Giving foals Plasma

wgc517 · Postby **wgc517** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:15 am

Looking for thoughts.

Just wondering what the standard practice is for new born foals. Do you give every new born foal plasma to give it a boost or do you just give it if needed?

K~2 · Postby **K~2** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:18 am

I don't give plasma unless an igg test warrants supplementation. On the other hand, some areas have high incidences of certain diseases, which plasma can help with. While I worked on a large farm in KY, all foals were given hyperimmunized plasma for rotovirus, because it was prevalent in the soil.

I guess you would have to weigh the pros and cons, as improperly administered plasma can cause adverse reactions and even death.

Crystal · Postby **Crystal** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:01 am

check the iGG test first, and if the levels are fine and your farm doesn't have a history of problems with Rota- skip it.

tinners way · Postby **tinners way** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:33 am

Check your feed label to see if organic iodine has been reintroduced in the feed. If not, use it as a supplement with your mares. Have not had a case of Roto in over 6 years. Before learning about this even with plasma was having at least a case a year.

It was taken out feed since horses were being used for human consumption.

Will save you tons of money, and no side effects.

majxmom · Postby **majxmom** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 5:44 pm

I had a mare and foal at a farm that required TWO plasma infusions as a policy. That foal was the only foal that I ever had that got the crud, and it hung with her for months and months. I presume that they demanded it as a policy because they had germs in the soil there and every foal was getting sick. But as near as I can tell, the plasma didn't work anyway, so why mess with nature? And it was a whopping $1200 for the two treatments. Plus probably $800 for months of SMZ, not including my time and effort to dose her. Good god, I'll never do that again. The next mare will come home even if I re-breed to the same stallion at that farm.

KBEquine · Postby **KBEquine** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 4:09 am

I know of one foaling facility in Pennsylvania which routinely gives plasma. We have only ever given plasma once, to the last foal out of one older mare because the foal's iGG level was low.

photofinish · Postby **photofinish** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:32 pm

We give all foals around here (NM), on all the commercial farms anyhow, plasma for rhodacaccus (sp?). Easy enough to vaccinate the mares for rotavrus anymore, but rhodacaccus is dust borne and there is no vaccine for it. Dust we have plenty of!