The foal is born with a functional immune system (if all is normal), but has a general absence of immunoglobulins to aid in the defense against infection. The foal acquires his initial immunoglobulin protection from the mare’s first milk, which
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).
Foals born to mares which do not receive proper nourishment during gestation could be born weak.
It’s nearing the best time of the year again–foaling season. Although most foals are born in the spring of the year, between February and June, sometimes we see foals in late December or early January. Often these tiny newborns delivered to our
Your three-month-old foal has made it through the birthing process and the vulnerable neonatal period and now seems to be carefree–your little one just has to grow up to fulfill his destiny as a performance
No one looks forward to weaning time. There’s nothing quite as heart-rending as the sound of a panicky foal, galloping up and down the fence line calling desperately for the mother who’s been taken away–unless it’s the sound of his dam calling
I have been told that my horse has an umbilical hernia. What is an umbilical hernia and what can be done to correct it?
When foals get sick, horse owners can sometimes face many sleepless nights, as well as weeks or months of intensive management, to get these babies through the rough spots. One of the most common problems in the ill foal is pneumonia, caused by
Tyzzer’s disease affects many species of animals. It was originally described as an illness of mice, but has also been reported to cause disease in dogs, cats, rats, gerbils, rabbits, guinea pigs, monkeys, muskrats, hamsters, and foals. Tyzzer’s
A mare goes into labor. Powerful and swift contractions expel a foal that, for a short time, lies helpless in the straw or on the grass. A handler quietly approaches the wet creature that is drawing its first breaths. This
Final preparations will need to be made so that the newborn foal gets the best chance at life.
Foals, just as infants, are vulnerable to disease and infection because their young bodies are naive to the world of germs and bacteria. The inclination, particularly for horse owners who choose to vaccinate their own horses, is to
My veterinarian says my filly has a cleft palate. Does this mean the same as it does in humans?
The birth of a long-awaited foal is an occasion to celebrate. But what if the unthinkable happens?
The necessity of foals being shipped can arise for a variety of different reasons, including traveling with the mare to a breeding farm, moving to a new farm after purchase, or traveling to a hospital due to illness or injury of the foal or mare.
Developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) remains one of the top concerns of breeders worldwide. Not one condition, but rather a series of related syndromes, DOD encompasses anything that contributes to poor skeletal development in foals: angular
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with
