Placentitis can wreak havoc for mare owners, so it’s important for vets to have a good understanding of the condition. | Photo: Anne M. Ebehardt/The Horse

Igor Canisso, DVM, MSc, PhD, Dipl. ACT, Dipl. DECAR (European College of Animal Reproduction), reviewed key features of placentitis and offered real-life field diagnosis and treatment options to “abort abortion” during the 2015 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 5-9 in Las Vegas.

Canisso conducted his placentitis research while at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center, in Lexington, and he now works in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s College of Veterinary Medicine,

“Approximately 3-5% of Thoroughbred mares suffer late-term pregnancies due to placentitis, making placentitis the leading cause of late-term abortion,” he said