Rupture of the Gastrocnemius Muscle in Neonatal Thoroughbred Foals: A Report of Three Cases

Rupture of the gastrocnemius muscle is occasionally found in neonatal foals associated with dystocia and assisted delivery. In this report, 3 cases of gastrocnemius muscle disruption in newborn Thoroughbred foals (6, 5 and 2 days old) are reported. In all cases, the foals were presented with inability to rise unassisted postpartum, a dropped tarsus and swelling in the caudal aspect of the thigh accompanied by a hematoma. Ultrasonography, radiography, computerized tomography (CT) and subsequent autopsy were performed to confirm the clinical and pathological features of these cases.