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  Discussion on Hi-Gamm Equi for new foals
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Posted on Sunday, Apr 7, 2002 - 6:37 pm:

Dr. O,

We recently received a news letter from our veterinarian's office giving medical information they recommend for mares and foals. One of the recommendations is as follows and I quote: "When your foal is 24 hours old we STRONGLY RECOMMEND giving Hi-Gamm Equi. This is a hyper-immunized serum packed with antibodies necessary to protect your foal from common and often fatal newborn diseases. It is a one liter bag of fluid administered intravenously by a veterinarian. Delivering this immune system stimulant to the foal greatly reduces the chance of that newborn becoming septic at 2-4 days and aids in the prevention of foal scours. Breeding farms that have used Hi-Gamm Equi for 3-5 years report a greatly reduced incidence of respiratory and other bacterial related diseases. Treated foals handle stress and health challenges better than untreated foals. This one time preventative administration of Hi-Gamm Equi could save you large amounts of health related expenses throughout your horses's life."

Since we have a foal due any day I called to ask them about it and was told that it would be especially good for our foals since they will most likely be show horses therefore in more contact with other animals.

What are your thoughts regarding this serum?

Jane

Posted on Monday, Apr 8, 2002 - 6:34 am:

Hello Jane,
First I would recommend a change in your management to prevent the contact of brood mares and newborn foals with animals that are showing or traveling at the time. Both mid and late term abortion and the inciedence of neonatal disease is likely to be a much greater problem with this type set up no matter how aggressive your management.

Should a 24 hour foal with no indication of problems and a good level of IgG be transfused(?).....I don't think so. I know of no work that shows that healthy foals with successful passive transfer benefit from this type treatment and in fact many questions still remain unanswered about exogenously administered Ig. If such work is out there I would be interested in the references.

Their example of why it should be used does not apply to our "healthy foal scenerio": if these farms are having a high incidence of neonatal disease then obviously something is "wrong" on these farms that may or may not be being addressed by the exogenous Ig.
DrO

Posted on Monday, Apr 8, 2002 - 9:09 am:

DrO,

Thanks for your response.

Regarding your first paragraph, we never have our broodmares and/or foals in contact with animals that are showing or traveling. The vet said it would help these foals to get the serum now so that when they are adults and showing/traveling their immune systems would be better.

Secondly, I will investigate this further and if I come up with anything I will pass it along.

Jane

Posted on Monday, Apr 8, 2002 - 9:23 am:

DrO,

Sorry, I should have waited to make my last post after searching the web for HiGamm-Equi. If I didn't have to rush off to work, I would provide better information. Instead, here is the web site and phone numbers in case you or anyone else is interested.

www.lakeimmunogenics.com/foalimmune.html
800-648-9990 or 716-265-1973

Lake Immunogenics, Inc.
348 Berg Road
Ontario, New York 14519

Jane

Posted on Monday, Apr 8, 2002 - 5:24 pm:

Thanks for the clarification. The idea that exogenously administered IgG will in some way protect the foal when he is an adult (or even say a yearlying and probably not even as a weanling) is completley false. When I first read your post that did seem to be what they were saying but I threw it out since I do not know of any immunological principle to support the idea that this could possibly be remotely true.
DrO
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