Placentitis–Caring for the Foals

During the foaling season, Bain said, veterinarians are frequently called upon to deal with a foal that is the product of a mare with placentitis. These foals, he said, can range from being extremely early–300 days–with small size and organ function incompatible with life to a full-sized foal nearer to full-term gestation with minimal effects.
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Closing out the in-depth section on placentitis at the 50th annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention in Denver, Colo., Dec. 4-8, 2004, was Fairfield Bain, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVP, ACVECC, of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, PLLC Department of Internal Medicine and Critical Care in Lexington, Kentucky, who discussed "Management of the Foal from the Mare with Placentitis."

During the foaling season, Bain said, veterinarians are frequently called upon to deal with a foal that is the product of a mare with placentitis. These foals, he said, can range from being extremely early–300 days–with small size and organ function incompatible with life to a full-sized foal nearer to full-term gestation with minimal effects.

Once a mare is diagnosed with placentitis, he said, it is incumbent upon the veterinarian involved to inform the owner about potential outcomes. There are a number of cases, he said, where humane considerations and economics figure into the decision-making process. The underlying message was that treatment of a premature foal in an intensive care facility can be expensive, with no guarantee of a positive outcome.

"Once the decision is made to allow an affected foal to survive," he said, "it should be considered a 'high-risk' neonate and be evaluated and treated accordingly. This should include initial laboratory workup and possibly early treatment for possible birth asphyxia. The physical examination should include assessment of all organ systems–eyes for evidence of hypopyon (an accumulation of pus), lungs for evidence of in utero pneumonia, and placental membranes for patterns of inflammation. Sampling should be done for culture, histopathology, and possibly cytology (cell examination). In many foals that are born early, orthopedic assessment remains a significant part of the decision process, because incomplete ossification of the cuboidal bones, especially in the hocks, remains one of the most important factors in loss of use, and in some cases eventual euthanasia of affected foals

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Les Sellnow was a prolific freelance writer based near Riverton, Wyoming. He specialized in articles on equine research, and operated a ranch where he raised horses and livestock. He authored several fiction and nonfiction books, including Understanding Equine Lameness and Understanding The Young Horse. He died in 2023.

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