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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Recumbency decreases mare and foal survival following in-hos...
Equine veterinary journal2023; doi: 10.1111/evj.13956

Recumbency decreases mare and foal survival following in-hospital dystocia management.

Abstract: Mare and foal survival are increased with prompt dystocia management. Data regarding mortality outcomes in mares and foals, when mares are recumbent at admission for dystocia resolution, are scarce. Objective: To evaluate recumbency at hospital admission as a risk factor for survival of mares and foals following dystocia management. Subsequent mare fertility was also evaluated. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Data were obtained from medical records at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital of mares with dystocia between 1995 and 2018. Mare signalment, ambulation status, survival data and foaling records were collected. The proportion of mare survival and mare fertility were analysed using chi-squared tests. Foal survival was analysed using Fisher's exact test. Odds ratios were calculated using multivariable logistic regression. Results: There were 1038 ambulatory mares and 41 recumbent mares included in the analysis. Survival rates after dystocia resolution were 90.5% (977/1079) in mares and 37.3% (402/1079) in foals. Ambulatory mares had higher odds of survival (OR 6.93, 95% CI: 3.25-14.78, p < 0.001) than recumbent mares. Foals delivered from ambulatory mares had higher odds of survival (OR 22.7, 95% CI: 3.11-165.44, p = 0.002) compared with foals delivered from recumbent mares. Fertility was not statistically different for surviving Thoroughbred mares within 3 years following dystocia resolution between ambulatory and recumbent mares. Conclusions: Retrospective study design and small case number of recumbent mares. Conclusions: Mare and foal survival was significantly decreased when mares with dystocia were recumbent at hospital admission. Subsequent fertility, as defined for this study, of surviving mares was not affected by ambulation status at the time of dystocia resolution. Unassigned: La supervivencia de yegua y potrillo aumenta con el tratamiento oportuno de las distocias. Información sobre los resultados de mortalidad en yeguas y potrillos a la resolución de la distocia, cuando la yegua está postrada al momento de la admisión es escaza. Objective: El objetivo de este estudio, es evaluar la postración al momento de la admisión al hospital como un factor de riesgo para la supervivencia de yeguas y potrillos después del tratamiento de distocia. La fertilidad subsecuente de la yegua también fue evaluada. DISEÑO DEL ESTUDIO: Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo. MÉTODOS: Datos de yeguas con distocia entre 1995-2008 fueron obtenidos de los archivos médicos de Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. Síntomas de las yeguas, estado ambulatorio, información de supervivencia y archivos de parición fueron recolectados. La proporción de supervivencia de yeguas y fertilidad de yeguas fueron analizadas con prueba de chi-cuadrado. La supervivencia de potrillos fue analizada usando una prueba exacta de Fisher. Se calcularon odds ratios usando regresión logística multivariada. Results: Índices de supervivencia. Se incluyeron 1038 yeguas capaces de deambular y 41 yeguas postradas. Los índices de supervivencia después de la resolución de la distocia fueron de 90.5% (977/1079) en yeguas y de 37.3% (402/1079) en potrillos. Las yeguas capaces de deambular, tenían más probabilidades de sobrevivir (OR 6.93, 95% CI: 3.25-14.78, p < 0.001) que las yeguas postradas. Los potrillos nacidos de yeguas capaces de deambular tenían mayor probabilidad de sobrevivir (OR 22.7, 95% CI: 3.11-165.44, p = 0.002) comparados a potrillos nacidos de yeguas postradas. La fertilidad no fue estadísticamente diferente entre yeguas Fina Sangre de Carrera sobrevivientes dentro de los 3 próximos años después de la resolución de la distocia entre yeguas móviles y aquellas postradas. Unassigned: Diseño de estudio retrospectivo y un pequeño número de casos de yeguas postradas. Conclusions: La supervivencia de yegua y potrillo disminuye significativamente cuando las yeguas con distocia están postradas al momento de admisión al hospital. La fertilidad subsecuente, tal cual ha sido definida en este estudio, de las yeguas sobrevivientes no fue afectada por el estatus de estar móvil al momento de la resolución de la distocia.
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Publication Date: 2023-05-25 PubMed ID: 37227213DOI: 10.1111/evj.13956Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research paper explores the impact of mare recumbency (lying down) on horse and foal survival rates during dystocia management. The study concludes that mares that were recumbent during hospital admission had significantly lower survival rates for themselves and their foals than those that were ambulatory.

Objective and Methodology

  • The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to determine whether recumbency at hospital admission could be considered a risk factor for survival of mares and foals following dystocia management. Dystocia, or birthing difficulty, is a serious problem in horses which can become life-threatening for both the mare and the foal.
  • The study obtained data from medical records at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital for mares experiencing dystocia from the period between 1995 and 2018.
  • The data collected included mare signalment (description of age, breed, color), ambulation status (ability to move about), survival data, and foaling records.

Results

  • The research sample included 1038 ambulatory mares and 41 recumbent mares.
  • Mare survival rates after dystocia resolution were 90.5% (977/1079) and foal survival rates were significantly lower at 37.3% (402/1079).
  • The odds of survival for ambulatory mares were significantly higher (OR 6.93, 95% CI: 3.25-14.78, p < 0.001) than for recumbent mares. Similarly, foals delivered from ambulatory mares also had higher odds of survival (OR 22.7, 95% CI: 3.11-165.44, p = 0.002) compared to those born from recumbent mares.
  • There was no significant difference in fertility rates for surviving Thoroughbred mares within the 3 years following dystocia resolution, regardless of their ambulation status during dystocia resolution.

Conclusion

  • The research findings suggest that mare and foal survival rates dropped significantly if the mare was recumbent during admission to the hospital for dystocia management.
  • However, the subsequent fertility of surviving mares did not appear to be influenced by their ambulation status at the time of dystocia.
  • The retrospective design of the study and the small number of recumbent mares in the dataset were recognized as limitations of the research.

Cite This Article

APA
Roe H, Macpherson M, Denagamage T, Hopper S, Woodie B, Embertson R. (2023). Recumbency decreases mare and foal survival following in-hospital dystocia management. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13956

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Roe, Heather
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Floridas, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Macpherson, Margo
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Floridas, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Denagamage, Thomas
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Floridas, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Hopper, Scott
  • Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Woodie, Brett
  • Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Embertson, Rolf
  • Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.

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This article includes 16 references
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