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Veterinarian Tips

 Welcome New Arrivals!!!

Spring has sprung, and the new foals are being met with great anticipation. A great deal of time and money has already been invested in your pregnant mare, and this month's vet tips will discuss some common foaling pitfalls and how to avoid them. Mother Nature has been breeding horses for a very long time, and 99% of the time, foaling is normal with healthy results. However, when things do go wrong, diligent observation and a large measure of common sense and good nursing care can go a long way towards saving a foal which may otherwise be lost. Knowing what is normal and what is not is important in recognizing if a problem exists, and this knowledge can be learned by experienced observation, as well as reading. There are a number of excellent foaling manuals and books on this subject.

A simple rule of thumb is to remember 1-2-3. The new foal should normally stand within 1 hour of birth, nurse within 2 hours of birth, and the placenta should be passed within 3 hours of birth. If not, then it is time to intervene.

I highly recommend that some sort of foaling monitor be used. This will save you countless hours of sleep, not to mention that if it saves even one foal, it will have paid for itself. I use the Foalert system, which is a small transmitter that takes about 15 minutes to suture to the mare's vulva, and I get a good night's sleep...until the alarm blasts me out of bed, announcing the foaling is in progress. Normally, I simply quietly observe. If the sac does not break from the foal's nose, I will tear the sac and continue to observe. If assistance is needed, I do not hesitate to help. It is normal for the mare and foal to rest for a bit before the umbilical cord breaks when one of them moves, and as soon as the cord breaks, I immediately dip the foal's navel in chlorhexidene or iodine solution and spray it with antibiotic spray. I prefer to wait until after the foal has nursed before giving an enema, as I would rather they use their energy to nurse instead of straining to defecate. Also, the colostrum has some laxative properties to it as well.

The next order of business is colostrum. If the foal has not nursed before 2 hours of age, it is definitely time to intervene. If the mare is nervous and not standing still, I may simply halter and hold her still. If the foal is just not finding it, or is weak, I do not hesitate to milk the mare's colostrum and give it to the foal in a baby bottle with a regular nipple. The new, high-tech, no-air human baby bottle nipples are too small. Just a regular human baby nipple works fine. If the foal does not have a suck reflex, then the vet will need to tube the foal with the colostrum. If the mare has no colostrum, or has lost her colostrum due to premature lactation, then you will need to have frozen colostrum on hand, preferably find this before the foal arrives, as time is of the essence. The foal can only absorb the colostral antibodies for the first few hours after birth, otherwise a plasma transfusion will be necessary.

Another important issue for the new foal is warmth. Hopefully, all the cold weather is now behind us, but cold temperatures can wreak havoc on a new foal. Normal body temperature of a new foal is about 100 degrees F. If the foal becomes cold or hypothermic, gut motility stops and they spiral downhill very quickly. Simply monitoring a new foal's temperature can be very important, and warm towels, foal blankets, or even human sweatshirts can be used to help keep a foal warm. Heat lamps can also be useful, but with caution due to risk of fire.

A normal foal should nurse about every 20 minutes or so, and here is where careful observation is important to be certain that the foal is actually nursing. Do not assume that it is nursing just because it appears to be nursing. Check to be sure the foal is actually sucking and monitor the mare's bag to be sure that the nipples are being flattened. If the mare's bag appears big and tight, the foal is probably not nursing and needs medical attention.

I hope that these tips will be helpful for you, and I hope that all your new foals arrive healthy!