I don't think it's right...



            
A successful transition from the intrauterine to the extrauterine environment is the first challenge for the neonatal foal.  This may be complicated by events both before and during parturition.  Once exposed to the external environment, the neonate must rapidly develop normal behavior so as to associate with the mare; hit its targets for righting, standing and suckling; and develop defenses against a myriad of infectious challenges.  No small task for something a few hours old.  Puts us humans to shame really.
Things go perfectly most of the time.  When they don’t, there’s people like me.  Signs of a problem may be subtle, but knowing what to look for helps.  Common presenting signs for the compromised neonate include depression, weakness, lack of suckle reflex, fever, sepsis, and neurological dysfunction.

Prediction of the High Risk Neonate: the checklist
Maternal Conditions:
  • Systemic problems: for example fever, gastrointestinal compromise with potential for endotoxemia, and surgical manipulation all affect the health of the mare, and therefore the foal.
  • Reproductive problems: history of previous neonatal compromise, placental pathology and pre partum loss of colostrum.  Some mares just keep having problems.  Don’t expect her luck to change without doing something about it.
Parturient Events:
  • Abnormal gestation length.  You need to know the last breeding date (not when you were told she is going to foal) and what is normal for your mare.
  • Abnormalities of the birth canal, prolonged labor, dystocia, premature placental separation, and premature rupture of the umbilical cord.  Some of these you can predict, some you can’t.
  • Meconium in the amniotic fluid or amnion may be the only indication of aspiration.  If the fluids look abnormal, assume the foal has been challenged.
Neonatal Conditions:
  • Growth retardation, meconium staining, or placental disease.  Not every foal looks like it will have a trouble-free start in life – look for the signs.
  • Trauma during delivery may have effects that are not apparent until a few days of age.  Abnormal behavior and the inability to stand (30-60 minutes) and suckle (up to 2 hours) lead to a lack of colostrum intake, preventing adequate transfer of passive immunity and increased chances infection will develop.  Be proactive.

Once you have an idea what may have gone on, you can start running through a list of things which might happen next.  Foals are fairly resilient, but you have to be quick and only let them bounce once if they fall.  I’ll start going through some of the main problems at a later time.








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