Evolution and Future of Sepsis Treatment in Equine Emergency and Critical Care

1. Introduction
The specialty of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care has grown almost exponentially in the last 15 yr and has welcomed those interested in providing the best care possible to our horse patients, large and small. Much attention has been paid to the critically ill neonate by equine practitioners, and because of this, our knowledge regarding these small patients has expanded to the point where the profession may be in the opposite position described in 1986 when Dr. Jill Beech most appropriately noted that “When information was extrapolated from the adult horse to the foal, it became rapidly apparent that this was inadequate; neonatal foals are not just little horses.”¹  Our knowledge regarding foals has increased so much, we must guard against extrapolating information from the care of the foal to the adult horse; adult horses are not just big foals. We must ensure our vision encompasses both the adult horse and foal in our consideration of what constitutes critical care in equine medicine. Sepsis is an area of commonality between the two age groups and highlights the advances made in areas where new knowledge is changing practice. [...]