Foaling-management practices associated with the occurrence of enterocolitis attributed to Clostridium perfringens infection in the equine neonate

Enterocolitis associated with Clostridium perfringens (C, perfringens) infe ction in neonatal foals is often severe and has been associated with a high case-mortality risk. We designed a premises-based survey to evaluate the a ssociations of regional foaling practices, premises environmental managemen t, periparturient foal and brood-mare management, and periparturient brood- mare ration with the occurrence of neonatal enterocolitis attributed to C. perfringens infection. Potential risk factors individually associated with enterocolitis were breed type, housing type at foaling and in the first thr ee days of life, ground/floor surface type at foaling and in the first thre e days of life, broodmare ration before and after foaling, and the presence of livestock other than horses on the premises in the past. From the multi variable-logistic regression models, six variables were significantly assoc iated with an increased risk of the outcome of interest (p<0.05): foals of the stock horse type, housing in a stall or drylot in the first three days of life, other livestock present on the premises in the past, foal born on dirt, sand or gravel surface, and low amounts of grass hay and grain fed po stpartum. Low grain amounts fed pre-partum represented a decreased risk of the outcome of interest. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved .