Finally getting these all posted! This occurred on April 8, 2008
Well our first c-section! We saw Sonnet (SG Sonnet in Blue) rolling about 4:30 so knew she was getting ready to foal. We moved her into the backyard (clean grass ftw!) and watched her. She began labor in earnest so we went to help if needed. After about 15 minutes we realized we weren’t progressing well, and some of the sac was coming out but no foal parts! Maxim haltered Sonnet while I cleaned/lubed up to go check progess. Anna was standing by as my fabulous nurse to hand me things as needed.
So, went in and found an unexpectedly large part – definitely no feet or head, I wasn’t sure if it was a shoulder or hip but there was no movement and I wasn’t able to progress in further as it felt like a weird webbing going on inside. Quickly cleaning myself up, I told Maxim to keep her up and moving to slow contraction and called UC Davis. They asked us to bring her in so ran to hook up the trailer. Maxim and I took off for the brief 15 minute ride to UCD. Fortunately we’re close by so literally had her there by 6:00.
It was great timing as the reproductive team (including the heads and senior students) had just finished rounds so they immediately all jumped in – we couldn’t even see Sonnet at times there were so many helpers!
After a preliminary exam they determined sedating her completely would allow more manipulation so they started an IV and knocked Sonnet out. She ended up on her back on the table that can be raised/lowered like a hospital bed – what a help having gravity give a bit of assistance and not having to be on the ground to work on a mare! The vets tried for about an hour while another team got the foal resuscitation cart ready – we all figured the foal was dead but they asked permission to try as it was good experience for their students so I agreed. Anyway, after working on Sonnet for an hour the head was just not coming into position so a c-section was recommended.
You have to take a second to digest that as it’s definitely the best for the mares survival and potential future fertility but what a hit to the wallet and you may end up with a pet horse. We did agree though as Sonnet is a figher having survived hyperlipemia a few years ago with a foal on her side, so we figured we owed her every chance and signed the ‘go ahead and make me poor’ papers!
The vets said it would be 1-3 hours so we left and waited for a call. Dr. __ called about 8:30 to let us know the foal was delivered fine and the placenta released on its own so no worries there. The foal though she said would not have lived even if it had been born alive as it had serious birth defects with the entire intestines outside the body and an abnormally large (3 fingers wide) umbilical cord. (Now I know what the creepy webbing was and still get a shudder over it!)
Sonnet walked back to her stall and ate her mash right away. She was moved out of ICU the next morning and after two days in the hospital came home. I think she’s mourned the foal especially seeing all her buddies with new babies, but at least she’s alive. Right now she’s living – literally in the backyard – and doing great. We may think about breeding her next year as she’ll be 17 or we may wait until 2010. It will depend on her and how she does.
