Normal Foaling and Foal

Question 1

how long is gestation in a mare?

Answer 1

11 months
320-365 days

Question 2

what happens 4-6 weeks before birth?

Answer 2

mammary development
increasing estrogen, decreasing progesterone

Question 3

when does foalert- a transmitter sutured to vulvar lips- not work?

Answer 3

when foal is not presented correctly in parturition and does not trigger alarm

Question 4

how can you prepare the mare for parturition?

Answer 4

clean udder and hindlegs where foal may suckle
wrap tail
place in clean stall of in small clean paddock
undo caslick if one has been placed

Question 5

what infectious causes make mare pregnancies high risk?

Answer 5

placentitis: bacterial or fungal
equine herpes virus

Question 6

what are some non-infectious reproductive causes of a high risk pregnancy?

Answer 6

twinning
congenital abnormalities
uterine torsion
fescue endophyte toxicosis
dystocia
premature placental separation
neonatal asphyxia

Question 7

what can you use transabdominal ultrasound to check for in pregnant mares?

Answer 7

live foal
twins
excess allantoic fluid
placentitis

Question 8

what is the objective of managing a high-risk dam?

Answer 8

optimize pregnancy length and prevent foal infection

Question 9

what is stage I of labor like?

Answer 9

mare restless, may appear colicky
30 mins to 4 hours
uterine contractions help position foal

Question 10

what are most dystocias due to?

Answer 10

malposition of foal

Question 11

when should the placenta be passed?

Answer 11

within 3 hours

Question 12

how much should the placenta weigh?

Answer 12

11% of foal’s body weight

Question 13

how long should it take for thee foal to put itself into sternal?

Answer 13

3-5 minutes

Question 14

when should a foal be nursing?

Answer 14

45-90 minutes

Question 15

how much colostrum does a foal require?

Answer 15

1-2 liters of good quality colostrum

Question 16

how long can colostrum from mares be stored frozen?

Answer 16

1-2 years

Question 17

how does sunlight affect colostrum?

Answer 17

reduced colostrum with reduced sunlight

Question 18

what happens with foal GI systems at 2-3 months?

Answer 18

continued growth of small intestine but largest difference in cecum and large colon

Question 19

what is the gastric pH of newborn foals?

Answer 19

3.2-3.7

Question 20

when is liver glycogen depleted in a newborn foal?

Answer 20

within 2 hours of birth

Question 21

what is coprophagia?

Answer 21

eating poop
normal for foals

Question 22

what is a foal’s birth weight?

Answer 22

10-11% of dam

Question 23

when do foals reach 95% of their adult height?

Answer 23

by 18 months of age

Question 24

what are the prepartum causes of low birth weight?

Answer 24

prematurity
twinning
intrauterine growth retardation secondary to placental dysfunction

Question 25

when does colostrum show up?

Answer 25

2-14 days before parturition

Question 26

what are some signs of impending birth?

Answer 26

waxing of teats sacrosciatic tone relaxed vulva relaxes all last few weeks

Question 27

when should you begin testing mammary secretions to predict parturition?

Answer 27

10-14 days before foaling date

Question 28

when do most mares foal?

Answer 28

between 9pm and 9am

Question 29

what are some signs of placentitis?

Answer 29

precocious lactation vulval discharge

Question 30

what are some non-reproductive causes of a high risk pregnancy?

Answer 30

any severe maternal illness colic endotoxemia pleuritis abdominal tunic ruptures

Question 31

should you do a vaginal exam on a pregnant mare?

Answer 31

no- might introduce bacteria

Question 32

what should you look at for the fetus with ultrasound?

Answer 32

cloudy amniotic fluid increased fluid presence of two hearts approximate size appropriate activity placental detachment

Question 33

what is stage II of labor?

Answer 33

water breaks and foal passes into birth cana; must be delivered within 20-30 minutes

Question 34

where are nocardia infections seen on the placenta?

Answer 34

near horns and ventral body

Question 35

when should a foal attempt to stand?

Answer 35

10-30 minutes

Question 36

where should you palpate on a foal?

Answer 36

ribs mouth eyes umbilicus inside of ears joints for swelling

Question 37

what is in colostrum?

Answer 37

high IgG, less IgA and IgM nutrition: high protein, lower lactose and lipid mild laxative effect

Question 38

when is peak absorption of colostrum?

Answer 38

within 6-8 hours of birth

Question 39

how can you assess quality of colostrum?

Answer 39

colostrometer: >1.060 brix refractometer: 20-30%

Question 40

what level of IgG is aimed for in colostrum?

Answer 40

>800 mg/dL

Question 41

what is complete failure of passive immunity?

Answer 41

<400 mg/dL

Question 42

what is partial failure of passive immunity?

Answer 42

400-800 mg/dL

Question 43

when should you give colostrum vs hyperimmune plasma transfusion to a foal with partial failure of passive immunity?

Answer 43

colostrum if available and <12 hours of age

Question 44

what should you do if a foal does not nurse within 2 hours?

Answer 44

tube feed colostrum as soon as possible

Question 45

what are the risk factors for failure of passive immunity?

Answer 45

month of foaling: reduced sunlight age of dam: older adverse events around parturition breeds: standardbreds poor quality due to leakage prepartum

Question 46

when should you perform IgG testing?

Answer 46

normal foal: 18-24 hours high risk foal: 12-24 hours

Question 47

what happens in the first month of life with the gastrointestinal system?

Answer 47

increased small intestinal length and diameter, increased villous surface area

Question 48

when do maltase and lactase activity equal each other?

Answer 48

3-4 months of age

Question 49

how much should foals drink per day?

Answer 49

25-30% of body weight per day

Question 50

how many kcals do foals require a day?

Answer 50

120-150 kcal/kg/day

Question 51

what is daily average weight gain of foals?

Answer 51

1.6 kg/day

Question 52

how tall are foals at birth?

Answer 52

60% of adult height at withers

Question 53

what are postpartum causes of low birth weight?

Answer 53

agalactia in mare foal rejection by mare foal not nursing catabolism secondary to disease malabsorption of food