Placentitis was the subject of an in-depth session at the convention. Michelle LeBlanc, DVM, Dipl. ACT, of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., set the tone for the session when she told her listeners that, "The single most important cause of premature delivery of a foal is placentitis. It accounts for nearly one-third of late-term abortions and fetal mortality in the first day of life."

She said 90% of placentitis cases stem from bacteria entering the uterus via the vagina, then breaching the cervical barrier.

While the disease is insidious, she said, horse owners and practitioners have the advantage of being alerted by some outward signs, enabling them to begin a treatment to save the foal. Two of the classic tip-offs are vaginal discharge and premature udder development.

The goal of the practitioner, she said, is to manage these mares so that pregnancy is prolonged. "If premature birth can be delayed for a few weeks after clinical signs of placentitis develop," she informed her listeners, "a foal may be born significantly premature, but survive with limited neonatal care