Rodney Belgrave, D.V.M., M.S., Diplomate ACVIM

To ensure the health of your newborn foal, careful attention must be paid to the health of hte mare during her 11-month gestational period.  Many conditions that may adversely affect the mare, can also have deleterious effects on the foal while in utero, and consequently at, or shortly after, birth.

Bacterial infection (placentitis) or other conditions affecting the function of the placenta can give rise to problems with the foal in the immediate post-partum period.  Deprivation of oxygen while in utero, which occurs secondary to placental compromise, can lead to the development of hypoxic encephalopathy (dummy foal syndrome).  Foals born to mares with infected placentas can also experience septicemia (bacterial infection of the bloodstream).  The most common signs associated with placentitis are vaginal discharge and premature udder development and lactation.  These signs are typically observed during the last 6-8 weeks of gestation.

All pregnant mares should be vaccinated against rhinopneumonitis (Equine Herpes Virus 1) at the beginning of the 5th, 7th, and 9th months of gestation.  The mare should also be vaccinated 30 days prior to foaling against other important diseases such as Eastern and Western Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, Influenza, Tetanus and Botulism.  The need for Strangles, Rotaviurs, and Rabies vaccinations at this stage in gestation should be discussed with your veterinarian.  The newborn foal's immune system is very naive at birth.  These vaccinations will ensure that the foal is protected against these diseases, providing the foal ingests an adequate amount of good quality colostrum.  Colostrum is the rich, sticky, yellow antibody rick pre-milk secretion.  Colostral antibodies are absorbed across the intestine for approximately 18-24 hours, and provide immunity to a variety of diseases to which the mare has been exposed to or vaccinated against.

A human presence at the time of foaling can mean the difference between life and death for a newborn.  Three major problems may be experienced at the foaling process.  Dystocia or abnormal labor occurs when the foal is not correctly positioned in the birth canal.  The foal should be born with its front feet first and soles facing downwards.  Any abnormal presentation may require veterinary assistance.  Red bag or premature placental separation occurs when the chorioallantois (red velvety structure) fails to rupture, resulting in the foal and intact placenta being expelled at the same time.  It is critical to remove the foal from the chorioallantois as quickly as possible, as the foal is being deprived of oxygen during this time.  This can lead to death of the eventual development of dummy foal syndromve at 24-36 hourse of age.  Respiratory failure can also occur at birth, necessitating manual resuscitation.  A commercal resuscitator should be part of any foaling kit.

Once the placenta ruptures the foal should be delivered in 20-30 minutes.  A normal foal should be able to maintian itself in a sternal (upright) position within 5 minutes of being born.  As a general rule (the on-two-three rule), the foal should be able to stand within one hour, nurse within two hours, and the placenta should be passed within three hours.  Any delay in getting colostrum into the foal puts the foal at an increased risk of developing septicemia.  If premature lactation is an issue, an alternate source of colostrum should be sought.  A foal should ingest at least one to two liters of colostrum during the first 24 hours of its life.  If the foal does not suckle within two hours, your veterinarin should be contacted.  Retaining the placenta for more than four to six hours puts the mare at risk of developing metritis (bacterial infection/inflammation of the uterus).  Laminitis is a very common side effect of metritis, which emphasizes the need for prompt attention when the placenta is retained.  The placenta should always be evaluated by your veterinarian.  It should be intact and generally should weigh approximately 11% of the foal's body weight.

Once the foaling process is complete, the umbilical cord should be left intact and allowed to break at its natural breaking point (1-2 inches form thebody wall) when the mare stands.  If the cord must be broken, it should be manually teased apart at the natural breaking point and not cut with scissors.  The umbilicus should be promptly diffed in a 1:4 solution of chlorhexidine:water, and should be dipped every 4-6 hours therafter for 48-75 hours.  Once the mare stands, her udder, perineum and hind legs should be washed with warm soapy water or dilute betadine solution before the foal begins making an effort to suckle.  Any manure present in the stall should also be cleaned and fresh bedding (preferably straw) put in place.  This will minimize the ingestion of any bacteria prior to the ingestion of colostrum, and will potentially minimize the risk of septicemia.

Enemas are often routinely administered to the newborn foal in order to ease the passage of meconium.  Meconium is the first stool passed by the neonate.  It is usually dark brown, pelleted and firm relative to normal foal milk feces.  Commercially avilable enemas (e.g. Fleet) are most often used.

The foal's immunoglobin G (IgG) level should be assessed to determine whether an adequate level of protective antibodies were transferred to the foal via the colostrum.  This test is routinely performed at 18-24 hours, however may be performed as early as 12 hours depending on how soon after birth the foal has ingested colostrum.  The IgG level should be greater than 800 mg/dl.  Failure to attain this level may warrante administration of thawed plasma to further boost these levels.  An adequate IgG level does not completely eliminate the potential for illness (septicemia, infected joints, diarrhea) in the neonate.

The normal healthy equine neonate is a creature of habit.  It will spend a large quanityt of time sleeping, followed by getting up to sickle, urinate and then back to sleep.  Deviations from this routine (excessive sleep, not suckling or urinating) may be cause for concern, and may warrant a call to your veterinarian.