Introduction

The Madigan Squeeze is a technique developed by Dr. John Madigan for treating neonatal maladjustment syndrome in foals¹.  Neonatal maladjustment syndrome, or “dummy foal syndrome,” is characterized by failure to stand, suck, and follow their mare. Animals that suffer from neonatal maladjustment syndrome are often born by cesarean section, have a longer than usual or traumatic birth, or some have a normal, quick birth². Other species, such as sheep and calves, have been shown to suffer from maladjustment syndrome^3,4. The Madigan Squeeze technique has been adopted for use in both of these species as well^3,4.

Why use the Madigan Squeeze?

Dr. Madigan postulated that the animal needed to transition from a sleep-like state while in the womb to a fully conscious state at birth^{2, 5, 6}. He believes that animals that suffer from neonatal maladjustment did not transition fully into a state of consciousness at birth.  By using the Madigan Squeeze, we are recreating the feeling these animals have during stage two labor, allowing them to reset their urge to survive and fully gain consciousness^{2, 5}.

Madigan Squeeze procedure

The Madigan Squeeze procedure should be used within one to two days of birth² and may be repeated one to two times per day for up to three days⁵. Do not use on calves with broken ribs or respiratory problems. To perform the Madigan Squeeze, you need a soft rope.  Run the rope between the calf’s legs and around its neck.  Secure it with a bowline knot.  Then wrap it twice around the chest using a half hitch on each loop⁵. See the image below for proper placement.

Once the rope is placed correctly, position yourself behind the animal and apply gentle pressure, gradually increasing until the animal lies down.  Apply pressure (about 10 lbs) for 20 minutes.  

Slowly loosen and remove the rope, allowing the animal to get up on its own⁵. While the Madigan Squeeze is performed, the animal will exhibit a sleep-like state, with closed eyes, no body movements, slow breathing, and a decreased heart rate⁴.

After the application of the Madigan Squeeze many animals will recover and act normally.  Some animals may require multiple “treatments”, so don’t give up if it does not work the first time.