“It’s definitely here,” said Doug Byars, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, an internal medicine specialist with the Hagyard-Davidson-McGee veterinary medical center in Lexington, Ky. “It’s not as consistent thus far, but a few farms are bringing us foals routinely. On some farms there is significant early fetal loss, on others it is sporadic.”

“It” refers to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) and the other problems associated with the spring syndromes seen in Kentucky and other states last year. While the numbers of problem foals or foal losses are down tremendously from last year, Byars reported that the neonatal portion of the hospital is full, although there have not been the daily influx of eight or 10 foals at a time like was seen last year. They are seeing two or three foals a day admitted with symptoms similar to last year