R.I.P. Friesian Mare Gerda (OT)

"Pat" wrote in message
.. .
I got a call from Gloria very early this morning. Gerda
(http://friesianlover.com/gerda.html) died giving birth to her foal, which
was breech and also did not survive. You don't wanna know the gory details.
I could have waited another hour or so to hear them myself....

I am so immensely sad for all concerned, as well as extremely glad that I
did not have to be there as it was happening. According to Gloria, the vet
arrived too late to save her but in time to put her down before she
suffered much.



Oh this is sad. Poor mare, poor baby.

*hugs* helen s

On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 12:39:53 -0500, Irulan wrote
(in article ):

[Snip]

Please call Lynda. She hasn't been able to reach you for a week and is
worried.

Thanks,

Stephen

I'm so very, very sorry, Pat.
Christine
"Pat" wrote in message
.. .
I got a call from Gloria very early this morning. Gerda
(http://friesianlover.com/gerda.html) died giving birth to her foal, which
was breech and also did not survive. You don't wanna know the gory
details.
I could have waited another hour or so to hear them myself....

I am so immensely sad for all concerned, as well as extremely glad that I
did not have to be there as it was happening. According to Gloria, the vet
arrived too late to save her but in time to put her down before she
suffered
much.

Pat wrote:
I got a call from Gloria very early this morning. Gerda
(http://friesianlover.com/gerda.html) died giving birth to her foal, which
was breech and also did not survive. You don't wanna know the gory details.
I could have waited another hour or so to hear them myself....

I am so immensely sad for all concerned, as well as extremely glad that I
did not have to be there as it was happening. According to Gloria, the vet
arrived too late to save her but in time to put her down before she suffered
much.

Good God, that is so sad! How did it happen? Did they not catch her
in time to do anything about it, or did they just wait too long, or in
horses, is there not much you *can* do about it?

-L.

-L. wrote:
Pat wrote:
I got a call from Gloria very early this morning. Gerda
(http://friesianlover.com/gerda.html) died giving birth to her foal, which
was breech and also did not survive. You don't wanna know the gory details.
I could have waited another hour or so to hear them myself....

I am so immensely sad for all concerned, as well as extremely glad that I
did not have to be there as it was happening. According to Gloria, the vet
arrived too late to save her but in time to put her down before she suffered
much.

Good God, that is so sad! How did it happen? Did they not catch her
in time to do anything about it, or did they just wait too long, or in
horses, is there not much you *can* do about it?

-L.

I know some folks who raise horses who do sonograms (the vet has a
mobile machine) on first-time births or for some reason they suspect a
problem. Or sometimes just routine, particularly for high-dollar
thoroughbreds or just people who care very much about their horses.
Other than that, there are people who just treat their horses like the
ranchers do the cattle -- let nature take its course and hope for the
best.

Sherry

I'm sorry to hear about poor Gerda, her foal and her human family. Purrs
heading their way.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

"Pat" wrote in message
.. .
I got a call from Gloria very early this morning. Gerda
(http://friesianlover.com/gerda.html) died giving birth to her foal, which
was breech and also did not survive. You don't wanna know the gory details.
I could have waited another hour or so to hear them myself....

I am so immensely sad for all concerned, as well as extremely glad that I
did not have to be there as it was happening. According to Gloria, the vet
arrived too late to save her but in time to put her down before she
suffered much.

"-L." wrote

Good God, that is so sad! How did it happen? Did they not catch her
in time to do anything about it, or did they just wait too long, or in
horses, is there not much you *can* do about it?

If you know about it early enough in the mare's labor (no easy feat), and if
the mare is cooperative (also a tricky proposition), and the foaling
attendant is exceptionally knowledgeable and has a long enough arm and
enough strength and is very quick, sometimes a breech foal can be delivered
alive without having to do an emergency C-section. The procedure involves
reaching into the mare's uterus and finding the foal's feet and getting them
into the birth canal without accidentally puncturing the uterus in the
process, and then pulling the foal out quickly enough that it does not
suffocate. Normally the head is out and the foal can breathe before the back
part of its body is born but when it's coming feet-first the oxygen supply
from the umbilicus will be cut off due to pressure, so the whole process of
pulling the breech foal must be done extremely fast in order to save the
foal and spare it from brain damage due to oxygen deprivation.

In this case Gloria was out there in plenty of time and Gerda was very
cooperative but according to the vet one of the baby's feet had probably
already perforated the uterus before she even started trying to help,
because her intestine was wrapped around the foal's legs.

wrote in message

I know some folks who raise horses who do sonograms (the vet has a
mobile machine) on first-time births or for some reason they suspect a
problem. Or sometimes just routine, particularly for high-dollar
thoroughbreds or just people who care very much about their horses.
Other than that, there are people who just treat their horses like the
ranchers do the cattle -- let nature take its course and hope for the
best.

Sonograms would have to be done *very* close to the time of foaling because
the foal does not move into the final pre-foaling position until just prior
to birth, and the time it will happen is so hard to predict.

This is the first breech presentation she's encountered in her herd. Indeed,
the first problem with foaling aside from two premies and a few retained
placentae. Also, there is no vet that can get to the farm within a short
enough time to do much good once a mare has gone into labor. When I was
there she would speed-dial my number as soon as the foal alert went off if I
wasn't already sleeping in the barn, and often by the time I sped the
two-tenths of a mile to the barn, the baby was already on the ground.

Pat wrote:
If you know about it early enough in the mare's labor (no easy feat), and if
the mare is cooperative (also a tricky proposition), and the foaling
attendant is exceptionally knowledgeable and has a long enough arm and
enough strength and is very quick, sometimes a breech foal can be delivered
alive without having to do an emergency C-section. The procedure involves
reaching into the mare's uterus and finding the foal's feet and getting them
into the birth canal without accidentally puncturing the uterus in the
process, and then pulling the foal out quickly enough that it does not
suffocate. Normally the head is out and the foal can breathe before the back
part of its body is born but when it's coming feet-first the oxygen supply
from the umbilicus will be cut off due to pressure, so the whole process of
pulling the breech foal must be done extremely fast in order to save the
foal and spare it from brain damage due to oxygen deprivation.

In this case Gloria was out there in plenty of time and Gerda was very
cooperative but according to the vet one of the baby's feet had probably
already perforated the uterus before she even started trying to help,
because her intestine was wrapped around the foal's legs.

Oh Pat, I am so sorry - that's so sad! I am sure you all are just sick
about it.
-L.

Pat wrote:

I got a call from Gloria very early this morning. Gerda
(http://friesianlover.com/gerda.html) died giving birth to her foal, which
was breech and also did not survive. You don't wanna know the gory details.
I could have waited another hour or so to hear them myself....

I am so immensely sad for all concerned, as well as extremely glad that I
did not have to be there as it was happening. According to Gloria, the vet
arrived too late to save her but in time to put her down before she suffered
much.



I'm so very sorry to hear about Gerda and her foal.
Polonca and Soncek