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Nutritional support for neonatal foals
1Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Phase II, Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0442, USA. bmax@vt.edu
The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Equine Practice
|July 30, 2005
Summary
Nutritional support is crucial for sick neonatal foals, with both enteral and parenteral feeding methods available. This review covers nutrition for normal and sick foals, offering guidelines for creating effective nutritional plans.
Area of Science:
- Equine Neonatal Medicine
- Veterinary Nutrition
- Foal Health
Background:
- Significant advances in equine neonatal medicine have occurred.
- Nutritional support is recognized as vital for sick neonatal foals.
- Various methods for providing nutritional support have been developed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the nutrition of normal and sick foals.
- To review guidelines for designing nutritional plans for neonatal foals.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on equine neonatal nutrition.
- Discussion of enteral and parenteral nutrition strategies.
- Guidelines for nutritional plan development.
Main Results:
- Enteral diets are cost-effective when the foal's gut is functional.
- Parenteral nutrition methods are available for foals requiring gut rest.
- Clinicians have multiple options for foal nutritional plans.
Conclusions:
- Effective nutritional management is key in equine neonatal care.
- Tailored nutritional plans are essential for both normal and sick foals.
- Understanding different feeding routes optimizes foal recovery and health.