonly due to salmonellosis, clostridiosis, severe enteric colibacillosis or diffuse viral damage to the small intestinal absorptive surface.