The Ins and Outs of Foaling Kits

It’s that time of year again, and everyone around the clinic has been buzzing with excitement about how new baby foals are about to hit the ground. Honestly, I don’t see why it’s so exciting. It’s not like a bunch of new kittens are about to be squirming about. But nonetheless, you’ve waited 11 long months for your bundle of joy to arrive. Luckily for you, I am here to help make sure you’re prepared for the long-awaited event. Before your foal arrives, it is important to have a foaling kit prepared with the essentials.

Contact Info

At the forefront of your foaling kit should be a list of my Docs phone numbers, especially our clinic’s emergency number, (352)-474-5007. It is also a good idea to have a list of phone numbers close by of those people you want present for the foaling. While you’re at it, you probably want to have a fully charged cellphone available so you can call my Docs as soon as you notice your mare showing signs of labor.

Lights and Clocks

While I tend to sleep 23 hours a day, for some reason, mares like to foal late at night/early in the morning. Hours of sleep wasted if you ask me, but because of this, it is important to have a good light source available. A flash light or head lamp will do nicely. Be sure you have a watch, clock, or stopwatch in your kit as well, so you can time each stage of labor.

Paper and Pen

If your mind isn’t quite as cat-like as mine and you’ve forgotten the correct interval times of each stage of labor, do not fear, just call the clinic and we will refresh your memory.  Don’t forget when you call to have pen and paper ready to write things down, then you can just throw that pen and paper right into your foaling kit to have it available to write down the timings you take with your stopwatch when labor starts. Good moms take good notes!

Towels and Tail Wrap

You can never have too many clean towels. I like to lay on all the clean towels right when they come out of the dryer, ahhh so warm! Clean towels will come in handy after the foal is born, especially on a cool night to dry the little nugget off, but remember: let the mare do most of the cleaning and drying so she and her new foal have time to bond. If you catch your mare at the early stages of labor and you won’t disturb her, you may want to keep some vet wrap around and apply a loose tail wrap on her to prevent all those gooey birthing fluids from ruining her luscious locks.

String and Bucket

String, my favorite toy, it’s so much fun to chase around, is also an essential of any foaling kit. It has so many wonderful uses! You can tie up the placenta if the mare doesn’t pass it right away (we certainly don’t want her to step on it accidentally). Once the placenta has been passed, store it in a heavy-duty bucket with a lid or a strong plastic bag so that the Doctors can inspect it for any missing pieces. They must treat your mare right away if any part of the placenta is retained. An enema kit should be on hand in case your foal is having trouble getting things moving, but call my Docs before giving any kind of enema to your new baby!

Scissors

Sharp, blunt-tipped scissors or a sharp knife will be useful if you need to cut any string, or if the foal is having trouble getting its tiny little feet through the amniotic sac and you need to cut it away. Maybe they should be born with sharp claws like cats, then they wouldn’t have any trouble getting their feet out of the sac. But I digress.

Colostrum Plan

Your new baby will certainly need colostrum, have a plan in place with the Docs on what to do if the foal cannot get the necessary colostrum from its dam for some reason, as this will be the foal’s only source of immune boosting components necessary for it to develop a healthy immune system.

Antiseptic Dip

Last, but definitely not least, have some antiseptic dip. I recommend dilute chlorhexidine solution to dip your foal’s umbilical stump two to three times daily for the first three days of life. Dilute means 1 part chlorhexidine, 4 parts water. The umbilicus is an easy entry point for infection and should be kept clean and dry.

Plan B: Let Springhill Do It!

If all of this is just too much for you to bear, have no fear, the experts are here.  Just call my staff at the clinic and ask them about our foal watch boarding where your mare will be under my watchful eye at all times (except when I’m sleeping of course). At the time of the big event, I will alert my Docs and they will be at your mare’s side for the entire process to ensure the safe arrival of your new bundle of joy.

More Info

It’s no coincidence that my docs have a podcast coming out on Feb. 15^th (2019, in case you are reading this in the future) on foals. Dr. Hall, who is the foal expert down at Equine Medical Center of Ocala, joins the podcast for a deep dive into foals. It is packed full of need-to-know information! You can listen right on the website or subscribe to Straight from the Horse Doctor’s Mouth on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Until next week,

~ Tony

Paperwork

Preventing a problem 

 In case of emergency

I hear this a lot around here: do you want paste or powder bute? We’re going to give this colic an injection of banamine. Here’s Equioxx for you to add to Flicka’s grain everyday to help manage arthritis. It got me wondering, what’s up with bute, Banamine (flunixin), and Equioxx (firocoxib)? Must a horse owner have all three to be a good horse mom? Is one better than the other? Horses are soooo confusing sometimes!

NSAIDs

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs around here. It seems they have a myriad of uses in the equine from colics, to lamenesses, to wounds.

I myself have had this drug class once in my lifetime (so far) when Teanie got mad at me for an ever so slightly sarcastic comment I sent her way, and broke my leg. It took the dull, throbbing pain down a notch which allowed me to contentedly sleep in my chair. The Docs said pain relief is one of their primary uses for these drugs. They also can be used to block the really bad things that happen when bacteria start dying in big numbers in an infection.  NSAIDs, most importantly, block inflammation. It’s right there in the name. Blocking inflammation helps all kinds of stuff. You know that redness you get around an infected wound? That’s inflammation, and sometimes it gets so bad it makes it hard for the body to get the healing cells in there. Same goes for swelling. NSAIDs can do wonders to bring down swelling!

Why these three drugs?

There are lots of NSAIDs out there, but my extensive countertop research has determined that bute, Banamine, and Equioxx are the biggies for equine. Why? A few reasons: price, ease of administration, and efficacy in the equine. When I broke my leg I got a drug called meloxicam. It works a lot like bute, but a horse dose would cost  $4,614.70 per dose. At least they only get one dose per day. So meloxicam is out for full size horses (it does get used in minis, and foals sometimes). All three can be given either IV, or by mouth, so there are good administration options. Also, all three work pretty well in horses, so there’s that. And all three have minimal side effects when given appropriately (that last word is important!).

Colic = Banamine

It is a well known “fact” in the horse world that all colics must get Banamine, and then be walked. Going to let you in on a secret: neither of these are facts. Colics don’t need to be walked, and they can get bute, Banamine, or Equioxx. The Docs give Banamine because it is the easiest to have on the truck at all times. It doesn’t require refrigeration, like bute, the IV form is much more cost effective than the IV form of Equioxx, and if they are trying to get it in a super painful, jumping around colic it’s OK if a little bit gets out of the vein. If bute ends up in the skin around the vein, it can cause the whole area to slough!!! If you’ve ever watched them trying to hit a vein on a super painful colic, you will really understand why they prefer Banamine. There is a rumor out there that Banamine is better at managing colic pain than any other NSAID, but it’s just that, a rumor. There’s no hard science behind it. Eyes are a different story. Banamine is the best NSAID for eye pain. When my Docs see eye things, they reach for Banamine first.

Arthritis = Bute

Much like it is a known “fact” that all colics get Banamine, it is an often-known “fact” that all arthritis responds to bute. At this point in the blog, you will likely not be surprised to learn this isn’t quite true, either. Just like people all respond differently to drugs, horses do, too. Now, it is true that bute is generally the first NSAID my Docs reach for when it comes to pain relief, and it’s for a bunch of different reasons. First, bute is pretty darn cheap. Second, it is well-tolerated by nearly all horses. Third, it comes in easy options to get it into horses. There’s paste, powder, tablets, and injectable. Bute gets a bad rap for being hard on horse stomachs. While there are some horses that are really sensitive to bute, those horses are few and far between. More commonly, my Docs see horses that are given WAY, WAY too much bute in very short amounts of time. You should never, never, never give more than 2 grams in 24 hours unless you are 9,000% sure your veterinarian said to!!! And then you should ask them again to be really sure.

So Who gets Equioxx?

Equioxx is one of the newer NSAIDs on the market. It doesn’t work any differently than bute or Banamine with one important exception: it is easy on the stomach. If your horse has a history of issues with bute or Banamine, or has a stomach issue, my Docs will reach for Equioxx first. Otherwise it’s going to be one of the options for you to try on your horse. Just like people respond differently to aspirin, Advil, and Aleve, horses respond differently to each of these NSAIDs. My Docs will often recommend you do trials of all three drugs (separately, you don’t want to go giving bute, Banamine, and Equioxx all at the same time) to determine which works best for you and your horse. It seems the old, arthritic guys do like Equioxx quite a bit, but that result varies by horse. I also have it on good authority, Dr. Lacher likes Equioxx for hers because it’s super easy to give. She puts it in her hand with a little bit of grain, and the horses eat it up. No arguing over the tube of bute paste, or wondering if they ate the powder.

Moral of my NSAID story: talk with my Docs about what is the best answer for you and your horse. Oh, and the equine world is full of Ol’ Wives Tales, but then you knew that.

Until next week,

Tony

P.S. Have you ever taken a look around the rest of my website? There’s a lot of cool stuff here! Scroll back up to the menu bar after you subscribe, and have a look around. If you find something you like, share it with a friend!

Getting your mare ready

Getting your mare in foal

Maintaining the pregnancy

Many of you have followed the story of Highway. He fell off a trailer on the interstate, then was unclaimed by owners. The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, my amazing Docs, Equine Medical Center, and a whole lot of people via GoFundMe got him through the first few weeks of a very severe injury. My Docs were feeling pretty good about Highway’s future, despite the severity of his wounds, and it was time for him to spend his days healing, and being loved. The great people at Dreamcatcher Ranch and Rescue agreed to give Highway a great home. If only Highway’s injuries had felt the same.

What’s in a joint?

I’m going to start by talking a bit about how joints are put together. This description works for most of the joints in the body. It also applies to cats, humans, horses, even dogs (I try not to discuss those loud, smelly creatures). The joint is basically a balloon that encloses the spot where two bones meet. That balloon is called a joint capsule. That capsule is lined with stuff called synovium. Dr. Lacher describes this as really bad 1970’s shag carpeting. I’m not old enough to have seen this in person, but it seems like really fuzzy carpeting. There are also the cartilage-covered ends of the bones inside the joint. Just outside the joint capsule there are lots of tendons and ligaments. To make things slightly complicated, this same balloon setup is also around some tendons without the bone part of things.

Joints and bacteria don’t like each other

In Highway’s case the joint capsule got torn when he slid down the interstate on his knees. Not only did he open his joint capsule, but he also got tons of debris, including asphalt into his knee joints! I’m no expert. Ok that’s a lie. As a cat, I’m expert in all things, but I digress. I doubt asphalt and knees go together well. The asphalt helped carry bacteria deep into the joint. Once in the joint (his middle carpal joint, to be specific), bacteria go to town in all that shag carpeting wannabe synovium stuff. Synovium provides a warm, snuggly place to cuddle up and make more bacteria. And if anyone has ever tried to clean shag carpeting, you understand how hard it is to get the bacteria out of all those nooks and crannies! While that bacteria is hanging out in the joint, the body is fighting to get it out as hard as it can. Unfortunately, that process is incredibly bad for the cartilage on the bones, and the joint capsule itself.

Get out, bacteria! Get out!!

Bacteria are bad, and they’re hard to get out a joint, so what’s a Doc to do? The first step was establishing that Highway had in fact opened the joint capsule. To do that, Dr. Vurgason cleaned the area around the joint really well. She also clipped all the hair away from the wounds. Then she put a needle into the joint from another location as far away from the wound as possible. This needle was attached to a bag of sterile fluids. Pressure was applied to bag, and the wounds watched closely. Nearly as soon as fluids started to flow through the needle, Dr. Vurgason could see the fluid coming out of the wound opening. This meant the joint was definitely compromised. To try to get as much bacteria out as possible at this stage, Dr. Vurgason ran the entire bag of fluids (1,000cc) through the joint, and finished up with some antibiotics. This was Step 1.

You guys are the reason Highway got to go to Step 2! A little bit of fluid was OK, but with a joint this open, and with this much stuff in it, Highway needed lots of fluid through that joint. And that means surgery. You awesome humans (wow, I don’t say that very often) stepped up, and off to Equine Medical Center of Ocala he went. While there, they put a camera and very, very big needle into the joint, and ran about 10,000cc of fluid through his joint. They also picked out as much asphalt as they could find.

After surgery  

To keep up the fight, Highway had high concentrations of antibiotics placed directly in the joint, along with daily regional perfusions of antibiotics. Regional perfusions work to increase the antibiotics to one specific area of the body. To do them, a tourniquet was placed above the wounds on Highway’s right front leg. Then antibiotics were injected into a vein. The tourniquet was left in place for 20 minutes, then removed. Highway also got IV antibiotics, and some bute for pain. His bandage was replaced every day with a new sterile bandage. This helped minimize the amount of bacteria near the joint. Most importantly, Highway stayed very, very comfortable. Horses can’t bear all their weight on just one front leg for very long without developing founder in the other one. Thankfully, Highway was never terribly uncomfortable, so the Docs didn’t have to worry about this.

Fighting and Hoping

Highway did great! The flushing, regional perfusions, and antibiotics, and a whole lot of fight from Highway himself seemed to do the trick. The knee joint closed, and still Highway was comfortable. If there had been a raging infection still going on in there, he would have been really painful as the immune system kept up the fight. My Docs gave him ten days off antibiotics, and two and a half weeks after the joint closed to be sure things were looking good. Then it was time to send him to Dreamcatcher, where he could get the long-term care he would need to heal. Horses being horses, it couldn’t be that easy. It turns out there was a simmering infection in the extensor tendon sheath, which is one of those joint-type things around a tendon. This one is located right over the knee joint.

This one still had bacteria, and even some tiny bits of asphalt in it. You see, even with all those fluids used to rinse the wound and joint the first time, it’s pretty much impossible to get it completely clean (think about that shag carpeting), but Highway’s body had been working hard to get that asphalt out. The tiny cells of the immune system had encapsulated it, and brought it to the surface of the wound to get it out of the body.

Highway has been back through the lavage, regional perfusion, bandage routine again with the Docs at Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital. He’s back fighting to clean the bacteria out of the joint, and trust me, it’s a fight. The bacteria have been in there since November 30th in the wee hours of the morning, when Highway decided he wasn’t going to stay in that horse trailer to face certain death. The bacteria have had time to get into all those nooks and crannies. They’ve withstood lavaging, regional perfusions, and antibiotics. It’s going to be harder to get them to leave now. But the Docs are fighting, Highway is comfortable, and you guys are supporting him through it! You humans are amazing sometimes! That’s high praise coming from a cat!!

Want to learn more about Highway? Or follow his story? My minions post regular updates on the Springhill Equine Facebook Page.

Want even more great info? Listen to the podcast the humans do: Straight from the Horse Doctor’s Mouth. The latest episode is all about deworming protocols, and you might not be as up to date with this as you think you are!

Want to be my favorite human? Subscribe to my blog. Get it a day earlier than everyone else, and be an official member of the Tony fan club.

Until next week,

Tony