Texas Equine Veterinary Association

www.texasequineva.com • 14 is critical to saving foals Early & Aggre e Int vention By Piper Norton, DVM, DACVIM Piper Norton, DVM, DACVIM is a board-certified internal medicine specialist doing mobile consulting in the Austin, Texas, area. She graduated from LSU SVM in 2007. Since that time, she pursued her love of internal medicine by completing a residency at Texas A&M CVM and by practicing at Elgin Veterinary Hospital for seven years. She then established her own practice, Texas Equine Veterinary Associates, in 2017. Although she appreciates all aspects of internal medicine, her favorite niche is neonatal medicine. She serves on the TEVA Board of Directors and is the editor of the TEVA Remuda. She also serves on AAEP's Infectious Disease Committee. If you know me well, you know that foals are my absolute favorite patients (well, besides donkeys). As an internist, I have tried to hone in on those things that will increase foal and broodmare survival at various breeding farms, while preventing illness to help success of breeding farms and the future endeavors of the foals. An important factor is the upfront cost to the client, which can lead to savings down the road and can be explained as such to help get clients "on board" with the broodmare and foal exams, diagnostics, and early therapies/preventatives. e goal of this article is to serve as a refresher and use my experience in equine internal medicine to help guide your individual/practice's approach for a successful foaling season. MAINTAINING A HEALTHY PREGNANCY Broodmares are commonly overlooked, with a "turn them out in the back 40 until they are close" mentality by many clients. Once a fetal heartbeat is noted, ideally fetal ultrasounds should be performed every two months to evaluate the health of the fetus and catch any abnormalities early. At each visit, the mare should have her weight, body condition, and concurrent conditions rechecked with treatment or changes in plane of nutrition as needed. is is especially important in the third trimester when the mare's nutrition should increase as the size of the fetus is exponential. Body condition is also important as loss of body fat can lead to changes in perineal-vaginal conformation, putting mares at risk for ascending placentitis in addition to possibly indicating a systemic problem in the mare. is time also allows mares to be vaccinated for EHV-1, with the recommended dosages at 5, 7, and 9 months. Pregnancy ultrasounds should include transrectal early in pregnancy and both, transrectal and transabdominal, as pregnancy progresses. is will allow evaluation of the combined thickness of the uterus and placenta (CTUP), fetal size, heart rate, and characterization of the placental fluid including echogenicity and depth. Evaluation of the mare for any signs of vaginal discharge and early/abnormal udder development as these may indicate an early placentitis. Dr. Joan Carrick's article on "Fetal and Placental Monitoring of the Mid to Late Term Pregnant Mare" in the 2019 winter issue of e Remuda gives a more complete overview. 30 DAYS BEFORE EXPECTED FOALING DATE Preparation of the Stalls/Paddock: A farm visit 30 days prior to foaling, allows the veterinarian and client discuss where the mare will be housed for parturition and in the subsequent days. Paddock foaling is recommended based on data that foals born in paddocks will inhale less Rhodococcus equi as compared to foals in stalls. However, some farms still prefer stall foaling for the ease of monitoring. Stalls used for parturition need to be stripped, cleaned, disinfected, and prepped prior to use and between foalings in large breeding operations. e type of

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