If a foal comes down with signs of equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), confirm the diagnosis, treat the affected foal, and monitor the herd for additional cases, Connie Gebhart, PhD, said at the 2010 ACVIM Forum, held June 9-12 in Anaheim, Calif.

Clinical signs include peripheral swelling, weight loss or slow growth, lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, colic, diarrhea, and low blood protein levels. Serum and fecal samples must be collected to confirm the diagnosis.

EPE usually occurs in weaned foals younger than 12 months of age, although occasionally it is seen in adult horses. Because of its link to weaning, most U.S. cases occur from September to December.

"We rarely diagnose it in a horse that hasn't been weaned," said Gebhart, associate professor at the University of Minnesota, "but we don't know if that is because of the stress of weaning or a change in the foal's immune status