Untersuchung zu Häufigkeit, Ursachen und Folgen der Dystokie beim Pferd

Dystocia is not common in horses but is life-threatening for both mare and foal. Because of its sporadic occurrence, there is often only a limited amount of experience available in veterinary practice. This work involved a literature analysis and a prospective and retrospective data analysis of hospital cases, to expand the knowledge in this field of veterinary reproductive medicine.

This literature review obtained the following results:

• Most of the literature consists mainly of publications based on retrospective data collection and presents a low level of evidence overall.
• It was found that the maternal mortality rate could be improved after caesarean section.

The following results of the prospective and retrospective studies complement the current knowledge of equine dystocia:

• After pregnancy disorders or a previous case of dystocia, mares show a significantly increased dystocia rate compared to a control group (p < 0.05).
• Combined causes of dystocia are almost as common as isolated causes of dystocia.