Foals need to get their immune system in the colostrum they drink from the mare. The colostrum is the first milk filled with immunoglobulins (IGG’s). IGG’s are antibodies that move around the foals blood and tissues looking for bacteria or viruses to destroy.
The IGG’s are proteins and amazingly they are not digested when the milk is drunk. Instead for the first 18 hours of a foals life, they can be absorbed in the intestines.
Note, please remember as well as absorbing these IGG’s, they can also absorb bacteria and viruses that enter their mouths. Therefore hygiene and a clean environment for foals is extremely important.
After 18 hours, this magic window of absorbing these antibodies closes. After this time, if the foal has not received enough good quality colostrum, we can improve the foals immune system by giving plasma.
Plasma is purchased especially for this purpose, and it is made from blood from healthy horses. These horses are donors like people can be.
We had to help out a little foal this week so that she could fight of all the bad pathogens she is likely to meet in the next 12 weeks before she has made her own immune system.
Have a great weekend!