Neonatal Care

Stillwater Equine Veterinary Clinic provides a variety of neonatal services from medicine and supportive care to surgery. Foals, like children, can come into this world with a multitude of challenges beginning with their birth and continuing once “on-the-ground.” We are on-call to help you and your newborn through those times.

We can help with routine questions including nutrition management for mare and foal during the different stages of growth, a vaccination program designed just for youngsters, and a de-worming program ideal for your foal and herd situation.

Mare Checklist

  • Temperature: 99.0-101.5
  • Heart Rate: 30-40 beats per minute
  • Respiratory Rate: 10-20 breaths per minute
  • Did she pass the placenta? It is ideal to put the placenta in a bag for your veterinarian to examine, especially if there was a difficult birth or if the mare has a fever. If she has not passed the placenta with 3-4 hours post-foaling, contact your veterinarian.
  • Does she have full and developed udders? This is also important to note to make sure the foal is nursing.

Newborn Monitoring Checklist

  • Temperature: 99.0-101.5 (Use a lubricant on the thermometer when taking a temperature)
  • Heart Rate: 70-100 beats per minute
  • Respiratory Rate: 20-40 breaths per minute (about 30 breaths per min 12 hours after birth)
  • The foal should be standing and nursing within 2-3 hours of birth.
  • Use a dilute chlorohexidine or betadine antiseptic on the umbilical cord after it breaks or w/in 30 minutes of birth.
  • In the first 24 hours of life the foal should pass a meconium – this can be a dark and hard feces but comes in other colors as well.
  • Monitor the foal's urination in the first 24 hours to make sure it is urinating and also to confirm that it is not urinating from the umbilicus.
  • 12-18 hours from birth have a veterinarian out to complete your foal’s first exam and to check IgG levels in order to assess that antibody absorption from colostrum is adequate. If there are any concerns about the condition of the mare or foal please contact the veterinarian.

Foaling Checklist

  • Veterinarians’ Phone Number: 651-770-6167
  • Thermometer plus OB lube
  • Enema
  • Towels
  • Stethoscope
  • Ivermectin to de-worm mare within 24 hours post-foaling
  • Gloves
  • Baling twine or strong string if needed to tie placenta to a level just above hocks
  • Chlorohexidine or Betadine and a cup in order to apply to umbilicus
  • Bucket or plastic bag to save placenta for a veterinarian to examine