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  Discussion on Dexamethosone "Dex" Shot for Pregnant Mare
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 25, 2002 - 5:02 pm:

I have a mare that was due to foal in 2 weeks. She was in good health with no changes in her environment, pasture or feed. She has a sensitivity to insect bites and had itchy scabs on her legs and body. The vet prescribed Tri-Hist Granules to put on her feed. No way would she eat that and she ate her feed and left the granules. Ten days before her due date the vet gave her a shot of Dexamethazone to relieve the itching. The next morning she had a "red bag delivery" and the vet had to turn the foal 189 degrees and pull it. The foal was alive, but weak, uncoordinated more than normal, had difficulty trying to nurse. The next day, its lungs were congested and after taking it to the state vet school it was determined that it was a septic foal and recommended it be euthenized.

I have been told that Dexamethazone/aka: cortocosteroids can produce birth defects /are used to induce labor. It was plain to see that the foal was not in position yet for delivery and I would like to know if this shot could have induced labor and causing the "red bag delivery"?

Posted on Friday, Jul 26, 2002 - 7:04 am:

Hello Elsie,
I am so sorry to hear about your foal.

Dexamethasone is a reliable abortion causing agent (abortifacient) in cattle. In horses it does not reliably cause abortion but is still considered as a possible abortifacient (Veterinary Drug Handbook Donald Plumb 3rd edition: Glucocorticoid Monograph) in the last 1/3 of pregnancy and therefore we put pregnancy as a contraindication in our articles on dexamethasone.

That said, I cannot find a published report in the literature of such problems with its use and in fact research has shown dex to be unreliable as a cause of abortion:
1)Jeffcott LB, Rossdale PD. A critical review of current methods for induction of parturition in the mare. Equine Vet J. 1977 Oct;9(4):208-15.
2)DrOst M. Failure to induce parturition in pony mares with dexamethasone. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1972 Feb 1;160(3):321-2.

Elsie, what was the position of the foal in the uterus? When you say it needed to be turned was the foal coming rear first or did you mean it was coming front first but was upside down?
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jul 26, 2002 - 2:47 pm:

DrO,
The vet that delivered the foal said the foal was a dorsal ventral presentation. He was not the vet who gave her the shot. The mare had a foal last year with no problems at 342 days. She was 330 days this time and had not waxed nor was her bag extremely tight.

Elsie

Posted on Saturday, Jul 27, 2002 - 10:35 am:

Got it, that is the normal position just prior to birth and as the foal is born he sort of cork screws out inverting as he goes, see Equine Reproduction: Breeding and Foaling: Normal Birth (Parturition) for pictures on this.
DrO
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