AORTOILIAC THROMBOSIS IN A FOAL

A six-day-old Missouri foxtrotter colt was examined because it had had diarrhoea since it was 24 hours old. A diagnosis of colitis, septicae mia, and disruption of the arterial blood flow to the pelvic limbs was made on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings. Despite intens ive medical therapy, the foal died 13 hours after being examined. Post mortem examination revealed diffuse fibrinous enteritis with lymphoid necrosis, multifocal fibrinonecrotic typhlocolitis, disseminated intra vascular coagulation, and a large occluding thrombus at the aortic ter mination. The results of bacteriological culturing supported the diagn osis of septicaemia leading to activation of the clotting cascade, dis seminated intravascular coagulation, aorto-iliac thrombosis and infarc tion of the pelvic limbs.