Sepsis in horses: what owners should know

Possible signs include a dull or depressed appearance, weakness, reduced appetite, fever or an abnormally low temperature, rapid breathing, sweating, diarrhoea, a fast heart rate, or changes in gum colour and moisture. A foal may become quiet, stop nursing or separate from its dam. Infection may begin in the gut, lungs, urinary tract, skin, joints or around a wound. These signs are not specific enough for an owner to diagnose sepsis, and a horse can deteriorate even when one sign is absent.

Call an equine veterinarian immediately and describe the horse's age, signs, temperature if safely measured, recent foaling or surgery, wounds, medicines and possible toxin exposure. Keep the horse quiet, shaded and observed while waiting. Follow feeding, transport and medication instructions from the veterinarian; do not give human medicines or force fluids. Separate a sick horse from others if contagious infection is possible, while maintaining safe handling.

Seek immediate veterinary help for collapse, severe breathing difficulty, repeated diarrhoea, marked weakness, abnormal gums, inability to stand, severe colic signs, or a rapidly worsening horse. Fever, Chills or Generalised Weakness in a horse should be discussed with a veterinarian rather than interpreted using human guidance.

Ask what infection source is suspected, which samples or scans are needed, whether hospitalisation is advised, how hydration and pain will be managed, and which changes require another urgent call.