It is crucial for the newborn foal to obtain antibodies through the dam’s milk because, unlike in humans, there is no natural transfer of antibodies through the mother’s placenta. This is why it is crucial that your foal receives enough colostrum during the first twelve hours of life.
In this article, Katelyn McNicol from WestVETS explains what happens if a foal fails to obtain adequate levels of antibodies, often referred to as ‘failure of transfer of passive immunity’, and what can be done to protect the foal against infections, which could include septicaemia, pneumonia, joint infections and diarrhoea to name a few.