Page 59 - November 2015

come to a hospital survive. Those are the severe cases, however, so overall survival rates are bet- ter than that,” he says.
The foal may not seem very ill and may give you a hard time when trying to treat him, and then suddenly collapse. So, most veterinarians are careful to not be very aggressive when handling/treating these foals. It’s important that the foal be kept quiet and calm. Supportive care may include antibiotics since all of this stress can increase
the risk for infections. Some people put these foals on oxygen, which may help to some extent but not a lot, because their blood cells (which carry the oxygen) are limited. Most of the red cells are already carrying as much oxygen as they can.
Most of these foals just need time and medi- cation to help control fever. Some of them don’t feel well because of the fever. Many foals with NI will recover just fine with time and careful transfusions. But, a small percentage do not
do well, perhaps because it’s a type of antibody that is different and more deadly or more long lasting. Even if these foals are given transfu- sions, and no matter how carefully the blood is cross-matched, the antibodies tend to destroy those red blood cells, too. After a time, the liver just can’t keep up with processing and excreting broken-down red cells and is overwhelmed, and the foal gets liver damage. There are some foals that cannot be saved despite all the intensive care we can give them.
Using A Muzzle
If the mare’s milk is not safe, keep the foal muzzled for at least 24 hours and feed it another source of colostrum. “We recommend using a nylon muzzle on these foals, rather than leather,” says Slovis. “Nylon muzzles enable the foals to breath easier and don’t stress them as much.” Nylon muzzles are lighter weight and easier on the foal. Also, when foals salivate into the muzzle, the leather ones stay
Monitor For Other Illnesses
“Foals that don’t get their own mothers’ milk should be watched closely for any signs of sickness. Even if they get another source of colostrum, it may not be as protective for the diseases they will face - especially if it’s not from a local mare or one
Colostrum Alternative
If you don’t have substitute colostrum, there is another alternative for these babies. Some veterinary clinics keep a supply of fresh frozen horse plasma on hand. If you are concerned about NI, try to be there when the
Milking The Mare
The dam of an NI foal must be milked frequently and the colos- trum discarded until it is safe for her foal to nurse. Milking a mare
so often can be a chore and she may not want to cooperate because her teats become sore from the friction of milking with your fingers. A quicker, easier, and safer way is to milk her is with an Udderly EZ mare milker. This is a hand-held trigger-operated pump. The soft- edged flange fits over the teat and a few squeezes of the trigger creates a vacuum that draws milk into the collection bottle underneath. It
moist and may encourage mold and bacterial growth. Leather is hard to disinfect, whereas you can throw nylon muzzles into the wash- ing machine and clean them with hot water, soap and bleach. You can find nylon grazing muzzles marketed for foals, or you can use a grazing muzzle for miniature horses that are used to keep them from eating too much.
from your own farm. The chances of it having antibodies that would harm the foal are probably low, but it may not contain all the necessary antibodies for diseases in your area or on your farm,” Lu says.
mare foals and not let the baby nurse. The foal can then be given plasma by IV transfusion, which is more effective than giving it orally, to provide important antibodies. This is an expensive alternative, but can be helpful.
fills the bottle much more quickly than milking by hand and is more comfortable to the mare. It only takes one hand to operate, so you can hold the mare and milk her if you don’t have anyone to help you, and doesn’t make the teats sore. You also don’t have to bend down under the mare to milk her with one hand and hold a container with the other. It’s safer for the person milking, easier on the mare, and she’s less inclined to kick. Nervous mares tolerate it better than hand milking because it can be done so easily and quickly.
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SPEEDHORSE, November 2015 57
EQUINE HEALTH