RESPIRATORY

Pleuropneumonia and a Surprise in the Oven Threaten the Life of Thoroughbred Mare

By Rob Warren

Lillipad, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred mare who was labeled barren at auction and went unsold, was rescued by Jillian Fallon of Reno, Nevada.

The trailer ride to her new home was uneventful, but the horse started to deteriorate shortly after arrival. Ms. Fallon noticed that the mare’s respiration, heart rate and temperature were all elevated to dangerous levels. A local veterinarian performed an ultrasound and found fluid build-up in and around both lungs and diagnosed pleuropneumonia.

Medications administered onsite helped bring Lillipad’s vital signs closer to normal levels, but it was clear she needed further treatment, so Ms. Fallon brought her to the UC Davis veterinary hospital. Lillipad would remain hospitalized for 3 months, culminating in a shocking surprise.

She was treated extensively for severe pleuropneumonia, including management with fluid drainage through multiple chest tubes and a thoracotomy, aggressive antibiotic therapy and intense supportive care by a dedicated team of students, technicians, residents, and faculty members in the Equine Internal Medicine Service.

Lillipad was not responding as well as expected, and she lost a significant amount of weight—except in her abdomen. Her care team performed an ultrasound and found out this “barren” horse was pregnant.

They also found evidence of hemorrhaging into her abdomen because of the pregnancy. The Equine Reproduction Service found the foal to be of proper size with a good heart rate. However, Lillipad was still critically ill, and it was unknown how her illness and its complications would affect the continued growth and health of the unborn foal, as well as her ability to have a normal birth. The team found out that it was her fourth foaling, so the medical team felt more confident she could handle the birth if she and the baby were healthy enough.

Lillipad while hospitalized at the UC Davis Large Animal Clinic. Lillipad checks on Mira shortly after her birth.

CREDIT: UC Davis

Thankfully, Lillipad’s hemoabdomen stabilized quickly and her pleuropneumonia continued to slowly improve over the next 2 months, and she was transferred from the hospital’s Large Animal Clinic to the layup services at the UC Davis Center for Equine Health for a few weeks before returning home. There, she was checked regularly regarding the progress of her pneumonia, thoracotomy incision sites, and the viability of her foal.

She was discharged in January 2022 with about 2 months remaining of her high-risk pregnancy. Because of these risks, Lillipad return to UC Davis for the birth.

Lillipad did very well at home, gaining weight and finally starting to act like a spirited mare with a zest for life. Ms. Fallon brought her to UC Davis for foal watch in March, where she continued to improve and was off all medications before the big day. On March 27, she experienced a quick, uncomplicated birth and delivered a healthy filly.

“Lillipad was a difficult case and involved the dedication of everyone on the Equine Internal Medicine Service, as well as multiple technicians and students,” said Emily Berryhill, DVM. “She is a perfect example of the collaborative nature and extensiveness of our care at UC Davis. This success showcases that dedicated teamwork between our clinical staff, our clients, and our referring veterinarians can result in a positive outcome, even with many ups and downs in between. We are grateful to Ms. Fallon for entrusting us with Lillipad’s care.”

Lillipad and her filly, LP’s Sunny Miracle, or Mira for short, were able to return home a week later, where they are healthy and happy.

This story originally ran on the UC Davis website https:// www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/horse-survives-severecase-life-threatening-pneumonia. It has been edited for space and style.