KEVIN THOMPSON
Health
Carefully checking over a mare before her C-section procedure
C-SECTION SURGERY IN MARES HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE FOR THE UNEXPECTED
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BY HEATHER SMITH THOMAS
ometimes it is impossible for a mare to deliver her foal, and it must be removed surgically. Dr. Bonnie Barr with Rood & Riddle in Lexington, Ky., says there are several reasons surgical delivery might be necessary.
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CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED ❙ January 2022 ❙ www.ctba.com
“Tere is a diference between an emergency C-section and an elective C-section,” Barr said. “Te emergency C-section is usually subsequent to a dystocia in which the foal cannot be vaginally delivered—usually due to a malposition that cannot be corrected, or a congenital contracture, scoliosis, etc.” Another reason might be that the fetus is dead, with no way to get it out due to an abnormal position.
