It's About The Horse

becdubie

Hey there...
My neighbor has a 2 day old foal, she was born about 2 weeks early and they are having difficulty getting her to learn to suck.
Currently the Vet has her set up with a feeding tube. My neighbor is exhausted...feeding around the clock every 2-3 hours. The Tube can't stay in much longer.

Any ideas? Have you delt with this?
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-Becky
There is more than one right way!

doubletop · Member Joined: 08 May 2011 Posts: 6 Location: england

sometimes calves will respond to sugar on the fingers to get a suckle response.Also if the foal is strong enough to stand alright and the mare is good you can try squirting the mare's milk on the foal's nose ,so that it gets the idea.sometimes the foal is too tall to suckle easily,then it will take two people.one to hold the foal to the mares udder position and the other person to hold the foal muzzle to guide it to the teat.takes patience but they do get the idea once they have suckled.If the foal is weak,then you can only ,milk the mare and feed the foal with a teat from a bottle every 2/3 hours,or as long as the foal has had enough colestrum to give it immunity,6 to 8 litres,then you can use foal replacement milk if the mare does not allow you to milk her.If you are bottle feeding do not be afraid to strip the mare of her milk and feed it to the foal at intervals.it does not matter if the milk has gone cold as you can keep it in the fridge and warm it in a bucket of hot water.it will not harm the foal if it is just at room temperature as long as the foal is warm enough.If the foal is weak it will not survive anyway. hope this helps.

Clarissa · Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 11:53 am Post subject:

Yes I agree with doubletop regarding milking the mare as best you can & feeding that to the foal in anyway you can get it into the foal. The owner will have to persist for another week yet.

The foal will develop the suckling instinct in a few more days time. Put 2 fingers in it's mouth regularly with your palm upwards & tickle the roof of foals mouth or press gently on it's tongue. The tongue muscles are the last to develop which is why it can't suck yet. You have to encourage it to use it's tongue & stimulate the muscles by inserting your fingers in it's mouth. As the foal learns to grab your hand you draw it towards the udder & the transition should be easy.

If the foal doesn't get onto the mare or the mare rejects the foal she should get used to being milked every few hours very soon because her milk will build up & she will get a sore udder which is relieved when she is milked. The foal should get as much of that as possible.

However I have found it is best to bypass bottle feeding once the suckling response is in place if the mare won't take the foal & get it onto the bucket. You get it sucking on your fingers & lower your hand right into a deep bowl of milk & hold it there until the foal starts getting some milk that way. Have the bowl just below foals mouth height not on the ground. After doing that every feed for a day or so they are ok to suck right from the bucket at which time you can put the bucket at foals chest height. Don't put bucket on ground as they can't reach it properly & are more inclined to knock it ober with their clumsy stepping. I propped mine up in a tower of 3 car tyres packed to hold the bucket upright.

Very regular small feeds every 2-3hrs for the first week, then 3-4hr for next month will be best to produce a foal that doesn't get scours or poddy belly & doesn't guts all the milk in one go. After the first month ad lib milk left out in a large bucket to last 6hrs is ok. They come & go at will & if they have always been fed little & often they never guts all the milk down in one go.
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PasoBaby_CarolU · Site Admin Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 9014

People have had success with peanut butter on the roof of the mouth.
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Carol Nudell
Corazon de Oro Paso Finos

"The path to your horse's heart lies through your own."

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jackspark · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 4473 Location: Missouri

Yes, I had a foal with this problem. Sad to say he only made it two days. The vet called him a "dummy foal" and said that he had not gotten enough oxygen during birth. We did all we could to support him but he continued to weaken and finally died. It was a long a tough birth with me having to pull him out and cut the sack away from him.......

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Nancy

Flying Monkey Trainer

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becdubie · Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 12:45 pm Post subject:

Great information from you all as usual.
They are milking the mare and feeding via a tube for now. I believe the tube has to come out today.
The baby has started to lick her lips and explore with her tongue a little so maybe she will get it.
I'll give the neighbor all your suggestesions. They are very experienced horse people have raised lots of babies but never had this problem. The Mare is 21 and has also had lots of babies. She wants the baby to suck and baby even goes to her udder and assumes the position but she just doesn't suck yet. She is a pretty little girl...I hope she makes it.
_________________
-Becky
There is more than one right way!

becdubie · Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 1:13 pm Post subject:

Awe...baby didn't make it. She was just too weak slipped away peacefully yesterday.
Momma is doing ok.

Carol...the peanut butter did make her start to move/use her tongue though so that was a good suggestion.
_________________
-Becky
There is more than one right way!

doubletop · Member Joined: 08 May 2011 Posts: 6 Location: england

Allow the mare to grieve for her foal.leave it with her,but give her the freedom to leave it when she is ready.it may take a few days but it will help the mare.