Serum Chemistry and Hematology Changes in Neonatal Stock-Type Foals During the First 72 Hours of Life.
Authors: Duncan Natalie B, Johnson Philip J, Crosby Marci J, Meyer Allison M
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Neonatal Blood Chemistry in Stock-Type Foals Understanding normal physiological variation in neonatal foals is essential for distinguishing healthy adaptation from pathology, yet reference ranges for healthy stock-type foals during the immediate postnatal period remain poorly characterised. Duncan and colleagues sampled blood from 16 healthy stock-type foals at six timepoints between birth and 72 hours of age, measuring comprehensive serum chemistry and haematology panels and tracking significant changes across this critical window. Glucose and triglycerides rose substantially in the first 24 hours before triglycerides continued climbing whilst glucose declined; serum proteins (total protein and globulin) increased markedly within 12 hours; nonesterified fatty acids spiked immediately after birth then normalised by 24 hours; and numerous electrolytes, metabolic enzymes and haematological parameters shifted significantly throughout the 72-hour period. For practitioners evaluating neonatal foals—whether assessing colostrum adequacy, metabolic stability or early disease—these findings underscore the critical importance of knowing the sampling time relative to birth, as many parameters commonly used to assess neonatal health change dramatically during the first three days of life, potentially leading to misinterpretation if compared against adult reference ranges or without temporal context.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Reference ranges for adult horses are inappropriate for neonatal foals in the first 72 hours; use age-specific interpretation guidelines to avoid misdiagnosis of normal physiological changes as pathology
- •Time of blood sampling critically affects interpretation of foal blood work—always document sampling time relative to birth and nursing when submitting neonatal samples
- •Dynamic changes in metabolic parameters (glucose, proteins, electrolytes) during the first 72 hours reflect normal adaptation to extrauterine life and colostrum intake
Key Findings
- •Serum glucose and triglycerides increased from 0-24 hours postnatal, with glucose decreasing and triglycerides continuing to increase from 24-48 hours
- •Serum urea nitrogen peaked at 6 hours then decreased progressively from 12-72 hours
- •Total protein and globulin concentrations increased from 0-12 hours while albumin decreased over 24 hours and creatinine decreased over 72 hours
- •All hematological components except mean corpuscular hemoglobin showed significant changes across the first 72 hours postnatal