Page 389 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse
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Figure 8.18 Swollen infected hock joint in a foal
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is as described for adult horses with the addition of:
• blood culture to try and identify the bacteria involved
• measurement of IgG levels (see pages 641 and 717)
• full haematology, serum amyloid A and plasma fibrinogen.
Radiography is more frequently carried out in foals as they are much more likely to develop
osteomyelitis than adult horses.
Treatment
As with adult horses, joint infection should be regarded as an emergency. The source of
infection should be identified and addressed, e.g. chest infection, umbilicus. The treatment is
likely to include many of the following:
• An infusion of plasma from the mare if there is failure of passive immunity shown by
low IgG levels
