| Abstract: | Seventeen healthy Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals were divided into control (n=8) and treated (n=9) groups and studied from birth until 4 months of age. Foals in the treated group were intravenously injected with an experimental drug containing 0.4 g of iron in the form of a polynuclear complex of carbohydrate and ferric hydroxide on days 7, 14, 21 and 28, for a total dosage of 1.6 g of iron. Foals had access to Bermuda grass hay and Bahia pasture. A creep feed formulated with no trace mineral supplement was provided after two months of age. Hemoglobin concentration, hematecrit, erythrocyte counts, mean cell volume, microcyte numbers, plasma protein, fibrinogen, total leucocyte count, serum iron, total iron binding capacity and serum ferritin values were determined at 8 different ages. On the basis of analysis of variance at P<0.05, no significant differences were found between groups for any of these parameters, however, there were changes in parameters over time in both groups. A discussion of results and possible interpretations follows. |
