Normal Foaling Events & Behavior

Question 1

What are the 3 normal stages of equine parturition? How does prolonged duration of any stages affect the foals?

Answer 1

1. 1-2 days - mare becomes uncomfortable and contractions begin to position the foal —> looks like colic!
2. 30 mins - foal emerges from the birth canal, resulting in fluid evacuation due to pulling off the placenta
3. placental delivery within a few hours of the foal birth

infection or laminitis due to retained placenta

Question 2

What kind of offspring are foals?

Answer 2

precocious - able to stand and suckle within the first hours of life

Question 3

How long after birth do foals usually take to stand and seek the mare?

Answer 3

within an hour

• should be able to catch udder within a few tries (within 2 hours)

Question 4

When should the foal latch onto the udder and consume its first meal?

Answer 4

within the first few hours

• suckle burst = attached to one nipple and continuously suckles for 20-30 secs
• foal shouldn’t walk around the mare to suckle on other nipple

Question 5

How often should a foal suckle once it has had its first meal?

Answer 5

1-2 times/hr

• foals should seem content after feeding and rest
• if the foal has not gotten enough milk, it will swish its tail and bat at udders

Question 6

What volume of milk should a foal consume of a daily basis?

Answer 6

20% of body weight

Question 7

What are the 4 basics to normal suckling behavior in foals?

Answer 7

1. normal suckle burst lasts around 30 mins
2. foal moves from teat to teat
3. udder is empty when foal is done
4. foal seems satisfied

Question 8

How can you be sure that a foal is suckling well?

Answer 8

• palpate the foal’s throat to be sure it is swallowing
• auscultate the trachea while the foal is suckling - if fluid is heard = aspiration
• observe nares - milk coming out = aspiration

Question 9

How should a mare’s udder be when their foal is suckling correctly?

Answer 9

soft, empty, normal temperature (not too hot), mare tolerant of palpation

Question 10

What is happening with this mare’s udder?

Answer 10

• swollen with milk = not emptied
• foal not suckling effectively

Question 11

How soon after birth should the foal pass feces? What is it’s first feces called?

Answer 11

6-8 hours

meconium —> black and sticky self-shedding of GI mucosa, not a lot of bacteria

Question 12

When should a foal complete passing of meconium?

Answer 12

2-3 defecations within 12-24 hours

Question 13

How soon after birth should a foal pass urine? How frequently should they urinate? What is normal specific gravity?

Answer 13

• FILLIES - 2-3 hr
• COLTS - longer, 6-8 hr

1-2 hours following suckling

isosthenuric (1.008-1.015) or hyposthenuric —> increased concentration = not suckling enough

Question 14

How often do neonatal foals sleep?

Answer 14

15 hours in brief period, where they lay on the ground sternally

• foal should jump up and seek out mare if approached
• foal should not be overly sleepy or groggy

Question 15

What are the 4 structures of the umbilicus in foals?

Answer 15

• urachus - top of bladder that remains open in utero and can be a source of contamination if left patent
• umbilical vein - remnant that passes blood from ther liver to the placenta and to the mare
• 2 umbilical arteries carry oxygenated blood from mare to the foal

Question 16

Why is a patent urachus considered dangerous for foals?

Answer 16

easy spot for contamination from the environment, allowing for focal/systemic infection

Question 17

Patent urachus:

Answer 17

urine puddling

Question 18

What is the most common cause of umbilical abscesses?

Answer 18

material retained in urachus

Question 19

What are umbilical hernias like?

Answer 19

• typically can be reduced or resolve by themselves
• chronic = strangulation can occur

Question 20

How do normal mares behave?

Answer 20

• encouraging and mothering
• maiden mares tend to have the most issues -best to not interfere to induce bonding
• should help foal reach udder, nuzzles, licks

foals do not have high caloric reserves - need quick interventions when mares reject

Question 21

What are proper general approaches to the beginning of a foal exam?

Answer 21

• less is best
• observe from a distance for mentation and RR
• equal distribution of BW = easier to flipping
• back foal into a corner or against mare with legs in front of stifle to prevent flipping backwards when out on pasture
• can restrain with hand around the tail close to the base

Question 22

How is foal hydration and perfusion most commonly examined?

Answer 22

mucous membranes should be wet and pink —> gums, vulva of fillies with pigmentation of gums or injury

• skin turgor not as accurate due to extra skin available on foals

Question 23

Why is the palate commonly examined in foals?

Answer 23

check for completeness, especially rostrally

Question 24

What is likely occurring in these endoscopies of a foal?

Answer 24

• enlarged pharyngeal lymphoid tissue - older foal with some kind of reaction (dust)
• incomplete soft palate - increases risk of aspiration and pneumonia development

Question 25

What respiratory sounds are expected in foals upon auscultation of the lungs?

Answer 25

bronchovesicular sounds over thorax should be quieter than in the trachea

Question 26

How is body weight most commonly measured in foals?

Answer 26

weight tapes - most accurate if the foal is at least 75 pounds - not the most accurate, but can examine trends

Question 27

What are the normal values of temperature, HR and RR in foals? What is important to note about newborns?

Answer 27

- 99-101 F - 80-120 - 26-40 normal to have in increased HR due to a cortisol surge

Question 28

Good physical exam of foals:

Answer 28

Question 29

What is the mare's placenta liike?

Answer 29

6 layers = specific transfer of molecules from mares to foals ---> antibodies are larger and not transferred in utero

Question 30

How fo foals normally attain antibodies needed for their immune system?

Answer 30

must ingest colostrum containing antibodies within the first 24 hours of life, when the GIT cells are open and able to capture larger particles like antibodies without needing digestion PASSIVE DIFFUSION

Question 31

How can a foal be checked for adequate passive transfer?

Answer 31

stall side SNAP test when the foal is at least 18 hrs old - adequate = antibody concentration >800 mg/mL