04/05/2025
🚨 𝐅𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 – 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 🚨
Foaling season brings excitement, but with it comes the responsibility of knowing when things go wrong. A Red Bag Delivery is one of the most serious emergencies during foaling, and it requires immediate attention!
🔴 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐠?
In a normal birth, the placenta remains attached to the mare’s uterus, supplying oxygen to the foal until it takes its first breath. In a red bag delivery, the placenta prematurely separates, cutting off oxygen before the foal is born. Without fast intervention, the foal can suffer severe oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) or stillbirth.
🔴 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐠:
Instead of the normal greyish-white amnion, a thick, dark red membrane (the chorioallantois) appears first. This means the foal is trapped inside the placenta and needs immediate help.
⏳𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬? 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭:
1️⃣ Rupture the red bag immediately with your fingers or scissors.
2️⃣ Locate the foal’s front feet and assist in delivery by gently pulling downward.
3️⃣ Stimulate the foal once delivered: rub its chest, check for breathing, and use oxygen or resuscitation techniques if necessary.
4️⃣ Monitor the foal closely—some foals appear normal at birth but may develop neurological issues (“dummy foal syndrome”) within 48 hours due to oxygen deprivation.
🔴 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐠?
Premature placental separation can be caused by placentitis (infection of the placenta), fescue toxicity, stress, or other unknown factors. Placentitis, the most common cause, develops over days or weeks and may be indicated by a vaginal discharge or mild bleeding before foaling. Mares grazing on fescue pastures are also at risk due to toxins in the grass that interfere with normal pregnancy and foaling. In some cases, there is no clear cause, making careful monitoring of late-term mares essential.
Recognizing and responding to a red bag delivery immediately can mean the difference between life and death. It is always better to have an action plan and a good standing relationship with your veterinarian before an emergency arises! If you have any questions about foaling preparation, contact us today!
📸: Colorado State University
www.sehtx.com | 📱 254-968-7898
