The new foal apperas to have bloody diarrhea. what might cause this?

Question

The new foal apperas to have bloody diarrhea. what might cause this?

Answer 1

Oh NO!  call vet!

Blood should never be seen in/from a foal! Toxins are common and many are  fatal. ie:

"The c. perfringens toxin typically attacks the gastrointestinal system of a foal. Symptoms include abdominal pain, often bloody diarrhea, toxemia, shock and death. Although the condition is sporadic, its effects can be devastating. Mortality is high, with most foals perishing within 24 hours of clinical signs" It was noted that onset of symptoms can take up to to ten days.,

The foal needs a vet and ASAP . How new?.Have the mare and foal accessible to vet when they arrive, to save needless time catching them.

The second idea is foal heat scours if it is about ten days old,though blood should never be seen diarrhea sometimes  is.

Call vet!

Answer 2

I agree with the first answer. CALL YOUR VET right away !!!! You are dealing with a medical emergency here, and a foal this young can't take much of this without the risk of serious complications and possible death. If the foal is 10 days old or so, it might have scours from the mare's being in heat- but they should NEVER be bloody !!! Good luck- and get your vet out there pronto !!

Answer 3

the top 2 are right if there is BLOOD coming out.  If you are talking about a more black with a slimy outside texture, this is the meconium (first manure that comes out, usually within the first hour) and that is normal.  I give all of mine an e***a right after the get their navel dipped and their 1st dose of Epic, this helps them pass their first stool with relative ease and usually only takes them 5-10 minutes.  Good luck hope it's just the meconium you're talking about.

Answer 4

Blood from the upper digestive tract is black and tarry.

From the lower tract it appears fresh.

You don't say how old this foal is (<24 hr. or > ?).

Have you seen it eat? frequency?

Same for stools.

Any possibility the baby could have been stepped on?

Take a little time to get some more details. It will help the vet if you need them.