Abortion Diagnostic Evaluation: Sample Collection in the Field and Submission

All equine abortions should be investigated to determine the cause. The cause may be obvious in some cases, such as twins or a twisted umbilical cord. Equine abortions may be categorized into infectious or non-infectious causes. This chapter provides guidelines for a field evaluation of an equine abortion and outlines samples to be collected and submitted to a diagnostic laboratory. If samples are to be collected for submission, at least four representative samples from multiple locations should be collected if the placenta is grossly normal. Full thickness biopsy samples should be collected from the cervical star region, body of the placenta, and each placental horn. Samples should be collected from the normal and abnormal areas in juxtaposition to any thickened, discolored, or abnormal regions.