The Foal Flashcards
If fetal membranes are covering the foals head, what do you do
Remove them, they could suffocate
Is shivering normal?
Yes, especially if born in cold
Dry/provide heat source
Should you break the umbilical cord?
No, wait for it to break by itself (provides oxygenated blood)
Why/Should you dip the umbilical cord?
Opinions vary
DO NOT use tincture of iodine
Prevents bacteria from having direct access to uterus
Is it normal for a mares placenta to be hanging? How long?
Yes, not ideal if steps/tears it bc can’t examine it
No more than 3h
How long should it take for a foal to try to stand? Look for the udder?
30 minutes
As soon as its standing
Should mares be sedated to allow nursing
If she is agitated or aggressive
What is passed within hours of birth by the foal
Meconium (intestines are starting to work, connected to rectum)
Foaling is successful once…
Foal is up, nursing
Mare has passed placenta
Foal has passed meconium
What is the suck reflex? Righting reflex?
Sucking movements with mouth immediately after birth
Foal attempts to raise head and rest in sternal position within 5-10 mins
Physical exam of the mare
Tears/bruising
Presence of milk
General physical condition
Physical exam of the foal
Congenital abnormalities
Umbilical abnormalities
Swollen joints
Limb deformities
Examples of congenital abnormalities
Cleft palate
Heart murmurs
Cataracts
Physical exam of the placenta
Complete? Looks normal
What is the well-baby check
Collect blood sample to check for IgG
If a foal does not absorb adequate antibodies from the first milk = failure of passive transfer
Why are absorbed antibodies (colostrum) so important
Newborn foal is dependent on these antibodies for first few months to protect against infection
Around when does the foals own immune system start producing antibodies at adequate levels
10 weeks
Foals with failure of passive transfer are prone to
Infection
Septicemia (infection of bloodstream)
When should newborns be tested for antibodies
18-24h after birth
If the foal is not tested immediately, when should we definitely test for FPT
Depressed
Weak
Febrile
Swollen joints
Swollen umbilical cord
How long after birth can we expect orally administered antibodies to be absorbed
Only for 6h
If the window for oral antibodies has passed, what do we do
Plasma transfusion (IV)
How serious is FPT? Complications?
Severe to fatal
Infections (septicemia, umbilical infections, joint infections, pneumonia)
Failure of both humoral and cell-mediated immunity seen in the arabian breed
Combined immunodeficiency
When do CID foals start to get sick
Around five months, after colostrum antibodies from mom wear off
What kind of disease is CID?
Genetic: autosomal recessive inheritance
What do autosomal recessive diseases require
Two genes required (one from each parent) for manifestation
How is CID diagnosed
Arabian foals with recurrent infections, treatment not working
Biopsy of LN
How is CID treated
None
How serious is CID? Complications?
Death is inevitable ~5 months
Overwhelming infections
Identification of the stallion/mare as a carrier affects their value
When is a foal weaned
6 months
How long does the foal rely exclusively on dam for nutrition
2 1/2 months
Should weaning be abrupt
Ideally gradual, rare
When does protection against infectious disease start for a foal
When mare receives pre-foaling vaccinations
Why is scheduling vaccines for a foal complicated? When should vaccination start?
Maternally derived antibodies will interfere with ability of foals immune system to respond to vaccine
Around 6 months (colostrum antibodies dissipated)
When should deworming begin for a foal? Hoof care?
Deworm at ~ 6 weeks
Hoof care at and every 6-8 weeks
