Also during this time, the foal should have its IgG or gamma globulin evaluated by one of several different tests. The CITE test is the most common one used in my area. If the foal does not have an adequate level of IgG, then supplementation should be administered, depending on the age of the foal. Since most foals are not examined until 24 hours of age, intravenous plasma is the best choice. One to two liters of plasma usually are sufficient to raise the IgG level to a safe limits.
Many owners see the use of plasma as an inexpensive safeguard.
Furthermore, some farms with very valuable foals elect to administer intravenous plasma even if the foal has an acceptable level of immunoglobulins, especially if the farm has had problems with diseases such as Rhodococcus equi . Plasma can be purchased that is hyperimmune for that disease and other bacteria. Talk to your veterinarian to determine if plasma therapy is right for your foal. It should be noted that not all foals with a low IgG become sick. This might be due in part to environmental cleanliness or other risk factors inherent to a particular farm, but further discussion is beyond the scope of this article.