Care of the newborn foal and mare

Your foal has arrived … is it OK?

You create got been “patiently” awaiting the arrival of your novel foal for xi long months. You’ve given your mare the best possible aid in addition to acre yous await a normal, salubrious baby; every bit volition occur inwards the vast bulk of cases.

If yous are similar most of us yous volition wonder, “Is everything OK”?, says Robert N. Oglesby, DVM.

The Normal Foal

Standing in addition to nursing inside 2 hours are even so the best signs of a salubrious foal. Usual physical examination parameters similar temperature, pulse in addition to respiration are so variable inwards a newborn foal every bit to last almost useless for diagnosis. That does non hateful a physical examination is non important. Recording these parameters in addition to and then watching them to run across that they motility toward to a greater extent than normal numbers for immature foals tin last an early on clue of problems. The foal also needs to last checked for congenital problems that may crusade problems later.

The start pace inwards evaluating a foal’s status is knowing what is normal:

1. Gestational length should be, on average, 340 days, although salubrious foals create got been delivered every bit tardily every bit 365 days.
2. Normal, uneventful, “easy” delivery, amongst active project of virtually twenty minutes.
3. Stabilizes respiration in addition to middle charge per unit of measurement inside the start few hours. (normal values: respiration less than xl breaths/min., middle charge per unit of measurement less than lxxx beats/min.)
4. The mare becomes speedily attached to the foal.
5. The foal becomes attached to the mare in addition to “following” instinct strongly developed shortly after birth.
6. Passes meconium inside virtually the start 2-4 hours. Some straining is normal but should make a night mucilaginous stool.
7. Colts should last watched closely for urinating.

 

Early Warning List

Following is a listing of situations that may betoken problem brewing:

1. Premature foal (gestational length of less than 330 days) amongst a soft, silky pilus coat, floppy ears, depression nascency weight, weak, crooked legs, etc.
2. The foal who was the outcome of prolonged delivery (greater than thirty minutes).
3. The foal who has respiratory distress or whose respirations seem to larn to a greater extent than labored in addition to faster.
4. The foal who fails to stand upwards in addition to nurse unassisted inwards less than 2 hours.
5. The foal whose dam has alone small-scale amounts of milk (agalactia), which is of a sparse watery consistency.
6. The foal exhibiting abnormal conduct or obvious physical deformities.
7. The mare refuses to let the foal to nurse.

 

Something Is Wrong

Carefully monitor the newborn over the start days; fifty-fifty those foals appearing normal in addition to salubrious at nascency tin develop problems afterwards on.

Watch for:

1. Behavioral changes. Foals should larn stronger in addition to to a greater extent than active over the start few days. The start sign of serious problem may last increased fourth dimension downwards in addition to sleepiness.
2. Distended abdomen in addition to failure to transcend urine inside 8 hours.
3. Does non transcend meconium, strains to defecate in addition to appears uncomfortable.
4. Jaundiced appearance (yellowish eyes in addition to gums).
5. Diarrhea combined amongst depression (not to last confused amongst normal foal-heat diarrhea).
6. Any lameness or swelling inwards the immature foal. Assume that the abnormality is related to infection until that possibility is ruled out.
7. Swelling, drainage or hurting inwards the umbilicus (navel stump).

 

Care of the salubrious newborn foal

It is criterion that the belly clitoris last dipped inwards betadine solution several times daily over the start twain of days. Studies present no decrease inwards belly clitoris infections when this is non done. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 recent written report showed 0.5 % chlorhexidine [1 business office Nolvasan™  in 3 parts water] is the dip of selection for navels. Strong iodine is avoided due to its caustic properties.

Single antibiotic injections for the foal at nascency are of no role inwards preventing infections in addition to inwards my heed are contraindicated every bit they aid create a resistant population of bacteria. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 adventure of an unexpected reaction to the antibiotic is ever possible, too.

 

Passive transfer is real important

An of import seek to last certain your foal is good protected against illness is an IgG test. This seek volition brand certain the foal received adequate antibodies from the mare’s milk. An IgG seek on the foal sixteen hours after he start nursed would seem prudent.

IgG is shorthand for the type of immunoglobulin the foal receives from the mares colostrum. An immunoglobulin is a poly peptide that is produced yesteryear the cells of the immune organization that circulates inwards the blood in addition to provides defense against infectious diseases in addition to toxins. So, if everything goes well, the mare secretes her ain IgG into the colostrum or start milk to the foal.

IgG is a rather large poly peptide molecule that would usually last digested inwards the tum in addition to small-scale bowel in addition to thence lose its powerfulness to struggle infections. However for virtually the start 12 hours after birth, the bowel is receptive to these large poly peptide molecules in addition to volition absorb their intact. This procedure of production, secretion, ingestion, in addition to absorption, is called passive transfer.

Some problems that may forestall passive transfer are:

1. No colostrum.
2. Low levels of IgG inwards the colostrum.
3. Foal does non nurse well.
4. Foal does non absorb the proteins well.

So yous tin run across at that spot are all types of argue for failure. There are a issue of ways to banking concern check to run across if the procedure is working.

The colostrum tin last checked for immunoglobulin content yesteryear checking its specific gravity amongst a hydrometer. Specific gravities greater than 10.60 are considered practiced in addition to tend to last mucilaginous betwixt the fingers.

A ameliorate means to banking concern check for adequate passive transfer is yesteryear running a banking concern check on the foal’s blood at sixteen hours after the foal has start nursed. There are real accurate, piece of cake to read tests for this that the vet tin run on the serum.

The occupation is interpretation of the results. We know the foal amongst less than 200 mg/dl IgG inwards its blood is going to create got problems. In the yesteryear 400 mg/dl has been considered the depression halt of acceptable. However inwards the 200 to 400 attain a lot of tilt appears. It is best to consider the IgG score inwards lite of the total picture. The 200 to 400 attain mightiness last OK if the foal in addition to mare are salubrious in addition to the surround optimal. On the other paw levels below 800 (yes 800!) is non acceptable inwards the foal who is already sick. The foal uses upwards in addition to breaks downwards the mare IgG. We know infection speedily diminishes the IgG levels.

Should every foal last checked? Remember, i time a foal develops a systemic infection they are real hard in addition to expensive to treat. These tend to last mixed, resistant, toxin producing, gram negative blood infections. On the other paw a mare in addition to foal amongst a picture-perfect foaling in addition to no indication of problems is unlikely to create got problems. If the occupation is caught inwards the start 24 hours earlier infection develops it tin last prevented amongst a elementary transfusion.

You must determine if spending the extra $50 to $100 for the seek is worthwhile. I usually pose it to the clients this way, “if yous would pass $500 to $1000 on treating a sick foal amongst a guarded to fair prognosis, make the test”. Of course of didactics whenever at that spot are jeopardy factors present, I ever strongly recommend the seek every bit long every bit the toll of the transfusion, if the seek shows problems, is non prohibitive.

 

Vaccinating the foal

Vaccinating the newborn foal is controversial, too. The foal gets all his initial resistance to illness from the mare’s start milk. His immune organization is competent, it only hasn’t decided what is bad for the foal yet.

Vaccinations may necktie upwards roughly of the mare’s antibodies in addition to truly brand the foal to a greater extent than susceptible to infection. We know this does non come about amongst the tetanus vaccination, so it is condom at this time. Other vaccines are even so non known. Usually the foal is good protected for the start 3 months. Best for the foal is to last certain the mare is vaccinated i calendar month earlier birth, in addition to then the foal larn his start vaccines at 3 months of age.

Another criterion handling is an enema for the foal. Standard Fleet enemas [saline laxative] that are available at the drug shop are used. It is truthful that most foals strain somewhat to transcend their meconium for the start day, but few truly require treatment.

 

Don’t forget the mare

The mare needs to last checked for traumatic complications to the reproductive tract, adequate colostrum production, in addition to consummate passage of the placenta. Crampiness next nascency is normal but if the mare’s colicky conduct is severe or worsens over fourth dimension complications similar a torn uterus or uterine artery rupture should last investigated.

The mare volition last anxious after the foal is born in addition to complimentary selection practiced character hay volition locomote a long means towards relaxing her. She volition forthwith involve extra poly peptide in addition to calcium inwards her diet, so alfalfa hay is a practiced choice, but brand feed changes slowly.

The placenta should transcend inside a twain of hours of nascency in addition to if non yesteryear 8 hours she volition involve immediate treatment. If the mare’s worming programme is less than optimal, a deworming amongst ivermectin should last done now.

 

A finally give-and-take of advice

The most mutual killer of neonatal foals is infection. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 foal tin locomote from salubrious to critically sick inwards less than a day. If yous suspect something is incorrect amongst your foal, forthwith is the fourth dimension to act. If yous hold back until he is real sick his chances of survival larn poor. Good mare aid in addition to a clean, dry out surround are your best protection against problems.

 

This article reprinted amongst permission from Horseadvice.com, an meshwork information resources for the equestrian in addition to Equus caballus manufacture since 1994. It has tens of thousands of documents on the spider web virtually Equus caballus care, diseases, in addition to training.

First published on Horsetalk.co.nz inwards 2005.

 

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