​Beadle Lake Veterinary Clinic

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Reproductive Services

Beadle Lake Veterinary Clinic offers a variety of equine reproduction services. These services are led by Dr. Jason Van Lente, who has completed several courses in advanced reproductive techniques. If you’re not sure where to start, call us for a consultation and we can help you to develop a successful breeding program tailored to your needs and goals. We are with you every step of the way, from the decision to breed your mare to the day of your foal’s first vaccines and beyond. Please see our list of services provided below.

Mare Reproductive Services
For a typical breeding season, we recommend serial ultrasound sessions to determine where your mare is at in her cycle, followed by stimulation of ovulation, and accurately-timed artificial insemination (with fresh cooled or frozen semen). Once bred, we will check the mare at 18 days, 30 days, and 90 days.

• Breeding soundness examinations, including uterine culture & biopsy
• Ultrasound (rectal and abdominal)
  
• Follicle and ovulation assessment for accurately-timed breeding
  
• Pregnancy verification
  
• Artificial Insemination with fresh cooled or frozen semen
  
• Embryo transfer
  

Stallion Reproductive Services

• Breeding soundness examination

Foal Care​

• ​​Foaling Protocol – please download the attached document for our foaling instructions. It can be helpful to print these and have them available in the barn near your mare’s due date, as well as a foaling kit. If you are unsure if the foaling process is proceeding appropriately, please call our office at (269) 441-9233 for assistance. A good rule of thumb is that there should be obvious progression of delivery every 10 minutes. If 10 minutes pass and nothing has changed (for example, the legs haven’t moved despite the mare’s pushing), you should give us a call. The placenta should be passed within 3 hours of labor and your veterinarian should be notified if it has been longer.
  

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• Neonatal Care: Our doctors recommend every foal receive a full physical exam and IgG check at approximately 24 hours of age. The IgG is a measurement of the antibodies (immunity) that the foal has received from the mare’s colostrum (the first milk).  This number is very important; an appropriate IgG level provides immunity to help prevent your foal from life-threatening disease early in life.
  
  • Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT)​: FPT occurs when the foal does not receive enough antibodies from the mare’s colostrum (the first milk) in the first 24 hours of life. Unlike other species, foals do not receive immunity from the mare while in the uterus – they can only receive it from the colostrum. When the foal does not receive these important protective antibodies, it puts them at high risk of developing life-threatening illness, usually due to infection. It is extremely important to know whether your foal receives the proper antibodies by checking IgG level, which can be done with a simple stall-side blood test. ​If FPT has occurred, we recommend the foal receive an IV infusion of hyperimmune plasma, which contains the antibodies that will provide protection and reduce the risk of illness. This can often make the difference in saving a foal’s life if administered prior to illness.
    

Please contact the veterinarians at BLVC for more information about caring for your mare and foal.