Question about Red Bag Births

[windwalker]

I have a question about red bag births..If a mare has a red bag birth will she always birth this way and should she even be bred again? Thanks

The mare will be 12years old this year..

 

[REO]

One of my mares had a red bag about 9-10 years ago. She didn't catch in foal for a year or two after that (may or may not been because of the red bag, but I had read that that sometimes happens) and then she has gone on to have more nice foals!

So yes, they can & do have more foals after having a reg bag

 

[ohmt]

I have only had a couple of red bags (same year), but they were due to fescue grass and the mares have never had a red bag since.

 

[windwalker]

Thanks so much for your replies..

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I have a mare who red bagged, every time, with her colts. I have to say it is very hard work, emotionally, and even though I was there with her form before her labour starting, I still lost her first colt (often , if you are going to lose a foal, it will be the first as the mare does not get down to pushing quickly enough) I lost her second colt, who, again, I was there for from step one, he was a partial dummy (oxygen deprivation) and died as a yearling- I got him that far, but he collapsed and died after appearing normal for at least seven months. After that I camped out on her for all her births (this is one of my oldest mares and neither I nor, apparently my Vets actually knew what was happening)

Her fillies were fine, no birthing problems at all and, so far, it does not appear to be hereditary.

But I could not take the emotional stress any more and she was taken out of the gene pool and these days just spends her days annoying me (very dominant mare)

So I would say, one red bag, try again, if you had a live foal and can bear it.

Two red bags and I would advise you not to go on, it is too stressful, there is NOTHING you can do, unless the foal is actually presented and you can reach the forelegs but this is not always the case.

I must also say, it is possible, if the mare did not foal with you, that it was not a true red bag, so unless you are sure the people are correct, I might be inclined to have a go. Just be forewarned, that's all- it could end in tears.

 

[Joanne]

In my experience my mares have NOT repeated a red bag. They had one and never again.

It one of the many reasons to be there for a birth. Quick action by the breeder can save the foal.

We have had no problem getting the mare back in foal after a red bag.

 

[Tab]

My last delivery here was a red bag. My first red bag. I was very fortunate because the foal (a colt) broke through the placenta while I jumped to get the scissors and was so tiny he was out in two pushes. One of the easiest births I've experienced. I was very glad for what I had read and most of all what has been shared on this forum. I would definitely give a mare a year to recover, because that is what I usually do anyways, but unless the birth was also fret with difficulty I wouldn't have any qualms about re-breeding a mare who has had placenta previa. I think it is the same thing with women, just a fluke of location at implantation.

I don't know if this helps but this was her fourth foal and she was 13. I think your risk does increase of a repeat of this if the mare has fibroids. If it is a young mare it's more likely a fluke. I don't think it's necessarily genetic at all but from being multipara (causing fibroids that may increase the risk of placenta previa).

 

[noblebrook]

I had a couple of red bag births a couple of yrs ago. My vet recommended giving shots every 2 months of Prodigy (EHV-1)

to my mares in foal and I have not had one since. It is a little expensive but not compared to losing a foal so I will continue

to use it for now.

 

[windwalker]

Thanks everyone.. Prodigy EHV-1 Shot this is the pneumabort shot right? I use this shot on all mine the 5-7-9th month. So are you saying you had to give it every 2 months thru the whole pregnancy?

 

[wildoak]

We had a mare red bag years back, our first mini foal and I was very lucky that the foal survived in spite of me. I'd raised a few big foals, but was all new to this. The mare red bagged two years in a row, after which we started putting her on SMZ for at least 30 days prior to foaling, and she never did it again. Implication there is that it could be caused by a low grade infection. I have had a mare red bag who was on SMZ so it's not fool proof, but has worked on a couple of mares over several years of foaling. Interesting about fibroids in mares Tab, had not heard that..

Jan

 

[windwalker]

Thanks Jan...I'll keep that in mind..I love this forum I've learned a lot here and everyone is so nice...Thanks a bunch everyone.

 

[noblebrook]

Yes, that is the same shot. I am surprised that you would still have a red bag after giving it.

It is only required the 3 times you mentioned=I just couldn't remember off hand which months.

Hope all goes well with your foalings this yr.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Red bag is not usually a repeated thing, but, always be aware of it and expect it for every mare... that way, you are always prepared. 5 minutes can ruin thousands of dollars and a year's effort.

Pnumabort-k is normally recommended months 5, 7, and 9, but adding month 3 isn't uncommon when there is a suspicion of the virus. Worst case its throwing away $9, best case, it saves your foal.

 

[windwalker]

Noblebrook this mare was gave to me close to foaling so she never got the pneumabort shots.I hand breed so I know when mine need the shots but I didnt know nothing about this mare or how far along she was.

Thanks