May: A Little Birdie That Could

May Case of the Month: A Little Birdie That Could

Breeding your talented and proven mare to an up-and-coming stallion can be very a gratifying and fulfilling adventure. However sometimes unforeseen developmental issues arise, as it did with one of this year’s foals, Birdie. Foaling went very smoothly, and Birdie seemed to be doing very well in the first few hours of life until it was quickly discovered that she was not latching and nursing correctly, despite her best efforts, correct position, good attempts, and mare tolerance. On exam, we discovered Birdie had a severe overjet and overbite where the maxilla extends horizontally beyond the mandible as well as extends vertically covering over the mandible. Initial treatment involved milking out the mare and feeding Birdie the colostrum via nasogastric tube; and followed by teaching her how to drink from a bucket. This little filly was so smart that she took to the bucket right away and eventually even taught herself how to nurse from the teat using the side of her mouth. Luckily for Birdie, her exceptional team of supporters worked tirelessly day and night milking out the mare to feed Birdie the mare’s own milk every hour for the first two weeks of life before reducing the frequency of feedings. The mare was equally remarkable allowing handlers to milk her out repeatedly. Defying the odds, Birdie has been thriving. Her biggest challenge is yet to come. She’s going to need corrective surgery to help better align her maxilla and mandible so that she can have more incisor alignment and a more functional bite. We will keep you posted with her progress.