My mare is going to have a foal this spring.  What sort of medical things are important for me to pay attention to to make sure that it is healthy?

It is important to understand the normal events following the birth of your foal in order to recognize any abnormalities as quickly as possible.  Neonatal foals can become very sick, very quickly and it is important to identify possible problems early so that appropriate therapy can be initiated in a timely fashion.  Medical treatment of sick foals can be a costly and involved process, but may often be avoided or significantly decreased if problems are recognized and attended to as soon as they arise. 

The normal foal should, within the first 15 minutes after birth, make vigorous attempts to stand.   It should be successful in doing so within the first 30 to 60 minutes and once up, it should make a deliberate effort to find the mare’s udder.  Normal foals should latch onto the udder and suckle well within 1 to 4 hours after birth. A normal neonatal foal should nurse vigorously at least once an hour.   Nursing properly is the most important task of the foal within the first day of its life.  A foal’s sole source of immunity to disease within the first few weeks of life is the colostrum it receives from the mare.  Even in the cleanest of environments, foals are constantly exposed to bacteria and can develop infections very easily if adequate passive transfer of immunity (colostrum intake) is not achieved.  The antibodies that the foal receives in colostrum are large proteins and the foal’s intestinal tract can only absorb these proteins within the first 24 hours after birth.  Therefore, it is extremely important to make sure that the foal is strong and suckling well within this first day of life.  In addition, any supplemental colostrum or commercial product given orally after 24 hours of age will not be helpful.

There are a number of factors that may affect whether the foal receives adequate passive transfer of immunity.  First, the mare has to have adequate colostrum for the foal to ingest.  Mares may leak colostrum before they foal, or may not produce any at all.  Some mares may produce an adequate volume of colostrum, but the concentration of antibodies in it may be inadequate.  Checking to see what is actually coming out of the mare is important.  Colostrum is a thick, sticky, golden material and should be readily milked from the udder.  If you are unable to milk any liquid out of your mare’s udder, or if the material is thin and watery, or appears more like milk than colostrum, you should contact your veterinarian.  The antibody concentration of colostrum can be measured either directly or indirectly by assessing the density of it.  Commercial “colostrometers” are available, and may be recommended for larger breeding farms in order to assess colostral antibody concentration.  The second factor in the foal receiving adequate passive transfer of immunity is its successful ability to find the udder and suck.  Numerous medical conditions can cause a foal to be too weak or unable to stand.  Additionally, do not assume that if the foal is able to stand that it can find the udder and suck.  If you do not see your foal latch onto the udder and suckle well within the first four hours after birth, you should call your veterinarian.

Dipping the umbilicus is an important process in order to prevent infection.  The umbilical cord should break on its own during birth and a small amount of bleeding is normal.  It is very unusual for a foal to lose an excessive amount of blood from the umbilicus and it should not be clamped, or tied off as this can increase the likelihood of infection.  It is recommended that the umbilicus be dipped with a dilute antiseptic solution as soon as possible after birth.  One part of 2% chlohexidine (NolvasanÒ) solution mixed with three parts of sterile water has been shown to be best at reducing bacterial contamination.   This solution can be easily acquired from your veterinarian before foaling.  Tincture of iodine is not recommended as this can be very caustic and can increase the likelihood of infection and other umbilical problems.  The umbilicus should be dipped 3-4 times per day for the first 2 days after birth.  Between dippings it should remain clean and dry and if it appears to be constantly wet, swollen or if it drips when your foal urinates, you should call your veterinarian.

 Foals should pass their first manure (meconium) within the first four hours of birth.  This manure is often firm and may become impacted in the foal’s rectum.  The act of suckling stimulates intestinal motility and passage of meconium, colostrum is a natural laxative and most foals pass their meconium without incident.  However, many people advocate prophylactic enemas at the time of birth.  These should be given before the foal stands and suckles in order to be most effective.  Commercial phosphate enemas (FleetÒ enemas) are best but can be extremely irritating to the lining of the rectum if overused.  It is best to administer one enema and if meconium is not produced within the first four hours, call your veterinarian.

All foals should be examined by a veterinarian at around 24 hours of age.  Your veterinarian will test the foal’s blood immunoglobulin (IgG, antibody) concentration in order to determine adequate passive transfer of immunity.  He or she will also thoroughly examine the foal to ensure that it is healthy and strong.   Nutritional care, routine vaccinations and deworming of both the foal and mare should be discussed at this time in order to determine the ideal health care plan for each individual animal.  The importance of early recognition of problems and initiation of appropriate therapy cannot be overemphasized.  If you are not sure what is or is not normal, it is best to consult your veterinarian.