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  Discussion on Foal's eye membranes are blood red
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Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2002 - 1:01 pm:

Dear Dr O

We had a surprise arrival here yesterday. I was looking after an in-foal mare for a friend as we have too much grass at the moment and she has not enough. The mare was supposed to go to the stud to foal in the next few days (but my friend wouldn't be great at keeping track of dates etc.)

Half way to the horse sales yesterday we got a call from my husband at home... "Is Cocoa supposed to have a foal with her?" - she'd foaled in the field about two weeks early. We sent a horsy friend to check out the foal and she reported it standing, nursing, mother protective, she found the afterbirth etc.

I checked it when I got back last night and though it was a little cold (weather is lousy) the view here is always that out in the field is better than stuck in the stable with greater possibilities for infection.

My friend (the owner) who is highly experienced checked it today and thought everything fine. I am a little worried it may not be getting enough milk as it's trying to nurse quite a bit and mum's teats look sore. I did hear good slurping sounds last night.

But I'm not sure if I should be worried by the fact its eyeballs seem to be red. Mum is an Irish draught x Appaloosa, very calm, nice, heavy type of mare and the surrounds of her eyes are also usually a pink/red like many Appaloosa type horses here.

The foal really has bright (blood) red surrounds though. My friend is always conscious of cost and I think was delighted the mare saved her the cost of the foaling fee and the vet visit. I am of course entirely paranoid that something might go wrong with it while it is here... should I be worried about red eyes? I have said it to my friend and she just said maybe they would improve over the next few days.

Thanks for your help.

Imogen

Posted on Friday, May 17, 2002 - 6:33 am:

Hello Imogen,
It is fairly common for newborn foals to have the sclera of either one or both eyes bright red when born. I am unsure why this happens it is not bruising (ruptured blood vessels) but more like dilated and engorged blood vessels. It has been a year or two since I have seen one but if memory serves me seems like it took about a week for the eyes to return to normal and do not require treatment.
DrO

Posted on Monday, May 20, 2002 - 8:32 am:

Yup, it's now normal (day 6 since birth) except for the front quarter of one eyeball.

Thanks for the reassurance. I'll still feel happier once mum and foal leave here so they won't be my responsibility, but it has been fun watching them enjoying their first week together.

Imogen
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