The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
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A34 TheHorse.com/AAEP2017 AAEP Wrap-Up THE HORSE March 2018 Diel de Amorim said owners and breed- ing managers can use both the calcium titration and pH methods in the field, in concert with each other. "The calcium titration method that we used is the FoalWatch," she said, adding that these tests are fairly easy to use. "The pH is easier to do and cheaper," Diel de Amorim said. "The pH strip needs to be in 0.2 increments, and you only need a few drops of mammary secre- tion to perform. You put the strip in the mammary secretion and read the color immediately after. The digital (pH meter) is also easy to perform." She said any of the digital pH meters available for aquarium use will work, but you'll also need a pH solution to ensure the meter is calibrated properly. Still, she said, no foaling prediction method, or combo of methods, is perfect. "Mares are sneaky, and they tend to foal when everything is quiet and no people (are) around," she said. "We tend to start looking at a mare's mammary gland when they are around 310-320 days of gestation. First-time mares (maiden mares) may not develop mammary glands until the day of or the day after they foal, so they can fool everyone." Diel de Amorim told The Horse that while most mares foal without incident, complications could mean the difference between life and death for mare or foal. "Owners should consider if they feel comfortable with foaling their own mare or not, in the first place, and make sure they have a veterinarian they can call close by in case they need help," she said. "No technology is 100% guaranteed, so we tend to use a combination of them to make sure we attend the foalings." Research Review: Anesthesia and Surgery in Pregnant Mares Veterinarians and researchers know general anesthesia in horses can be risky, with reported mortality rates ranging from 0.12-1.6%. They also are well-aware that pregnancy can exacerbate those risks and possibly reduce live-foaling rates. What they're less certain about, however, is the safest time during gestation to recommend elective surgeries. Veterinary anesthesiologist John A.E. Hubbell, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVAA, and colleagues at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, recently reviewed the literature to develop recom- mendations on when and when not to pursue elective surgeries in pregnant mares. Hubbell said there's little knowledge about how pregnancy affects anesthesia in horses, but there's more research in other species. Anesthetized women early in pregnancy have increased tidal volume (the amount of air inhaled and exhaled with each breath) and respiratory minute volume (the amount of gas exhaled per SPONSORED BY COURTESY DR. AHMED TIBARY Vets can measure calcium and pH levels in mares' mammary secretions to help predict foaling. BRIEF SUMMARY (For full prescribing information, see package insert.) CAUTION: Federal (USA) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. DESCRIPTION: Domperidone is a D2 dopamine receptor antagonist. The chemical formula is 6-chloro-3-[1-[3-(2- oxo-3H-benzimidazol-1-yl) propyl]piperi- din-4-yl]-1H-benzimidazol-2-one. INDICATION: For prevention of fescue toxicosis in periparturient mares. Contraindication: Horses with hypersen- sitivity to domperidone should not receive EQUIDONE Gel. WARNINGS: Failure of passive transfer of immunoglobulins (IgG) may occur when using EQUIDONE Gel even in the absence of leakage of colostrum or milk. All foals born to mares treated with EQUIDONE Gel should be tested for serum IgG concen- trations. Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. HUMAN WARNINGS: Not for use in humans. For oral use in animals only. Keep this and all drugs out of the reach of children. Pregnant and lactating women should use caution when handling EQUIDONE Gel, as systemic exposure to domperidone may affect reproductive hormones. Consult a physician in case of accidental human exposure. PRECAUTIONS: EQUIDONE Gel may lead to premature birth, low birth weight foals or foal morbidity if administered >15 days prior to the expected foaling date. Accurate breeding date(s) and an expected foaling date are needed for the safe use of EQUIDONE Gel. Do not use in horses with suspected or confirmed gastrointestinal blockage, as domperidone is a prokinetic drug (it stimu- lates gut motility). ADVERSE REACTIONS: The most common adverse reactions associated with treatment with EQUIDONE Gel are premature lactation (dripping of milk prior to foaling) and failure of passive transfer. Distributed by: Dechra Veterinary Products 7015 College Boulevard, Suite 525 Overland Park, KS 66211, 866-933-2472 © 2016 Dechra Ltd. EQUIDONE is a registered trademark of Dechra Ltd. All rights reserved. NADA 141-314, Approved by FDA EQUIDONE ® Gel (domperidone) For oral use in horses only.