Physical signs of foaling

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Physical signs of foaling

• What we should see?

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3-6 weeks prior

• Udder development
• Swelling teats
• Secretions from teat resembling honey
• Teat sphincters relax allowing wax to form
• Expect mare to foal in the next 8-48 hours
• Everything not textbook in relation to time!

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Udder anatomy

• Udder two separate milk sacs.
• Each sac composed of 2 mammary glands.
• Duct from each gland come together forming a
  common duct to the teat.

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Udder issues

• Milk streaming from udder?
• Problem
• Collect immediately and store
• Mare leaking milk at mid pregnancy
• Possible impending abortion?
• Dont collect colostrum
• Not significant in antibodies

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12 -48 hours

• Sacrsciatic ligaments of pelvis relax
• Vulva swells doubles in size
• Milk let down occurs
• Get the tail wrapped up and a good grooming are
  in order.

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Milk let down

• Controlled by the release of oxytocin
• Pituitary
• Labor and delivery
• Stimulation of the teats
• Wash the teats
• sucking

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The importance of records

• Mares are usually consistent
• Should record
• Duration of pregnancy
• Time of waxing
• Relaxation of ligaments
• Temperature changes
• Eating habits prior and after foaling

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Placenta

• Comprised of two membranes a sac within a sac.
• Outer sac allantois-chorion adhered to the
  mares uterus
• Deep-reddish colored, roughened membrane
• Hooks together like hooks and loop of Velcro

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amnion

• The inner sac
• Thin, delicate tissue,
• Milk white colored membrane surrounding the foal
• Can be harvested for wound care situations.

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Red bag delivery

• Emergency!
• If red chorion appears first indicates
  premature separation of placental attachment to
  uterus.
• Endangers foal oxygen supply.
• Red bag must be opened immediately
• Rapid delivery of foal required!
• Problems?

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Preparatory phase or phase 1

• Can last from 1-4 hrs
• Looks similar to colic
• Eats bedding
• restlessness
• Goes off feed
• sweating

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End of phase 1

• Contractions forces placenta through cervix
• Cervical starweak spot in the placenta
• Placenta (allantochorion) ruptures at this point
• Allows the expulsion of 2-5 gallons of fluid
• breaking the water

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Breaking water
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Phase 2

• Cervix dilated, allows amnion fetal membrane
  surrounding the foal to pass through cervix.
• Should see 2 feet a nose
• Should only take about 10-15 min
• No foal after 20-30 min check for malpresentation
• Get mare up and walk her

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Expulsion of the fetus

• Mare may be up and down
• Stays down for final delivery, hard abdominal
  effort and uterine contractions
• Soles should be downward
• One leg slightly ahead of the other followed by
  the muzzle
• Takes about 15 min

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Phase 3 cont

• Mare stays down _at_ 10 min to recover her wits!
  Why ?
• Rest after exertion
• Transfer of placental blood
• 1200cc to 1500cc blood in fetal membranes
• Blood important to get the rbcs and oxygen
  transferred to foal

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Phase 4

• Expulsion of the membranes
• Placenta 15 min to 1 hr
• Retrieve placenta for examination to determine if
  pieces are missing
• Should only be one hole in one horn

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Things we shouldnt do!

• Disturb the mare unnecessarily
• Pull on placenta
• Cut umbilical cord
• Towel off foal allow mare to
• Force mare to get up
• Try to make foal suck may take 3 hrs to find
  teat. Dont get frustrated.