Gold, silver and bronze options for treatment of placentitis

Traditionally, examining mares in later pregnancy has been an uncommon procedure. However, as more treatment options develop and there is an increasing belief that we can make a positive contribution, there is an increasing demand to look at mares later in pregnancy. This can be limited to mares that are showing clinical signs of placentitis (mammary gland development, ‘running milk’, vulval discharge), have concurrent disease (colic, endotoxaemia etc.), or can be based on examination of mares considered to be high risk (older mares or mares with poor breeding histories) or high value.
Placentitis poses a significant threat to fetal and neonatal viability. Most infections are thought to arise by ascending infection through the vulva and vagina, and so the cervical pole of the placenta is most commonly affected. The most common pathogens isolated are Strep equi subsp. zooepidemicus, E. Coli and possibly fungal infections such as Aspergillus. Nocardia is recognised as a cause of placentitis in USA and appears to be caused by infection of the uterus around conception, and placentitis often develops in the body of the uterus. It is thought that any infection of the chorion can lead to prostaglandin development and preterm delivery. There does seem to be an acceleration in fetal maturation when placentitis is present, so if premature labour can be delayed long enough for this effect to take place, it is possibe to have a viable foal, despite being significantly premature. […]