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Michelle@wescofarms

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So far foaling season has been okay (3 alive, 2 dead) as the first four have all been textbook normal deliveries and three of those were to maidens. Number five yesterday was out of a very experienced (numerous foals) mare, that was a first for us!

Sonnet went into full labor at about 5 p.m. and by 5:15 things weren't progressing as I would expect, sterilized, lubed up and went in to find a body part I didn't recognize - I wasn't sure if it was a shoulder or hip or ? So called UCDavis and loaded her up. Fortunately we're only 15 minutes away so Sonnet was there by 6 p.m., just in time for all the students and repro team to have finished rounds. So our poor (I guess lucky?) mare had so many hands helping you couldn't see her half the time.

They went in and check the foal was laying transverse kind of butt at left shoulder head at right hip and on its sternum. They repro team tried for over an hour to reposition only managing to get two legs out so a c-section was indicated. Off they went and we went home.

A call an hour later - Sonnet was doing well and delivered (very dead) foal and the placenta passed and was intact so no problems there. The foal now - that was the icky weird one for us - would not have lived if it had been born as its large and small intestine were on the outside of the body and the umbilical cord was (as the vet described it) at least 3 fingers width wide! She said they had seen these actually born alive before but they die right away. So poor Sonnet, we're really feeling for her as she's a super mom and we were looking forward to this foal

She is doing well though post surgery out of ICU today. She's eating her bran mash and nibbling the fresh grass and grass hay she's been offered and seems more comfortable but still being medicated for pain, etc. So if this continues and she doesn't spike a fever indicating peritinitis (sp?) she'll be home Friday or Saturday.

So, as they say - never say you've seen everything as there is always something new!!!

Must say it's been a weird foaling season starting with my friend's mare in January (she lost the mare/foal) as the mare's uterus split open and the foal descended into the abdominal cavity - it was discovered when c-sectioning the mare to remove the foal - a real nightmare/horror story.

Then I've had friends lose foals for no reason and then this foal - yikes!!!
 
Michelle, I'm so sorry for such a rough foaling season. I hope things get better for you and your mares. My best wishes are with you and your mares.

Stephanie
 
Yikes, that's awful. Definitely a new one on me... Hope your poor mare is okay and the rest of the season improves for you.

Jan
 
Michelle, Thank you for sharing your experience.......I am so glad you live as close to UC Davis as you do! What a lucky little mare. I can't imagine some of those things you described......
 
Michelle, I am so sorry for the losses you have had this year already. I hope the rest of the year goes off without a hitch. You sure are lucky to be so close to such a wonderful vets in an emergency! I have never seen what you described in a horse, BUT, I did have a pup born that same way once in a litter of Chihuahua pups. They came via c-section, and the vet just discarded it without trying to get it going.
 
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I'm so sorry that happened to Sonnet Michelle. I'm glad you were there and got her such great help so fast! I'll be praying she heals up without infection and comes home soon. I hope the rest of your season goes PERFECTLY!
 
I am so sorry for what you and your mare went through! I'm happy that Sonnet is doing well now.
 
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Michelle, So sorry for your little mare and for you having to go through this ordeal. It is so sad for them after they loose a foal. I always feel the are looking for the baby for days, you know?

I have had no experience with c-sections and have always wondered will this mare be able to breed and produce in the future or will she be retired?
 
Michelle,

You have my deepest heartfelt sympathy. Having just been thru a transverse delivery I know the grief you and your mare are experiencing. Many warm HUGS coming your way. Praying for a quick recovery for your mare. Again, I'm so very sorry!!
 
Sounds terrible and in general, this year sounds like a nightmare for you.

Hopefully that's the end of your troubles this year.

Hope your mare has no "after effects." Often they will miss the next year with a bad dystocia, according to the web.

Wishing you better times for the rest of the year!
 
Big (((HUGS))) to you all and Sonnet... I am sorry this happened and you've had a weird season. Hopefully everything will go good from here on out..

Good Luck..
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I too am sorry to hear about your problems. My best wishes go to you both.

Did the vets say anything about future pregnancies to you? I know after a C-section many mares go on to have successful births but when we had an older, maiden mare present a bad distocia followed by a C-section, we were informed that the hard labor followed by the surgery meant, in her case, that she would probably never be able to carry a full term foal again IF she even could get pregnant.

I know this might be an isolated case, but I wondered if you had asked about her future as a brood mare and what they felt that future held.

Keeping my fingers crossed!
 
What an ordeal for all of you, I'm so sorry! Will be keeping Sonnet in my thoughts and prayers for a full recovery, poor girl. Thank you for sharing your experience, and I sure hope that's the LAST of that sort of thing for you and your mares!
 
I've already emailed you Michelle, but I'm so sorry this happened to you and poor Sonnet! With all the maiden mares you had going this year we knew it was going to be a rough foaling season for you ....but never expected one of your veteran mares to cause the most problems.
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I hope the rest of your foaling season is uneventful and full of fillies!!
 
My goodness Michelle! What a time you are having. I hope your little mare recovers uneventfully and that the rest of your foaling season goes smoothly.

Charlotte
 
So sorry you have had to lose two of your foals this year. Thank Goodness Sonnet is going to be alright. You are very fortunate to live so close to a veterinary hospital. HUGS!
 
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This has been an unusual foaling season for us. We lost both foals within one week of each other and have one to go. Due mid July and we are so worried for her. All our mares are good experienced broodmares too...I think the weather has played a BIG part this year on the loss of babies not just minis as our neighbor has cattle and has lost numerous calves also
 
Wow, that is a new one on me too!! Lucky you, living so close to them for help! I hope your mare continues to heal quickly and is home soon. Poor gal, you would NEVER have gotten that foal out of there...

It has been a wierd year. My neighbors have lost 3 foals and a mare this year and almost lost a second mare- just wierd things. They have been breeding since 82 and this was about the worst year they ever had.

Just sounds like an unusual birth defect on your behalf....
 

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