Management of Neonatal Foals

 Most foal deaths occur within the first week of life due to the followings:
o Asphyxia
o bacterial infection
o starvation
o dystocia
 the advantages of neonatal management:
o to optimize and accelerate the detection of problems.
o prevents from over-evaluating the healthy foal.
 Categories of risks
o Low Risk Foals
 No maternal risk factors identified.
 Gestation of normal duration
 Events of parturition normal
 Provide care
o Moderate Risk Foals: These foals have only 1 risk factor of maternal or foal origin.
 Place foal on antibiotics immediately post birth for 48-72 hrs.
 Observe for early signs of illness
 Laboratory evaluation (Complete Blood Count, Serum IgG, Blood chemistry)
 Body weight measured daily: Foals should gain (0.5-1.5 Kg) per day.
o High Risk Foals
 Maternal Conditions
 Concurrent illness or fever.
 Pharmacologic related.
 Colic, endotoxemia
 Vaginal discharge
 Poor nutritional status.
 Poor mothering
 Placental Factors (Placentitis)
 Conditions of Labor or Delivery
 Any prolonged uterine contractions.
 Dystocia.
 Partial or complete premature placental separation.
 Early umbilical cord rupture or excessive hemorrhage following severance.
 Neonatal Conditions
 Congenital abnormalities
 Failure of passive transfer.
o This is usually caused by the foal being weak or by ingestion of poor quality
colostrum.
o defined as less than 600-800 mg/dl of serum IgG at 16-24 hrs. of age.
o Infection.
o Meconium staining around eyes and muzzle may indicate aspiration
pneumonia
o Adverse environmental conditions.
 Mare Vaccination: vaccines certified for use in pregnant mares that represent disease conditions the foal
will be exposed to early in life. Booster vaccination of mares 30 days before foaling
Vaccine Time
Tetanus mare in last 3-6 weeks before parturition
Rotavirus at months 8, 9 and 10 months gestation
Influenza 4-6 weeks from foaling
Equine herpes virus 1 at 5, 7 and 9 months of gestation.
 Reference
o Manual of Equine Neonatal Medicine, Madigan J.E. (Ed.)
o Identification and early management of the high risk neonatal foal, Anne M. Koterba'

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