Saturday, May 22, 2010

Pregnant mare???

i think my mare is pregnant. but my dad does not. and so he will not have a vet to come and see. GRRRRR. lol
if she is pregnant she would be 11 months pregnant now. she has never foaled before so she is a maiden mare. she is also 16 years of age. her stomach isnt all that big. but more big then usall. her pee is a crystal clear color. there has been no udder change for a long time. but they have two flaps then her teets in the middle. they are becoming more apart. and when i get her relaxed they drag down a little. cant get any milk but ive never milked any thing. lol.
she is keeping her tail more to the side now and out. her vulva is a very VERY light pink.
she is not eating as much as usal and drinks very little. she kicks at her stomach but might just be getting the anoying flies off. she seems more sleepy latly. and doesnt like me hanging around her any more. she is swishing her tail. and goes off bye her self for a long time.
so my ? is does it sound like she is pregnant?
Answers:
Hey Jo,
Has she been wormed lately, like in the last 3 months? She might just be fat, or wormey, or have a grass belly because she's out of shape (Just like people, horses can get paunchy bellies, =-) Clear pee just means she's drinking good, =-)
If she were 11 months along, she would be near term. You would be able to see the foal kicking, especially along the bottom of her belly, in front of her bag. As for udder change, it should start getting full by now, UNLESS! she has been eating fescue grass! Fescue will halt milk production, a very bad bad thing, as the baby will starve and die! So, find out what kind of grass she is on.
Kicking her belly could be an attempt to swat flies, but it could also be a sign of colic, so watch her, see if she gets up and down a lot. If she does, treat her as if she had colic. (Although labor can look like mild colic)
Check her gums as well. Are they also a very light pink? Press a thumb into her gum, and see how fast the color comes back. Pale mucose membrane can mean there's blood loss somewhere, or stress, or pain. Is she breathing hard?
A mare getting ready to foal will be restless, have a full bag, and her vulva will be a deep red color, also inside her nostrils. And she will feel warmer, especially on her neck. Sometimes the little veins will pop up on her neck and chest, like she's been running. Her belly will hang low, the muscles around her tailhead (or dock) will be mushier than usual, and when you stand behind her, you won't see much of her belly, because the foal will have dropped and gotten into a 'diver' position.
It doesn't sound like your mare is pregnant. But don't be surprised to find an extra 4 hooves in your pasture one morning either, LOL! Mares are notoriously sneaky! Just keep a close eye on her for the next month, =-)
Good luck!
C
Tell your dad this mare needs a vet, NOW. Pregnant mares don't typically kick at their belly, and it could be a blocked cecum (like the appendix in people). Also, the reduction in appetite and thirst is a problem; I've never heard of this in a mare ready to deliver. If anything, she would be eating and drinking MORE.
The vulva thing could very well mean she is in season.

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