# Caslick Removal



## juliehannah58 (23 April 2008)

My mare is due to foal on 17th May, at the moment she is caslicked so when should I get it 'undone'  
	
	
		
		
	


	




??

She's had two previous foals, both were over a week late, she's hardly started bagging up yet and still has a way to go I think. A friend who breeds a lot has said to leave it as late as poss, but it worries me to do this and I'd feel better having it out sooner. 

What risks are associated with having it out soon? Her confo is not too bad, mainly due to age and two other foals she had a slight slope. Would she be at high risk from infection at this time??

Any advice appreciated, I can't find any hard and fast rules on this subject


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## Spyda (23 April 2008)

Hi, my mare has a very sloped vulva and tilted cervix (a conformational fault that she thankfully didn't pass on to last year's GORGEOUS filly foal - my mare's first foal).  

I had her caslik removed 10 days before her "estimated due date".  She wasn't bagged-up at that point (a lot of maidens don't bag up dramatically until after the birth) and even though she was to foal-down at stud, everyone (me, the vet &amp; stud staff) preferred the caslik be opened prior to the foaling.  Although it can be left until the second stage of foaling if an experienced person is on hand, I thought it preferable to eradicate even the remotest possibility of it ripping or tearing open should no one be there on time to cut it for her.

Despite my mare's extreme slope, no infection was introduced internally during the 23 days she continued to carry her filly after the caslik was opened.  

Since early removal of the caslik increases the risk of infection being sucked into the cervical area (potentially causing complications to both mare and foal), it is desirable to leave it in for as long as possible but without risking the mare foaling alone prior to its removal.  Since mares are notoriously difficult to judge when it comes to foaling down, a weeks or so's grace before an estimate due date is generally a reasonable time to open the caslik.

Good luck with your mare and foal


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## springfallstud (23 April 2008)

I wouldnt leave it a week to 10 days myself, my T/B mare foaled 14 days before her EDD last year, she has previously had two foals with us before so we know her well but this one popped out without any warning, we found new baby charging round the feild early one morning. We always take her caslicks out around the 320 mark, again like you say each vet recommends different but ours advises on our mares to remove around then but they only have small zips to for a little more airtightness in early preganacy, there vulva confo is not that bad.


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## Penniless (23 April 2008)

Well we usually have all our broodmares given a tet booster about 6 weeks prior to estimated delivery date - and if any had a caslick done, then we get the vet to cut them open at that time.  It's just the same as you having a cut and stitches - the stitches go in - the cut knits back together - you have the stitches out - so the caslick is the same - once the skin is back together, we take the stitches out then - then all the vet does is snip the skin itself with scissors to allow it to open to foal down.  You can of course do it yourself when the mare is in labour, but if you're not there to cut her, then the mare and foal are at great risk, so get your vet to do it when you get the booster done.  It's only a very small job.


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## c7mlm (23 April 2008)

all the ones at our yard are having them taken out 3 weeks before the EDD. we had one a couple of weeks ago that had them out at 6pm and had foaled by midnight bit scary i thought


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