Rachel in Serious Condition after Foaling

[TJ]

After producing a 140 lb. filly foal by Bernardini early Tuesday morning....she underwent surgery late Wednesday evening to repair a bruised area in her small colon. TJ
http://www.drf.com/news/rachel-alexandr ... plications

[bdw0617]

[Heidilady]

Update from press conference (Dr. Woodie = surgeon, thanks to Derby Trail for the tweet compilation):

@DRFBreeding: (Dr. Brett)Woodie: Her recovery from anesthesia was uncomplicated, doing the best we could expect with recovery.

@DRFBreeding: (Dr. Bonnie)Barr: Too early to make prognosis, prediction on future as a broodmare. Taking it one day at a time.

@DRFBreeding: Woodie: Doesn't think Rachel's dam Lotta Kim's history of foaling difficulty had any bearing on Rachel's situation.

@DRFBreeding: Barbara Banke: It's a beautiful filly, birth was hard for her.

@DRFBreeding: Banke: That morning, Rachel was bright & seemed to be progressing well, then all of a sudden she looked depressed.

@DRFBreeding: Banke: We got her here in record time, and they did surgery right after that.

@flysofree: Dr. Woodie: exploratory surgery to find source of bacterial infection in abdomen. Recovered well doing “as best as we can expect”

@flysofree: Dr. Barr: Rachel having IV fluids, antibiotics, anti-inflam, flushing of abdominal cavity

@flysofree: Dr. Barr: too early to predict full recovery or ability to foal in future for Rachel A

@flysofree: Dr. Woodie: impossible to say whether size of this filly affected Rachel’s complications

@flysofree: Banke: Rachel seemed fine morning after birthing, but suddenly became depressed, rushed her to the clinic. Looks brighter today

@flysofree: Banke: filly looks great, running around, adjusting to nurse mare.

@flysofree: Stonestreet: Adjustment to nurse mare going very well, pair will likely be turned out tomorrow

@DRFBreeding: Banke: Rachel looks brighter today, so that makes me happy. It's a day-by-day, hour-by-hour thing, so it's very serious.

@DRFBreeding: Banke: We ask people to send good thoughts and prayers to Rachel and hope for the best.

@DRFBreeding: Banke: The filly looks great, and wants to run around. She's getting used to the nursemare, so I think the filly will be fine

[zinn21]

The worst part of the game. For anyone who has lost a mare due to foaling complications I feel your pain. Hopefully she will pull through..

[jagger]

I'm certainly no expert on equine health issues but in a human, a young female in otherwise excellent health with this condition would certainly be sick for a while but would very likely survive. The long term consequences might be her biggest problem. Bowel obstructions, fistulas, abcesses and the like would unfortunately be moderately likely, given that it sounds like she had fecal spillage in her intraperitoneal cavity. And of course, her fertility may be jeopardized by this dreadful turn of events. It is obviously to her advantage that her condition was recognized very early on and treated appropriately with surgery, antibiotics and other measures. Many/most horses would not have been so lucky to have had such timely and life saving interventions. I am optimistic for her recovery but less hopeful for her future as a broodmare.

Hoping that our barrister/vet moderator will chime in soon and give us his thoughts.