Assessment of the Newborn Foal
By D. Craig Barnett, DVM
Foaling season is upon us. The first few hours of a foal's life are very critical and although most foals do fine, there are many potential problems facing the newborn foal that can be life threatening. A newborn foal's condition can change rapidly and if a problem exists, it can become life threatening within minutes to hours. In order to recognize problems or abnormalities in the newborn foal, you must first know what is normal. Let's take a brief look at what you should expect during your initial assessment of the newborn foal.
Immediately following birth the average healthy foal should be breathing, bright and alert. Providing the foal appears normal and is not having problems, allow the mare and foal to bond without interruption. Once you have allowed 15-30 minutes for the mare and foal to bond, it is advisable to enter the stall and dip the foal's umbilical stump with dilute solutions of chlorhexidine or iodine. Care and monitoring of the umbilicus are very important in the newborn since it is one of the most common pathways through which bacteria can gain entrance into the foal's body and cause infection. The umbilicus should be treated 2-3 times a day for 3-4 days. Strong iodine should be avoided since it may cause harm by irritating the tissues of the umbilicus and surrounding skin.
The foal should be able to roll up into a sternal position (upright on its chest) within 1-2 minutes. The newborn foal should be very responsive to stimuli. Jerky movements of the head in response to touching or other stimuli are normal in the newborn. Within 2-20 minutes the foal should have a suckle reflex. This reflex can be assessed by placing a clean finger into the foal's mouth. The foal's mucous membranes (lips and gums) should be pink and moist.
The time required for the foal to stand averages roughly 60 minutes but may vary from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Longer than 2 hours is considered abnormal. Shortly after standing the foal will start to search for food. From the time of delivery until the foal is standing and nursing should be no longer than 2-3 hours. If the foal has not nursed by 2-3 hours call your veterinarian. Once successful, the normal foal suckles approximately once every 20 minutes.
The most important aspect of caring for the newborn foal is to make sure that he or she gets adequate colostrums within the first 6-8 hours of life. Because the mare has a thick, multi-layer placenta, there is no transfer of blood or antibodies from the mare to the foal when the foal is in the womb. Therefore, the neonatal foal is born without any protective antibodies (immunoglobulins) and depends upon the ingestion of antibody-rich colostrums (first milk) to protect it from harmful organisms the first few months of its life. This is one reason it is recommended to booster vaccinate pregnant mares four to six weeks prior to the expected foaling date. Boostering the mare prior to foaling helps insure that her colostrums will contain adequate amount of protective antibodies. Most all mares should receive a booster of tetanus, eastern and western encephalomyelitis, and influenza. Consult your veterinarian regarding his or her recommendation for additional pre-foaling vaccinations that are appropriate for your farm and/or individual mare.
The newborn foal has special cells within the gastrointestinal tract that are capable of absorbing the antibodies present in the colostrums. Within the first few hours following birth, these special cells slough off and the foal becomes less efficient at absorbing the precious antibodies present in the colostrums. It is therefore crucial that the foal receive ample amounts of colostrums within the first 6-8 hours of life. Failure to absorb adequate amount of antibodies in the colostrums will result in a foal that is deficient of protective antibodies, a condition known as Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT). This is on of the most common immune disorders of foals and confers a very high risk of disease of infection in the newborn foal.
Providing your mare has a normal delivery with no complications, a veterinarian should examine both the mare and foal within the first 18-24 hours. At that time, your veterinarian will take a blood sample from the foal to run an IgG test, which determines if the foal has received adequate colostrums. The test measures the amount of antibody, immunoglobulin G (IgG), in the foal's serum. Foals who have low IgG levels are diagnosed as having Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT). Depending upon the age of the foal, treatment for FPT may involve passing a stomach tube and administering plasma, colostrums, or a commercially available product into the stomach. If the foal is older, treatment may involve administration of plasma or a commercially available substitute intravenously. Again, these antibodies are very critical to the health and well being of you foal and every foal should be tested to make sure it has gotten adequate colostrums.
The meconium is the first manure the foal will pass. The meconium is the fecal material that accumulates in the fetus' intestine during pregnancy and is dark brown to black and firm. The meconium should be passed within the first 24-48 hours after birth. Although colostrum acts as a natural laxative, foals frequently have difficulty passing the meconium. For this reason, an enema is often routinely given after birth.
Normal foals urinate for the first time at an average of 8.5 hours after birth. Colts generally urinate sooner than fillies. Foals should be observed for normal urination since rupture of the bladder (more common in males) can occur during delivery.
Observe your foal's limbs for any abnormalities such as crooked limbs, joint laxity, or swollen joints. Swollen joint in a foal may indicate septicemia (infection in the bloodstream) or a bacterial infection of the joint, both of which are very serious conditions.
Normal vital signs for the foal will change slightly with age. Vital signs should normally be taken when the foal is quiet and not excited, as excitement will change the parameters remarkably. You may want to take your foal's vital signs daily for the first few days or weeks. If any abnormalities are noted, contact your veterinarian. A foal's normal temperature will be between 99.5 to 101.5 Fahrenheit. For the 30 minutes following delivery the foal's respiration rate will be around 60-8- breaths/minute. It will then decrease to 20-40 breaths/minute during the first few weeks of life. For the first days of life the foal's heart rate will be between 80 and 100 beats/minute. It will then gradually decrease over the next several months to a normal heart rate of 30-40 beats/minute.
If any variations from normal are observed, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. Recognizing problem signs in foals and early intervention may be the difference between life and death.
