IN research carried out by Stella Chapman and published in UK-Equine, failure of passive transfer of immunity is a common condition that is seen in neonatal foals, and the best approach to management is through prevention and early recognition of the problem.

A thorough history of the mare should be kept, and owners and breeders should understand the importance of colostrum. Monitoring of the foal by trained attendants should be in place to ensure that foals stand and suckle vigorously within a few hours of birth.

Colostrum bank

Assessment of the quality of colostrum of the mare should be undertaken, and a Brix refractometer provides the owner or breeder with an easy and inexpensive means of doing this.

Breeders should consider establishing a colostrum bank for supplementing foals that are unable to suckle, and serum immunoglobulin G testing of foals should be undertaken to establish the immune status of the foal and whether treatment is necessary either with oral colostrum or intravenous plasma.