Skip to main content
menu sluit menu
Home Home
Login
Main navigation
  • Library
  • Calendar
  • e-Learning
  • News
    • Veterinary News In this section you find veterinary news
    • Recent Additions All content that was recently added to the IVIS library
  • Get involved
    • Donate Support IVIS, make a donation today
    • Media kit Promote your e-learning & events on IVIS
    • Add your e-learning & events to the IVIS calendar
    • Publish on IVIS Publish your work with us
  • About
    • Mission Our Mission Statement
    • What we do More info about IVIS and what we do
    • Who we are More info about the IVIS team
    • Authors See list of all IVIS authors and editors
  • Contact
User tools menu
User tools menu
Main navigation
  • Library
  • Calendar
  • e-Learning
  • News
    • Veterinary News In this section you find veterinary news
    • Recent Additions All content that was recently added to the IVIS library
  • Get involved
    • Donate Support IVIS, make a donation today
    • Media kit Promote your e-learning & events on IVIS
    • Add your e-learning & events to the IVIS calendar
    • Publish on IVIS Publish your work with us
  • About
    • Mission Our Mission Statement
    • What we do More info about IVIS and what we do
    • Who we are More info about the IVIS team
    • Authors See list of all IVIS authors and editors
  • Contact
Follow IVIS
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Support IVIS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Library
  3. Manual of Equine Neonatal Medicine
  4. Enteral Nutrition
Manual of Equine Neonatal Medicine
Back to Table of Contents
Add to My Library
Close
Would you like to add this to your library?

Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website

  • Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
  • Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
  • Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
  • Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
  • Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
Sign in Register
Comments
Print this article
Share:
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Twitter

Enteral Nutrition

Author(s):
Madigan J.E. and
Magdesian K.G.
In: Manual of Equine Neonatal Medicine by Madigan J.E.
Updated:
SEP 30, 2014
Languages:
  • EN
Back to Table of Contents
Add to My Library
Close
Would you like to add this to your library?

Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website

  • Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
  • Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
  • Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
  • Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
  • Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
Sign in Register
Print this article
SHARE:
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Twitter
    Read

    Milk provides nutrients, cells, enzymes, hormones, protective and trophic factors, minerals and electrolytes. It is thought that many of these factors contribute to development and maturation of the gastrointestinal tract [1]. Therefore, every attempt should be made to provide colostrum and mare milk to the foal.

    I. General Considerations

    1. Ill foals should be kept as close to the mare as possible.
    1. Maintain bonding - Prevent foal rejection.
    2. Stimulate lactation.
    3. Severely ill foals in special rooms for care should have intermittent mare visits.
    1. Routes of Administration
    1. Assisted nursing - If foal has a strong suckle, help the foal to stand next to mare
    2. Nasogastric tube
    1. Use small size tubes (see Hernia)
    2. If feeding frequently, place small tube in stomach and feed slowly.
    3. A tube can be left in place and the foal can nurse the mare and still be tube-fed to supplement.
    1. Bottle
    1. Use lamb nipple.
    2. Never bottle-feed a foal with a weak suck reflex -aspiration pneumonia and/or inadequate nutrition may develop.
    1. Bucket
    1. This is easier in healthy orphans than ill foals.

    II. Normal Foals without Illness

    1. Healthy foal with mare
    1. Nurses up to 7 times/hour [2].
    2. Consumes 16-28% of BW/day or approximately 155 ml/kg/day [2].
    3. Mare's milk production is approximately 15 ml/kg/day.
    4. Foal energy metabolism is approximately 5.5 Kcal/hr.
    5. Gains 1-3 lbs (approximately 0.5-1.5 kg)/day.
    1. Orphan foal
    1. Provide adequate colostrum during first 24 hours of life (See Colostrum - Assessment of and Sources for Foals & Assessment of Passive Immunity ).
    2. Bucket feed foal starting day 2 [3].
    1. Let foal suck on finger and move bucket up to foal's mouth.
    2. Feed 5 equal feedings of up to 25% of body weight/day.
    3. Feed 4 equal feedings/day in week 2 and 3 feedings/day in weeks 3-8 [3].
    4. Offer creep ration approximately 1 lb/day. At week 2 feed 1 lb/month of age consisting of 16% protein ration.
    1. Nurse mare - Has many advantages.
    1. Colostrum feeding
    1. Feed 1-1.5 liters (32-48 ounces) of good quality colostrum (See Colostrum - Assessment of and Sources for Foals).
    1. Give 8 oz (240 ml) approximately every hour for the first 8-10 hours of life.
    2. Feed by nasogastric tube unless has excellent suck reflex.
    1. Check serum IgG in foal.
    1. Agalactia Management
    1. Most commonly associated with mare consuming fescue infected with Acremonium coenophialum fungus.
    2. If exposed to fescue, treat pregnant mare 30 day prior to foaling with domperidone at 0.55 mg/kg per day orally [4]. Treat into lactation period.
      If mare has poor udder development post foaling treat with domperidone at 1.1 mg/kg per day orally to stimulate prolactin for milk production [
      4].
      Sulpiride, a dopamine (D2) receptor antagonist, increases prolactin levels and therefore milk production. 0.5 mg/kg administered IM. Twice a day has shown to be effective by different studies [
      1,2].

    III. Induction Of Lactation In Non-lactating Mares

    Daels et al. [5], were the first to describe induction of lactation in non-foaling mares. The protocol used to induce lactation in 24 "dry" mares was as follows:

    1. Mares delivered and nursed at least one foal.
    2. Days 1 -7: Placement of a vaginal sponge containing 500 mg altrenogest and 50 mg estradiol benzoate.
    3. Days 8 -14: The first sponge was replaced with a second vaginal sponge containing 500 mg altrenogest and 50 mg estradiol benzoate.
    4. Day 8: Administer estradiol benzoate (50 mg, IM) and prostaglandin (5 mg dinoprost®, IM).
    5. Days 8 -14: Administer sulpiride (1 mg/kg, IM) twice daily.
    6. Day 9: Begin milking mares. The mare was milked five times per day using a milking machine designed for goats. Oxytocin (5 IU, IM) administered ≈2 min before milking.
    7. A modification of the above system has been described and is available via IVIS on web at no cost.

    IV. Milk Replacers

    1. The best milk replacer is real mare milk.
    2. Mare's milk substitutes.
    1. Foal-Lactm (Pet-Ag: www.petag.com)
    1. Recently reformulated, easy to mix and better tolerated
    1. Mare's Match (Land O Lakes, Webster City, IA) www.lolmilkreplacer.com
    1. 15% fat, 22-25% protein.
    2. Powder formula in cans, 5 or 20 lb bags.
    3. Feed as a 10% solution [3].
    4. Foals scour for average of 2-3 days with formula [3].
    5. Feed 25% of body weight/day.
    1. Acidified cold ad libitum formula (Buckeye Mare's Milk Plus, Buckeye Feeds, Dalton, Ohio; 800/3210412). www.buckeyenutrition.com
    1. Designed to be fed free choice via bucket.
    2. No antibiotics or preservatives but stays fresh and can change at 12 hr intervals. Considered ideal for orphans and bucket feeding.
    3. Well tolerated by foals and palatable [2].
    4. Inexpensive.
    1. Goat's milk
    1. Foals seem to like it.
    2. Causes firm stools and may lead to significant impaction. May need 1/2 -1 oz of mineral oil once or twice daily
    3. Fresh goat milk is expensive.
    4. Report of metabolic acidosis when feeding goat's milk to some foals.
      Editor's Comment - I have seen this in one foal and acidosis was severe and corrected with change to mare's milk replacer. Foals present as lethargic and not eating with tCO2 on panel low (pH 7.0) and often a high serum chloride associated with low serum bicarbonate level. Make your own: 24 oz cow milk, 12 oz saturated lime water, 4 tsp dextrose (not table sugar), 4 oz evaporated milk, 4 oz warm water, 1 tsp white corn syrup. Or simply 8 oz 2% cow's milk, 1 tsp white corn syrup.

    V. Feeding Ill And Convalescing Foals

    1. Even with knowledge of the nutritional requirements, the feeding regimen for the individual sick or convalescing foal must be tailored to that animal. Prior problems of diarrhea, infections, ileus, etc., must all be taken into account. Two needs must be met 1) hydration and 2) caloric balance. For example, a recumbent, unable to stand 3-day-old foal with sepsis will not often tolerate the amounts of milk to provide the caloric intake a healthy 3-day-old orphan foal will consume.
    2. Sick Foals
    1. Foals that are ill from a variety of problems often develop an ileus and may bloat, or reflux with tube feeding.
    2. Our approach is to start the severely sick foal with small amounts (50 -100 ml) of milk. If well tolerated, we work up to 10% of BW intake by feeding q 1 hr. Can check the tube for residual milk in the stomach by aspirating on tube. If milk is still in the stomach we wait 1 hour and check again. If the foal is bloated or has persistent reflux or profuse nonresponsive diarrhea, consider intravenous nutrition.
    1. Convalescent Foals
    1. When the foal becomes stabilized and can begin to stand for a few minutes and becomes more alert and hungry, we can begin to approach the 20-30% of BW/day milk intake required for growth and development. Normal and convalescing foals gain 13 lbs/day.
    2. Simply diluting the milk in an animal that is not dehydrated will often not soften the stool. Increasing the sugar content of the milk with syrup or giving 1/2 1 oz of mineral oil orally once daily will often solve the problem. Weigh the foal daily to determine how well your feedings are doing. A bathroom scale that weighs you and the foal will work well.
    1. Other Recommendations
    1. Warm the milk before feeding.
    2. Use clean equipment - Bottles, nipples, tubes.
    3. Make milk replacer twice daily and keep refrigerated until used.
    4. If digestive upsets develop on a particular milk replacer, try another or try goat's milk.
    5. Attempt to teach foal bucket feeding.
    6. Add good quality roughage and foal pellets, approximately 16% protein beginning at 10-14 days of age.

    Table I. Ill Foals - Approximate Volumes and Feeding Intervals - Mare's Milk, Milk Replacer, Goat's Milk [3]
    (If the foal is hungry and having no digestive upset, increase the amount fed gradually - these are the minimum.)

    Age (days)

    Feeding Interval (hours)

    Feeding Volume (ml)

    Total Volume per day (L)

    Milk intake total % of body weight

    1

    0.75

    150

    5

    10

    2

    1

    250

    6

    12

    3-5

    1

    333

    8

    15

    6-8

    1-1.5

    550

    10

    18

    9-11

    1.5

    750

    12

    20

    12-14

    2

    1000

    12-14

    20-22

    >15

    3

    1500-2000

    12-16

    20-25

    VI. Treatment of Foal Rejection

    1. Recent work suggests that prostaglandin administration may be useful in overcoming rejection of the foal by the mare. Mare must have had a foal at least once and have raised the foal in a satisfactory/normal way. Give mare sulpiride twice a day for 4-8 days and then 3 ml of Estrumate IM about 10 min before introduction of the foal (longer is ok but shorter is not recommended) [6].
    Back to Table of Contents
    Add to My Library
    Close
    Would you like to add this to your library?

    Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website

    • Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
    • Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
    • Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
    • Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
    • Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
    Sign in Register
    Print this article
    References

    1. Wilson JH. Plasma amino acid concentration in neonatal foals fed defined enteral formulae or goat's milk. Abstract. Proceed International Soc of Vet Perinat. Cambridge, England, 1990.

    2. Wilson JH. Feeding considerations for neonatal foals. Proceed Amer Assoc Eq Pract 1988, pp 823-829.

    3. King SS, Nequin LG. An artificial rearing method to produce optimum growth in orphaned foals. Equine Vet Sci 9:319-322, 1989.

    ...
    Show all
    Comments (0)

    Ask the author

    0 comments
    Submit
    Close
    Would to like to further discuss this item?

    Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website

    • Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
    • Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
    • Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
    • Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
    • Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
    Sign in Register
    About

    How to reference this publication (Harvard system)?

    Madigan, J. E. and Magdesian, K. G. (2014) “Enteral Nutrition”, Manual of Equine Neonatal Medicine. Available at: https://www.ivis.org/library/manual-of-equine-neonatal-medicine/enteral-nutrition (Accessed: 08 June 2023).

    Affiliation of the authors at the time of publication

    School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, CA, USA.

    Author(s)

    • John Madigan

      Madigan J.E.

      Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology
      MS DVM Dipl. ACVIM ACAW
      Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California
      Read more about this author
    • K. Gary Magdesian

      Magdesian K.G.

      Professor
      DVM Dipl ACVIM Dipl ACVECC Dipl ACVCP
      Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California
      Read more about this author

    Copyright Statement

    © All text and images in this publication are copyright protected and cannot be reproduced or copied in any way.
    Related Content

    Readers also viewed these publications

    • Journal Issue

      Veterinary Evidence - Vol 8 N°2, Apr-Jun 2023

      In: Veterinary Evidence
      JUN 07, 2023
    • Proceeding

      NO Laminitis! Virtual Conference - 2021

      By: ECIR - Equine Cushing's and Insulin Resistance Group Inc.
      MAY 02, 2023
    • Proceeding

      BEVA - Annual Congress - Liverpool, 2022

      By: British Equine Veterinary Association
      MAR 20, 2023
    • Journal Issue

      Veterinary Evidence - Vol 8 N°1, Jan-Mar 2023

      In: Veterinary Evidence
      MAR 19, 2023
    • Proceeding

      AVEF - Conférence Annuelle - Reims, 2022

      By: Association des Vétérinaires Équins Français
      MAR 03, 2023
    • Proceeding

      EEHNC - Virtual Congress - 2021

      By: European Equine Health and Nutrition Congress
      FEB 09, 2023
    • Proceeding

      SFT - Theriogenology Annual Conference - Bellevue, 2022

      By: Society for Theriogenology
      JAN 10, 2023
    • Proceeding

      ACVIM & ECEIM - Consensus Statements

      By: American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
      NOV 11, 2022
    • Journal Issue

      Veterinary Evidence - Vol 7 N°2, Apr-Jun 2022

      In: Veterinary Evidence
      OCT 07, 2022
    • Journal Issue

      Veterinary Evidence - Vol 7 N°3, Jul-Sep 2022

      In: Veterinary Evidence
      OCT 04, 2022
    • Journal Issue

      Veterinary Practice Management Articles - Veterinary Focus

      In: Veterinary Focus
      AUG 05, 2022
    • Chapter

      Nutrition

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      JUL 09, 2022
    • Chapter

      Pharmacology and Therapeutics

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      JUL 03, 2022
    • Chapter

      Sedation, Anaesthesia and Analgesia

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      JUN 05, 2022
    • Chapter

      The Geriatric Donkey

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 20, 2022
    • Chapter

      Euthanasia and the Post-Mortem Examination

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 20, 2022
    • Chapter

      Appendix 7: Example Diets: for the mature, pregnant and lactating donkey

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 12, 2022
    • Chapter

      Appendix 2: Donkey Weight Estimator

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 12, 2022
    • Chapter

      Appendix 1: The Clinical Examination

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 12, 2022
    • Chapter

      Appendix 5: Monitoring your Donkey’s Quality of Life

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 12, 2022
    • Chapter

      Appendix 6: Professional record of Assessment for Quality of Life

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 12, 2022
    • Chapter

      Appendix 3: Body Condition Scoring

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 12, 2022
    • Chapter

      Appendix 4: Parameters: Biochemistry and Haematology

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 12, 2022
    • Chapter

      The Care of the Foal

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 12, 2022
    • Chapter

      Approach to the Dull Donkey

      In: The Clinical Companion of the Donkey (2nd Edition)
      MAY 07, 2022
    • Load more
    Buy this book

    Buy this book

    The Manual of Equine Neonatal Medicine can be purchased either directly from the Live Oak Publishing or via Amazon.

    Buy this book from one of the distributors listed below
    Amazon Logo
    Amazon
    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=manual%20of%20equine%20neonatal%20medicine&crid=2M7W…
    Back To Top
    Become a member of IVIS and get access to all our resources
    Create an account
    Sign in
    Leading the way in providing veterinary information
    About IVIS
    • Mission
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Need help?
    • Contact
    Follow IVIS
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    International Veterinary Information Service (IVIS) is a not-for-profit organization established to provide information to veterinarians, veterinary students, technicians and animal health professionals worldwide using Internet technology.
    Support IVIS
    © 2023 International Veterinary Information Service
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy