| Sampling and testing should begin 10-14 days before the mare's expected foaling date (335-340 days from her last breeding date). If the breeding date is unknown, begin when udders become enlarged. Run FoalWatch once a day until the calcium level consistently exceeds 100 ppm.
Begin testing twice daily (morning and late afternoon or evening) when the calcium concentration first exceeds 125 ppm. When the calcium level first reaches 200 ppm, about 50% of mares will foal within 24 hours. (Birth within 24 hours is very rare when calcium levels are below 200 ppm.)
Birth usually is very near when the mare's calcium concentration reaches 300-500 ppm.
Easy Test Procedure
STEP 1: Using the syringe, dispense 1.5 ml of the mare's mammary secretion into the 25 ml sample cup. Add 9 ml of distilled water. Then add one drop of indicator solution.
STEP 2: Snap the tip of the Titret ampoule at the score mark. Then immerse the Titret tip in the sample.
STEP 3: Draw a small amount of sample into the ampoule. Its contents will turn bright orange. Gently rock the ampoule back and forth.
STEP 4: Repeat Step 3 until a color change from orange to blue occurs. Then invert the ampoule and read the results in ppm directly from the scale on the ampoule.
Note: Sampling does not impair the supply of milk available to the foal at birth, nor does it reduce the antibodies the milk contains. This test kit is intended as a foaling aid only, and should not substitute for standard veterinary care.
Interferences or Complications
Mares exposed to fescue grass pastures contaminated by Acremonium coephenophialum, a fungus, during the last 60-90 days of gestation may fail to undergo normal udder development and fail to secrete colostrum.
Pre-foaling mammary secretion sampling does slightly increase the risk of infection to the mammary tissue, especially if the udder is not cleaned and dried prior to obtaining the sample.
The supplement domperidone can increase the calcium level of the mare's milk, causing inflated test readings. |
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