Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
1-day-old Quarter Horse foal has low platelets - what to know
By Buechner-Maxwell, V et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·1997·Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia in a quarter horse foal.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 1-day-old Quarter Horse foal was brought to the clinic with a severe drop in platelet count, which can lead to bleeding problems. Tests showed that antibodies from the mother were attacking the foal's platelets, a condition known as neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. This is the first time this issue has been reported in horses. The foal was monitored during its hospital stay, and the findings suggest that this condition can happen in newborn horses. Treatment options may include supportive care and monitoring for any bleeding complications.
People also search for: Quarter Horse foal low platelet count · neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia in horses · foal bleeding problems treatment
Abstract
Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia is recognized as a spontaneous disease of human infants, piglets, and possibly mules, but it has not been previously reported in horses. A 1-day-old Quarter Horse foal presented to Michigan State University Large Animal Clinic with severe thrombocytopenia of unknown origin. Immunoglobulins that bound to the foal's platelets were identified in the mare's plasma, serum, and milk by indirect assays. The immunoglobulins were further shown to recognize platelets from the foal's full brother, born 1 year earlier. These findings, coupled with the clinical course of the foal during its period of hospitalization, strongly suggest that neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia can spontaneously occur in neonatal horses. This diagnosis should be considered for foals with severe thrombocytopenia when other causes can be excluded, and platelet antibody assays should be used to support this diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9348499/