sweetheart
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I'm hoping someone here has some suggestions - just had a filly born to a maiden mare with tiny, inward-pointing teats and the foal can't seem to latch on to them. I tried milking some out to soften the teats, I've rubbed some colostrum on the foal's gums, and syringed some into her mouth from where the teats are. The foal has a sucking reflex, she'll nurse on my finger and I've tried pushing the nipple into her mouth, but the mare's nipples are so small & slippery that the foal can't seem to latch on. Any suggestions?
Adding to the difficulty is that it was a really difficult birth and the mare doesn't want to stand up for very long. Also, the foal was born without a heartbeat - thankfully I was able to revive her, but the vet said she might be a dummy foal because of the lack of oxygen initially. She is rooting around and trying to nurse though, so I'm hoping not.
I don't want to just milk the mare out and and bottle feed a big feeding for fear that the foal will then have no incentive to try to nurse from the mare, but I also don't want to let the foal get so weak from not eating that she doesn't have the energy to try anymore. Anyone have a suggestion as to how much colostrum she needs to get to keep her strength up but still be hungry? She was born about 2 hours ago and has had about 10 mls of colostrum so far from the syringe & squirting in her mouth.
Thanks for any help.
Adding to the difficulty is that it was a really difficult birth and the mare doesn't want to stand up for very long. Also, the foal was born without a heartbeat - thankfully I was able to revive her, but the vet said she might be a dummy foal because of the lack of oxygen initially. She is rooting around and trying to nurse though, so I'm hoping not.
I don't want to just milk the mare out and and bottle feed a big feeding for fear that the foal will then have no incentive to try to nurse from the mare, but I also don't want to let the foal get so weak from not eating that she doesn't have the energy to try anymore. Anyone have a suggestion as to how much colostrum she needs to get to keep her strength up but still be hungry? She was born about 2 hours ago and has had about 10 mls of colostrum so far from the syringe & squirting in her mouth.
Thanks for any help.
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