title: Effects of dystocia on blood gas parameters, acid-base balance and serum lactate concentration in heavy draft newborn foals.
abstract: Dystocia is often lethal for neonatal foals; however, its clinicopathological features remain largely unknown. We investigated the effect of dystocia on the foal blood profile. Venous blood samples were collected from 35 foals (5 Percheron and 30 crossbreds between Percheron, Belgian, and Breton heavy draft horses) at 0 hr, 1 hr, 12 hr and 1 day after birth. Dystocia was defined as prolonged labor >30 min with strong fetal traction with or without fetal displacement. The dystocia group (n=13) showed lower mean values for pH (P<0.01), bicarbonate (P<0.01), total carbon dioxide (P<0.05), and base excess (P<0.01) and higher mean values for anion gap (P<0.05) and lactate (P<0.01) immediately after birth than the normal group (n=22). Remarkably high pCO2values (>90 mmHg) were observed in three foals in the dystocia group but in none of the foals in the normal birth group immediately after birth. These results suggest that dystocia results in lactic acidosis and may be related to respiratory distress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan; Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan; Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nambo
keywords: dystocia; heavy draft horse; lactic acidosis; neonatal foal; pH