Fig. 3. Neonatal emergency drug dosage chart. If the Foal Fails to Breathe and/or is Bradycardic
Foals that remain apneic or display an irregular or gasping respiratory pattern should receive immedi- ate ventilatory support. Additionally, foals with heart rates less than 50 bpm should also receive respiratory intervention, given that neonatal brady- cardia is often hypoxemia-mediated and will resolve with adequate ventilation.2–4 Several options exist for providing ventilatory support to foals in the field. The preferred method is intubation through either the nose or the mouth. For intubation, a foal should be placed in lateral or sternal recumbency with its head extended as much as possible to help guide the tube into the trachea. For nasal intubation, the tube is passed ventrome- dially through the ventral meatus into the naso- pharynx (Fig. 4). For oral intubation, the tongue is gently pulled forward to stabilize the larynx and the tube is passed over the base of the tongue. For either technique, gently rotating the tube can help guide it through the glottis and into the trachea.
