As thoroughbreds in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate their annual birthday on 1 August, staff at The University of Queensland’s Equine Hospital are preparing to welcome a new season of foals.
Equine Hospital Director Dr Andrew Van Eps said the skilled and dedicated nursing team and specialist veterinarians provided 24-hour care and monitoring to several foals and mares each year.
“Foals are very much like human babies, requiring specialist and intensive care when they are unwell,” he said.
“Problems include infection, sickness in foals, breeding issues in mares, problems with the birthing process, or a lack of adaption to their new life outside.
“Similar to a human baby, intravenous nutrition, oxygen therapy or even mechanical ventilation may be necessary.”
“Since the birth of the first foal in August 2011, the reproductive services and advanced perinatal care available to clients at the Equine Hospital has increased, resulting in many successful breeding outcomes for owners.
"The reproductive and obstetrics service, coordinated by Dr Wynne Collins, can house mares and stallions on site for assistive reproductive techniques.
“We offer artificial insemination with chilled and frozen semen and will be initiating an embryo transfer programme this coming season,” Dr Collins said.
“This is ideal for owners with valuable competition mares or for production of more than one foal.”
The purpose-built facilities support foetal sexing, high-risk mare management and semen quality assessments.
“Mares that are likely to experience birthing complications can be monitored in the final weeks of pregnancy and give birth at the hospital, where help is available for the mare and foal,” Dr Collins said.
From loyal companion horses to high performance horses, the Equine Hospital at Gatton offers a range of advanced reproductive techniques and procedures for mares and stallions and has registered veterinary specialists in equine medicine, surgery, perinatal care and reproduction.
The hospital accepts referral cases from veterinarians but is also available for primary admission from the public.
For more information, visit www.uq.edu.au/vetschool/equinehospital or contact +617 5460 1799.
Media: UQ Faculty of Science Engagement Officer Karli Kollegger, 5460 1279, k.kollegger@uq.edu.au.
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