Posted 2015-04-17 5:44 AM Subject: MECONIUM FIRST FECES IN FOALS
Meconium is the first feces passed by the
newborn foal and is comprised of digested
placental fluid, gastrointestinal secretions,
and cellular debris. It is usually dark
greenish brown or black in color, firm
pellets to pasty in consistency and is
generally passed within the first 3 to 4 hours
after birth.
It is a plug provided by Mother Nature in order for the
foal to nurse and fill up his digestive tracts with enough
pressure to uncurl any kinks there might be.
So, don't make an enema your first priority. Wait out the
4-6 hours for foal to pass his first poop. keep a $2 human
enema on hand to use if necessary. Have good help to hold
the foal and coat the enema tube and his anus with Vaseline
for a more gentle penetration and get in and out quickly.
It is very easy to rupture him by being ruff or allowing him
to squirm while you take too long giving the enema ...
out of many foals ... I think I have done only one of my own ..
it is a last resort as far as I am concerned ..
if foals tummy is full and pressurized with colostrum the black meconium
plug will pop right out with black greasy poop following. Then the mares
digested milk will show up as mustard yellow poop. I wash and Vaseline
my foals rumps, tails and anus over the next two weeks to minimize scalding the
hair off their rumps during their normal diarrhea while mare is going thru foal heat cycle ..
if you have never seen the "meconium plug' here you go ..
MECONIUM FIRST FECES IN FOALS
