sharp Scissors
enema
clean towels and rags
Novasan
wormer-for mom
vet wrap
cup and baby bottle-in case I have to nurse mama and feed baby
Thanks for the opportunity to review Misita…wish I could pack my vet in the kit just in case!!!
Iodine & prescription bottle to dip the cord.
Probiotic paste
Human hand sanitizer gel
Thermometer
foal-saver baby blanket
pre-softened (oiled) leather suckling halter
Lets not forget mineral oil to massage the dams udder. We should also where we can get Foal Lac in case of an emergency.
flash light
string or horse tail hair for umbilicus
cell phone
tranq (for mare not yourself)
baby wipes
Also frozen colostrum and/or Seramune, sterile OB gloves, regular latex gloves, sterile lubricant, anti-freeze tester or refractrometer for testing colostrum, baby bottles with nipples, empty syringe covers for dipping umbilicus, EZ milker for saving colostrum, Banamine in case mama gets too crampy (though I try not to use it), a clock and notepad (to note time water broke and time until foal is born, time to stand, time to nurse, etc.), trailer hooked up and ready to roll, a strong helper, vet on speed dial.
In addition to above:
Baling twine to tie up placenta
Garbage bag or bucket for same
Foal resuscitator
Halter and leadline for mare
OB chains and handles
Bucket
Small towel clamp for mare’s vulva
Camera
Oxytocin
Syringes/needles
Foaling Kit:
Vet wrap for tail
Sterile shoulder length obstetrical gloves
Sterile lubricant
Thermometer
Milk Collection materials (plastic bottles, 60cc syringe, filters, nursing bottle, nipples)
Colostrometer
Chlorhexidine
Navel clips
Suture
Razor/ Scalpel
Sharp scissors
Flashlight
Enema (soap suds)
Bailing Twine
Cotton Sheet
Nose suctions (bulb)
Vaseline
Timer & Clock
Seramune and/or Colostrum
Foal Lac (supplement milk)
Ivory liquid soap
Pulling straps
Oxytocin
Banamine
Domperidone
Acepromazine
Syringes/ needles/ drug dosages written out
IgG snap tests
Biosponge
Wormer
Pink-stuff
Foal resuscitator
stethoscope
Large bucket w/ lid for placenta
Towels (several sm hand towels & 4+ full size beach towels - all washed in scent free detergent)
Also foaling chart to document times
I have added several items to my list above due to personal experiences with foaling in the middle of the night on weekends and having a mare not some into adequate milk supply. Had I not had artificial milk and colostrum on hand we would have been in big trouble. For that reason I keep domperidone and a colostrameter on hand to test milk immediately. We also check IgG levels at 9hr and again at 12hr if less than 800.
I also had an experience with a mare rejecting a foal so supplement milk and ace for the mare is good to keep on hand in case you don’t have several hands available to help restrain the mare well enough to allow the foal to nurse.
The baby bulb nose suction is a valuable tool as well. Aiding in clearing the nasal passages when the foal is first born. One year I had a foal get that fluid down in his lungs and now listen to breath sounds often for the first few days.
I also have a chart in the barn with pictures of presentations. I’ve never needed it - but always thought that should I start seeing the wrong feet or upside down feet - the graphics would help me visualize what’s going on better and help troubleshoot while calling the vet. Amazing how much one can forget in mist of panic - so I keep charts of phone numbers near by (vets & other experienced breeders who can help in an emergency over the phone), charts of medication dosages and time frames are handy.
Many good suggestions so far.
I would add a twitch and dressage whip (to get mare up if you have to) and champagne.
Pink stuff aka Vita Flex Foal Response is amazing - Ig G levels have always been off the charts when used.
[QUOTE=nhwr;3845229]
Many good suggestions so far.
I would add a twitch and dressage whip (to get mare up if you have to) and champagne.
Pink stuff aka Vita Flex Foal Response is amazing - Ig G levels have always been off the charts when used.[/QUOTE]
The good doctor ;)Dr. McGillicuddy’s Mentolmint Schnapps;)
Good Video camera in barn and lots of dvd’s for me!!!
Usually when I think the birth will be that night–I invite friends over for cards…we just play until we see the mares start to foal, then we all go down to the barn. Lots of extra hands for camera’s, cell phone to vet (if necessary) and then my husband is free to help me if I need to pull the foal , have trouble with the mare etc.
It’s good to plan ahead for your foal watch schedule.
My husband and I take turns through the night. I work nights as a RN so can usually plan to have a light work schedule around due dates and have co-workers who are willing to switch days with me if needed.
But when we’re on watch together my husband stays up till midnight while I take a nap from 9pm to 12:00. Then he goes to bed and I have watch till 6am. He leaves for work at 9-10am so I get another quick nap in the morning before he leaves.
How do the rest of you work your sleepless nights?
My absolute favorite foal watch nights are the ones where the mare paces and does the nesting thing from 9pm to 2am then suddenly stops! Of course you can’t turn your back on her once she starts showing that type of activity. But I have a mare who will do this for days up to a week prior to foaling!
Do you call the vet right away
I only have one foal a year so I always have the vet out right away - last time - in 2007 it was a necessity because I had just broken my leg and we had the vet out to do what I would do.
Just wondered if most of you wait to have the vet out or have them out right away - I know that isn’t practical for people that have a lot of foals, but if you have just one or two?
I usually call the vet within a few hours so that I can schedule a post partum exam for mom & foal.
IgG levels can be tested as early as 9hrs post foaling on up to the (recommended) 12hrs. So I usually have the vet out at 12hrs post foaling.
At 9hrs old the foal’s IgG levels could still be climbing - so testing at 9hrs might be a bit premature but if the levels are good (>800) then there’s no need to retest. If the levels are poor or borderline you need to retest at 12hrs to see if you’ve got passive transfer. But honestly if your levels are poor at 9hrs then you need to be on the horn defrosting your frozen colostrum or making calls to get some prior to the foal being 15hrs old.
You can’t test for IgG levels at birth so it would be worthless to have the vet out so early unless you needed assistance like you mentioned above with having a broken arm/leg.
When the mare foals I’m keeping really tight records. I have a clock and stop watch going at the same time. I use the stopwatch to time from when the mare breaks her water to when the foal is crowning & fully delivered. I keep a timer going after the foal is delivered to keep time on the delivery of the placenta.
I inspect the placenta myself but also have the vet look at when they’re out during the 12hr exam.
I test the specific gravity of colostrum at birth and after the foal gets it’s first meal or two in I start collecting colostrum in between nursing.
I do my best to clean and inspect tearing of the mare but feel my vet is best to perform that exam since bruising can be difficult to assess.
But I keep time records on the foal passing meconium and mom having BM’s.
Also I check temps and vital signs on mom and foal every couple hours for the first 72hrs.
Example 24hr record (this is super mare & always has very vigorous foals):
00:15 broke water
00:28 foal delivered & palate inspected
00:35 navel separated
00:37 placenta delivered
00:40 colostrum tested & placenta inspected
00:45 foal standing
00:57 navel cleansed
01:00 foal nursing
01:15 foal passing 1st meconium
01:18 vital signs obtained on mare & foal
01:20 cleaned mare (vulva and hind legs) & stall cleaned
02:00 navel cleansed; observed foal urinating (colt)
03:00 mare dewormed & vital signs obtained, mare fed
05:00 vital signs
07:00 vital signs
08:00 scheduled vet to postpartum exam; mare fed
09:30 IgG snap test = >800; navel cleansed, vital signs done
12:30 Postpartum vet exam IgG = 1200
15:00 Vital signs and turnout in field
16:00 Mare & foal returned to stall
19:00 Vital signs, mare fed
22:00 vital signs, mare fed, mare had BM
00:00 vital signs
What are colostrum readings supposed to be? Can that be tested with a refractometer?
My refractometer has a slide cover that converts the specific gravity to very simple interpretations ranging from ‘poor’ to ‘very good/ excellent’. I’ll have to look at the specific gravity scale slide cover to convert it to numeric scale.
[QUOTE=ThreeDays;3855248]
My refractometer has a slide cover that converts the specific gravity to very simple interpretations ranging from ‘poor’ to ‘very good/ excellent’. I’ll have to look at the specific gravity scale slide cover to convert it to numeric scale.[/QUOTE]
Thanks so much! I have access to a refractometer (I work at a small animal emerg hospital) but don’t know what values are normal.
Here’s what i can come up with using my refractomter:
Using Brix scale
Brix% —IgG conc (g/L)---- Colostrum Quality
<15 --------0-28 ---------------poor
15-20 ------28-50 --------------fair
20-30------ 50-80-------------- good
>30--------- >80--------------- very good
Also :
Good colostrum has a specific gravity of greater than 1.060
Great colostrum has a specific gravity of greater than 1.090
[QUOTE=ThreeDays;3856066]
Here’s what i can come up with using my refractomter:
Using Brix scale
Brix% —IgG conc (g/L)---- Colostrum Quality
<15 --------0-28 ---------------poor
15-20 ------28-50 --------------fair
20-30------ 50-80-------------- good
>30--------- >80--------------- very good
Also :
Good colostrum has a specific gravity of greater than 1.060
Great colostrum has a specific gravity of greater than 1.090[/QUOTE]
You’re a life saver! Thank you so much!
A good site to order supplies for your foaling kit is www.exodusbreeders.com.
I found a couple of things that I was not able to locate other places, like pulling straps/handles.
