Effects of transportation, surgery, and antibiotic therapy in ponies infected with Salmonella.
Seventeen ponies were infected with Salmonella typhimurium and then 15 were variously stressed by transportation and/or surgery and 9 were given oxytetracycline. Indications of Salmonella reactivation occurred in all the stressed ponies. Diarrhea due to a reactivation of the Salmonella infection did not develop until greater than 3 days after stress, although maximal shedding of organisms occurred within 24 hours. A neutropenia generally occurred within 24 hours after stress and lasted about 5 days. A rectal temperature greater than 39 C usually did not occur. An increase in serologic titer was noticed in about half of the ponies. Transportation had a major role in reactivating the Salmonella infection, and 1 pony died of peracute colitis. The use of oxytetracycline prolonged the excretion of Salmonella; therefore, this drug should not be used after stress, particularly transportation, in ponies that have diarrhea or are known to be Salmonella carriers.
D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005528:Foot / Q000601:surgery*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006736:Horses; D010118:Oxytetracycline / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary; D014186:Transportation
D010118:Oxytetracycline