Effective oxytocin treatment on placental expulsion after foaling in heavy draft mares.

The research article investigates the impact of oxytocin administration on placental expulsion in mares after foaling. The research demonstrates that the use of oxytocin can effectively aid in placental expulsion and suggests that intramuscular administration of 50 IU of oxytocin at 1-hour intervals, beginning 1 hour after foaling, is beneficial in heavy draft mares.

Research Details

• The study involved four foaling mares with retained placentas for up to 1 hour after giving birth. These were administered 50 IU of oxytocin (OT) at one-hour intervals until the expulsion of the placenta took place.
• The study examined the changes in plasma concentrations of oxytocin and the PGF2alpha metabolite (PGFM) during this period. These concentrations were used to assess the impact of oxytocin administration on the process of placental expulsion.

Research Findings

• All four mares that received oxytocin expelled the placenta after one to three oxytocin administrations indicating that oxytocin positively impacts the placental expulsion.
• In two of the mares, the placenta was expelled within 30 minutes after oxytocin administration, and the oxytocin concentration in the mares’ plasma increased and remained high. This suggests that a higher concentration of oxytocin may expedite placental expulsion.
• Two mares experienced a delay in placental expulsion. For one mare that received three doses of oxytocin, beginning 1 hour after foaling, there was only a small increase in oxytocin concentration after the first administration. The other did not receive oxytocin until 3 hours after foaling, indicating that the timing of oxytocin administration may impact its efficacy.
• In all the mares, the level of oxytocin increased before placental expulsion, and in the two mares with retained placentas, the concentration of PGFM also increased. This implies there might be a correlation between oxytocin and PGFM concentrations and placental expulsion.

Research Conclusion

• The research concludes that intramuscular administration of 50 IU of oxytocin at 1-hour intervals, beginning 1-hour after foaling, is an effective protocol for inducing placental expulsion in mares. The specific details of the administration – dose, intervals, and start time – appear to be significant in achieving the desired outcomes.