Foals Gone Wrong - One Bad Thing To Another
It's incredible how the vast majority of neonatal foals, perhaps especially those born in the cold mid-winter, are able to survive all the challenges they face the moment they hit the ground - clearing their lungs to take their first breath, learning to stand and suckle so they can get milk from the mare before their body reserves run out, suddenly being exposed to the elements and having to regulate their own body temperature, and a world of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens just waiting to take advantage of their unprepared immune system.
Mother nature has found ways to protect these unsuspecting newborns from many of these threats. Horses are precocial animals, meaning their young are born relatively mature, so normal foals are able to stand and even walk within hours of birth. This is in contrast to altricial species, like dogs, cats and people, whose young are born essentially helpless. The umbilicus is meant to close off as it breaks off the placenta and soon dries out in foals that are able to stand, which helps prevent bacteria from invading through this portal. The most important protection from infection for foals comes from the mare's colostrum, which provides antibodies that the foal absorbs into the bloodstream within hours. The foal also receives special antibodies from the mare that stay in the intestine, coating the intestinal lining to help prevent invasion from bacteria the foal swallows while exploring its new world. When everything goes according to plan, foals are happy and healthy and actually require very little human intervention to get there.
Unfortunately, when things go wrong with foals there is often a domino effect, with one bad thing leading to another. If a foal can't stand, it can't get its colostrum, its umbilicus doesn't dry properly, and it soon becomes weak as its very limited energy reserves run out, making it even less likely to be able to stand. If the umbilicus doesn't break properly or dry out as it should, bacteria may invade the foal's body, leading to infection of the bloodstream, liver or bladder, or a patent urachus which causes the foal to urinate through its umbilicus. Without colostrum, even the normal bacteria from the foal's own mare and stall can be harmful. One of the most serious consequences of any complication with a neonatal foal is called septicemia - the presence of bacteria and bacterial toxins in the bloodstream, which causes inflammation throughout the body, and can result in infection in almost any organ or body system. The mortality rate for foals with septicemia varies widely between studies, anywhere from 33-75%.
There are a few things people can do to help prevent neonatal sepsis without interfering with mother nature, who already does far more than we ever could:
- Keep things clean: Barns are not sterile environments, but making sure your mare foals in a nice clean stall on clean dry bedding can significantly decrease the amount and number of pathogens (particularly bacteria) that a foal first encounters when it hits the ground.
- Keep mom clean: The very first creature a foal will encounter is its own mare, specifically her hind end. As the mare approaches her foaling date, it's important to keep her hind end, tail and udder especially as clean as possible. (Most mares will foal when there's no one around, so you may not have a chance to clean her up right before she foals!).
- Warm and dry: A cold, wet environment represents an additional challenge to a newborn's system, which can interfere with its ability to stand, suckle and fight off infection. Try to ensure that the foal is born in a warm, dry place.
- Colostrum: Make sure the foal drinks enough colostrum. If anything else goes awry, this is one of the most important things you can do to help protect the foal against additional complications. If the foal doesn't nurse from the mare, bottle feeding and tube feeding colostrum are other options.
- Umbilical care: The foal's umbilicus should close and dry out on its own, but in this case a little prophylactic treatment is warranted. Dipping the umbilicus (without constantly soaking it) can help prevent bacterial invasion until it has dried out completely.
More information on colostrum and umbilical care are available in our archives and on the equIDblog Resources page.
