Answer: Real
Because of the concern of having a placenta retained in the mare for longer than 6 hours and the risks/complications that can occur with traditional manual removal, an alternate technique needed to be explored. In the recent AAEP proceedings, such a technique was described called “Umbilical Vessel Water Infusion” that successfully treats retained placenta in the mare. A group of researchers utilized either a foal nasogastric tube or a stallion catheter that was attached to a garden hose adapter to provide a low-pressure fluid infusion into one of the umbilical vessels after giving oxytocin IM. 147 mares were included in this study (all were in the Netherlands, with 47 of them being Friesian) with 135/147 having full separation and expulsion of the placenta within 5-10 minutes of starting this procedure. The advantages of this procedure are fewer complications as seen with manual removal, safer for both mare and veterinarian, clean, rapid, noninvasive and effective. While medical management of retained placenta using oxytocin is the preferred first treatment, this research showed that treatment with umbilical water infusion is an effective and practical tool for the veterinarian.
Scientific Article: Meijer, M, Macpherson, ML and Dijkman, R. How to Use Umbilical
Vessel Water Infusion to Treat Retained Fetal Membranes in Mares. AAEP
Proceedings, Vol. 61, 2015. pp. 478-84.4.