Foal Diarrhea

Before foal diarrhea can be successfully treated, the cause must be identified, as foals can develop this problem in several different ways. Rotavirus is a highly contagious virus that is a major cause of diarrhea in foals up to three months of age, occurring less often in foals up to six months old. Research conducted by the Japan Racing Association showed that the Dipstick test, a diagnostic tool used in human medicine, produced comparable results to those shown by the two tests more commonly used in veterinary medicine to identify rotavirus.

The Dipstick test can be done in the field and gives an answer in 15 minutes, compared to serologic tests, electron microscopy, and molecular genetics methods that have been used in the past to identify the virus. These procedures must be done in a laboratory and results may not be known for several days, possibly delaying isolation and treatment of sick foals.