Executive Committee News | EQUINE
Some of the important points were:
• Brief pregnancy nutrition, important minerals and
vaccinations before parturition
• Importance of remembering to open a caslicks.
• Group paddocking and ensuring multiple water
points
• A brief time line and markers leading up to
parturition – udder, waxing, muscle softening etc.
• Ventral oedema and early milk → when it is and
isn’t an issue. Distinction between watery milk
and colostrum milk.
• Stable preparation and bedding recommendations
• She discussed parturition and the immediate
postpartum care of the mare and the foal
• She made recommendations of staying on the
phone with the client while the mare foals in case
there are issues rather than trying to drive there at
the same time.
• Understanding that mares are capable of delaying
labour and explaining this to an excited client
• Timeline of how long it should take for the foal to
come out and when to be worried
• Difficult birthing and the correct way to pull a
slightly stuck foal out
• How to get the placenta out safely and intact
and the correct way to position the placenta. The
time it can take to come out in and what to do if
it doesn’t. Recommendations on how to lavage a
uterus if needed
• Red bag deliveries, its implications and action
required.
• Umbilicus treatment and her personal preferences
• Ensuring that the mare is ok - she is generally
overlooked as everyone is so concerned with the
foal
• Dealing with foal rejection and things to try or
how to get a surrogate to accept an orphan foal
• She then went through the vital neonatal
parameters and when she would recommend
referral for further treatment.
• Timelines and gender variance of how long it
should take for the foal to stand and to feed.
When to intervene and help. Checking suckle
reflexes and dummy foals
• Importance of colostrum, when it needs to be
consumed by, freezing some for storage and IgG
snap tests and what needs to happen if the foal
doesn’t receive sufficient IgG. The critical time to
get a plasma transfusion done.
• Revising foal parameters and how they change
over a couple days
• Signs of a sick foal – what is normal for a foal and
the subtle signs of a sick foal
• Continued treatment of the umbilicus and early
signs of infection
• Dangers of how easily they get heatstroke
• Normal foal tendon slackness and its changes and
when treatment might be needed for upright foals.
• She also demonstrated an efficient way to restrain
a foal that is safe for both the vet and the foal.
• I believe the talk was very well received and there
were a good number of questions that followed
the talk. Practical knowledge is critical to making
a well rounded equine vet.
Endurance Report
The first endurance ride that we arranged for the
students to attend was SAIC (also known as the
Tri-nations), which was from 27 – 30 April at Bona
Bona Game lodge. Dr. Albertus Coetzee was very
generous in arranging for accommodation and food.
The students got to assist some of the best equine
vets at the lanes. Here they learned what to look for
while doing a lameness evaluation during trot outs, as
well as what would be regarded as normal vitals for
these athletes during clinical exams. The students also
assisted the treatment vets and each were assigned
their own horse(s) to monitor, frequently measure
• Volume 20 Issue 3 | October 2018 •
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