Acute Broncointerstitial Pneumonia (Foals) in Horses

Should your foal be suffering from acute bronchointerstitial pneumonia, he will appear to become ill suddenly and will show a high fever. Progression of the illness is quick and can lead to sudden death as a result of respiratory failure. Affected foals will either be unable or unwilling to move and they will not have the right amount of oxygen in their blood. The most obvious symptom of acute bronchointerstitial pneumonia is the significant respiratory distress.

• Fever
• Respiratory distress

Types

Bronchointerstitial pneumonia may develop as a result of one of several different organisms; there is not one consistent organism that causes this condition. Bronchointerstitial pneumonia and R equi pneumonia present similarly upon examination.

Should your foal have a fever and/or appear to be experiencing respiratory distress, you will want to contact your veterinarian, who will conduct a physical examination of your foal. Depending on the results of the physical examination, your veterinarian will choose how to best proceed. Arterial blood gas will be evaluated and will help the veterinarian determine how severe the foal’s respiratory problem is, as well as to monitor progress once the foal is receiving therapy. Other evaluations include:

• Complete blood count
• Serum chemistry analysis
• Thoracic radiographs

Should your foal be experiencing acute bronchointerstitial pneumonia, it is likely that he will show below normal levels of oxygen and high levels of carbon dioxide in his blood. It is also likely that your foal will be experiencing respiratory acidosis. As findings may be similar in nature to foals that are experiencing R equi pneumonia, the thoracic radiograph is a key test utilized to determine whether your foal is experiencing R equi or bronchointerstitial pneumonia and how advanced the disease is. In acute bronchointerstitial pneumonia, when fluid from the membrane around your foal’s lungs is tested, neutrophilic inflammation, possibly including sepsis, is found. In foals with bronchointerstitial pneumonia, Y neutrophilic leukocytosis is often seen.

The treatment for foals experiencing acute bronchointerstitial pneumonia will be for the symptoms that the animal is experiencing. This will likely include:

• Antibiotics that are effective against a wide-range of bacteria to treat secondary bacterial infections
• Medication to help with inflammation (for example corticosteroids like dexamethasone 0.1 mg/kg/day by IV); this is known to increase the foal’s possibility of surviving the illness
• Bronchodilation
• Oxygen
• Thermoregulatory control
• Alcohol bath
• Air-conditioning, a fan or both in the stall where the foal resides, as well as NSAIDs in order to keep a rectal temperatures of under 103.5 degrees F
• Clean environment
• Easy to eat feeds without dust

In acute bronchointerstitial pneumonia, the low level of oxygen in the blood of the foal can be resistant to supplemental oxygen therapy.