542 Veterinary Obstetrics 



other hand, it must be constantly borne in mind that the well- 

 being, or even life, of the mother and fetus may depend upon 

 prompt aid from the owner or the attendant, of a kind which is 

 too pressing to await the arrival of the veterinarian. 



This applies with special force to the mare, where timely aid 

 may preserve the life or value of the mother or the fetus, when 

 the veterinarian could not possibly accomplish the same end later. 

 It is a general rule, which we might almost say is merely em- 

 phasized by the few exceptions, that a veterinarian never saves 

 the life of a foal in a case of dystokia, so abrupt is labor in the 

 mare and so quickly does the foal perish because of the early 

 separation between the fetal and maternal placentae. It is, there- 

 fore, highly important that the owner or caretaker of breeding 

 mares should be competent to give first aid in cases of parturition 

 and it is a part of the duty of the veterinary obstetrist to instruct 

 the owners of such animals, so far as it may be practicable, in 

 these matters. 



We might illustrate this by citing some of the common acci- 

 dents of parturition in the mare. In some cases an extremity be- 

 comes pushed up against the roof of the vagina and into the 

 rectum, so that a portion of the fetus may begin to protrude 

 through the anus, still covered by the tissues between the two 

 organs. If the owner promptly pushes these parts back and 

 directs them properly in the genital passage, birth occurs safely 

 and perhaps a living foal is produced, but a few minutes' 

 delay leads to the rupture of the perineum and the virtual de- 

 struction of the value of the mare. In another case a fetus pre- 

 sents in an almost normal position and the nose or a foot becomes 

 impacted against or caught upon the pelvic inlet. If the owner 

 intelligently releases the part and gives it proper direction, the 

 foal is born alive without further difficulty, but if it is allowed to 

 go without this slight aid until a veterinarian has been called, 

 the deviation of the part has then become much magnified, the 

 life of the foal has been sacrificed and that of the mare more or 

 less seriously endangered. 



The genital tract, at this time, is in an exceedingly receptive 

 state for infection, and consequently the veterinarian, owner or 

 other person attempting any examination or manipulation should 

 be exceedingly careful regarding cleanliness and the prevention of 

 infection, and no examination should ever be undertaken except 



