Dr. Michelle Barton presented her thoughts on how to interpret common blood values between neonatal foals and adult horses. Her findings were published in the AAEP 2015 proceedings and reviewed the distinct features of common hematologic and serum biochemistry parameters in foals relative to mature horses. A very concise table in the article outlined some common unique differences in foals relative to adult horses, and here are a few examples:
Packed Cell Volume (PCV) – lower in the first few months
White Blood Cells (WBC) – variable, tend to be the same or slightly greater
Total Serum Protein (TP) – lower for the first 4-6 weeks
Glucose – same or greater during the first month
Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) – greater during the first year
These are a few examples of some of the differences that need to be considered. Failure to recognize these differences can lead to erroneous interpretations. While it is important to use the age-related values from the lab that is performing the analysis, sometimes this information is not always available. It is then that these generalizations can be applied to the foal’s values, aiding in the correct evaluation of a foal’s medical condition.
Scientific Article: Barton, MH “How to Interpret Common Hematologic and Serum Biochemistry Differences Between Neonatal Foals and Mature Horses”. AAEP Proceedings, vol. 61, 2015, pp. 1250-29.
