Treatment of Retained Fetal Membranes in the Mare-A Practitioner Survey.
Authors: Warnakulasooriya Dinuka N, Marth Christina D, McLeod Jacqueline A, Hanlon David W, Krekeler Natali
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Retained Fetal Membranes in Mares: Current Practice Varies Widely Retained fetal membranes (RFM) represent a significant post-partum complication in mares, yet no consensus exists on optimal treatment protocols, prompting Warnakulasooriya and colleagues to survey equine veterinarians about their clinical approaches. Via questionnaire distributed to specialist and general equine practitioners, researchers documented the diversity of treatments currently employed and compared these against evidence-based recommendations in the literature. Whilst most respondents applied interventions broadly aligned with current best practice, a concerning proportion of practitioners continued to utilise obsolete techniques—highlighting a disconnect between available research and routine application. The survey revealed substantial variation between reproductive specialists and general practitioners, reflecting the absence of universally accepted guidelines rather than genuine clinical disagreement. This lack of standardisation underscores a critical knowledge gap; practitioners require rigorous, comparative research to establish evidence-based protocols that can be uniformly adopted across the profession, ultimately improving outcomes for affected mares and reducing the risk of complications including metritis and septicaemia.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Current RFM treatment lacks standardized evidence-based protocols—consult reproductive specialists when possible to ensure best-practice management
- •Review your own RFM treatment approach against current literature, as some commonly used methods may be outdated or suboptimal
- •Advocate for and participate in research efforts to establish uniform, evidence-based RFM treatment guidelines for the equine industry
Key Findings
- •Treatment of RFM varies widely among equine practitioners with no universally accepted guidelines
- •Most practitioners use treatments aligned with current literature recommendations
- •Some obsolete RFM treatment practices persist in routine use by a minority of practitioners
- •Significant differences exist between treatment protocols used by reproductive specialists versus general equine practitioners