How to care for your new foal

How to care for your new foal You have waited eleven months to reach their colt. Now he is here, what can be done to ensure that low to begin in the best possible way in life? Make sure that the foal sucks. A normal foal should drink from the sea within two hours. If the foal is having difficulty sucking, or is not interested, can have serious problems. Call an experienced equine veterinarian sooner rather than later.Colostrum, the first milk, is very important. It contains all the antibodies your foal needs to protect against infectious diseases. A foal needs between 1.5 - 2 liters of colostrum of good quality. It 'very important to ensure that the foal receives enough.If not suck you can collect some colostrum from the sea and give him a bottle. OR your veterinarian can put directly into the foal via a stomach tube. Colostrum substitutes are available if the mare does not foal milk.The intestines can only absorb colostrum for the first 24 hours or less. After that, the veterinarian may give an impetus to the transfusion of plasma necessary.Check whether the antibodies that the foal is passing meconium. Meconium stool is the darkness that has accumulated over time in the rack inside the sea. Colt foals, in particular, may have problems because their path is the narrow pelvis. Your veterinarian may recommend a enema.It is a good idea for the veterinarian to give the colt a checkup. The veterinarian can make a contribution to protect the foal from tetanus. This is particularly important if the sea has not been vaccinated recently. A blood sample can be taken from the colt, sufficient to verify that the antibodies were absorbed.Probiotics could be useful in the prevention of "foal heat scours", which often occur about 10 days. The diarrhea is probably due to the fact that the digestive system adjusting to life outside the dam, more than anything to do with the sea hormones.Carefully monitor the progress of the foal. Even foals that appear normal at birth, may develop problems later. Foals become brighter and more active during the first few days. One of the first signs of serious infection is that the horse is bored or spend more time sleeping.With proper care and attention from an early age and who is the new horse can look forward to a future together.Copyright 2005 by Mark Andrews / Equine Science Update. Mark Andrews, an experienced equine veterinarian, is author of The Foaling Guide. (He also runs the website upgrade Equine Science, where you can see the latest advances in horse science. Keep up to date with a free newsletter - go with the article may be freely used by newsletters and web sites without permission provided that the copyright notice, links and contact information remain unchanged.