Your Guide to Equine Health Care

Foals and Meconium Impaction

Passing the meconium is, to me, the second-biggest hurdle a foal must overcome after birth–the first, obviously, is making the transition from the protected life within the uterus to life outside the uterus (breathing, standing, nursing).
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

With foaling season rapidly approaching, many people are checking their foaling kits, and preparing for the big delivery. You’ve got your thermometer, stethoscope, umbilical tape, disinfectant to dip the umbilicus, and lots of towels. The foal is delivered and thankfully, no problems–he’s up and nursing in no time. A few hours later, you go back out to check on the new addition and the foal is lying down and not comfortable. He keeps straining and he’s stopped nursing.

This scenario is all too familiar for neonatal foals. Passing the meconium is, to me, the second-biggest hurdle a foal must overcome after birth–the first, obviously, is making the transition from the protected life within the uterus to life outside the uterus (breathing, standing, nursing).

Here are some of the most common questions I get asked about meconium:

What is meconium? What do foals look like when they are having trouble passing their meconium? When should I call the veterinarian for help? What can I do to help the foal pass his or her meconium, and how do I know when it is all

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

Written by:

Christina S. Cable, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, owns Early Winter Equine in Lansing, New York. The practice focuses on primary care of mares and foals and performance horse problems.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

This poll is no longer accepting votes

Which hoof problem do you encounter most often in your horses?
342 votes · 342 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!