Care of the Newborn Foal

We spend so much time and money getting these mares in foal; here are some guidelines to making sure that foal is doing all the right things in the first 48 hours of life. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure no saying is more accurate than this one when it comes to foals. I am going to go over a few basic points that could save you a lot of money in the long run. Oftentimes if we catch these issues early the outcome is far better and less expensive. Lets begin with the pre-foal vaccinations. This is imperative to do. Vaccinate your mare 4 weeks before shes due to foal. The antibodies in these vaccines will pass to the foal in her colostrum. We recommend using Vetera Gold and Rabies. Ok so the foal is on the ground, now what? There are several milestones that the foal should do in a timely manner. Each step is very important and should be closely monitored. Understanding normal foaling behavior helps observers identify abnormal behavior or problems associated with foaling. These examples are typical, some foals go through each step quicker and some are a little slower. The times are approximate and the importance here is to identify when too much time has lapsed. Some of the most important steps happen within the first 2 hours. A foal starts breathing within seconds A foal attempts to rise within 10 minutes

A foal stands within one hour A foal defecates meconium within 30 minutes ~ if not and appears to be straining to defecate, a commercial enema or soapy water enema is indicated A foal nurses within one hour, there may be many failed attempts but the mare usually assists the foal in finding and suckling the teat Foals nurse frequently during the first few weeks of birth. Estimates range from one to two times per hour. An important thing to do for the newborn foal is to dip the umbilical stump several times each day for the first 3 days to prevent bacteria from entering the foals body. An important note is these bacteria can cause a systemic infection. This infection causes severe illness or death in foals and causes swelling and deformities in the foals joints. Use Chlorhexadine Solution (Blue) to dip the umbilical stump. We recommend running an Igg test on the foal 24 hours post birth in order to determine if the foal has ingested adequate colostrum. If the test reveals the foal did not receive adequate colostrum IV Plasma may be indicated in order to boost the foals immune system and protect it from infection. If one or more of these steps are not within the normal timeframe contact us immediately. It is better safe than sorry; we can intervene with a higher success rate if situations are caught early.

Have a great foaling/breeding season! Dr. Matt Gomulak