CUTTING EDGE, NEW TOPICS, AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION IN THERIOGENOLOGY
Fig. 3. Incising an umbilical vessel of the placenta using a #10 scalpel blade.
unknown but likely exceeded 12–24 hours after foal- ing. It was suspected that prolonged retention resulted in small, unrecognizable tears in the mem- branes causing subsequent tearing. In the cases of incomplete membrane expulsion, mares underwent repeated uterine lavage and oxytocin therapy over a 3–4-day period. For eight mares (5.4%), the time from onset of vascular infusion to expulsion of the membranes was more than 15 minutes but less then 30 minutes. Eight mares (5.4%) showed mild signs of discomfort, comparable with the discomfort expe- rienced by postpartum mares after oxytocin admin-
istration or mild colic. By reducing the water flow infusion rate, the mares experienced less pain. Two mares were treated with additional uterine la- vages for 3 days after placental removal by infusion because of intraluminal fluid retention in the uterus. Additional secondary side effects to the procedure (i.e., inverted uterine horn, uterine pro- lapse, uterine artery hemorrhage, unresolvable colic, metritis) were not noted after this procedure in any mare. Follow-up pregnancy rates were available for only a small percentage of treated mares. It was recom-
Fig. 4. Introducing the foal nasogastric tube into the incised umbilical vessel. 480 2015 Vol. 61 AAEP PROCEEDINGS
