Colic and heat cycle (long post)

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

My driving mare has always had very obvious heats and since her one and only foal was born 3 yrs ago she has also coliced when she was about to come in heat. Usually it is fairly mild and some patient walking and occasionally loading her into the trailer has been all she needed to bring her around. Now and again it is obvious she is in real pain and we can not help her thro it so she must be seen by a vet (please be assured if it is more than a mild discomfort she is always seen) She has in the past 3 yrs been seen about half a dozen times, this past weekend included. Our previous vet would check her vitals, give her a shot of banamine, (on one occasion she used bute) and within 20 minutes the episode was over. Then said vet handed us her bill and after we paid that was it. Well, this past weekend, Bucky once again showed signs of being more than a little colicy so we called a new vet service that offers mobile service. After the usual, listening for gut sounds and taking vitals we mentioned the possibility she was bred and also the fact that she coliced regularly when coming into heat. This vet asked if she could attempt a rectal (she is always concerned she will not be able to do one with minis ) and we agreed she should try. Bucky was sedated thoroughly and the vet carefully began an internal exam. The good news, no foal! (She looks very pregnant, only one of the 6 mares who has a belly and her udder was looking fuller, stallion was out in July so...)and we finally got a reason for her repeated colics. The vet found a ovary that she says would have been large in a full sized horse and a follicle ready to go any time. She believes that the reason Bucky colics is that such a large ovary causes her discomfort when the follicle swells. We discussed whether to start her on Regimate and she offered another option. She has had several clients with 1/4horse mares try the hormone implants designed for cattle. So far she says it seems to be very effective in preventing cycling altho some horses do need a second implant to get thro an entire breeding season. I'm hoping to find out more about this and any risks associated with it since for mares not slated for breeding but who are showing it would be very useful if it prevented heats. The price for the implant is markedly less expensive than Regimate as well.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Regumate is certainly the treatment of choice, but is rather pricey.

The implants can work, but are less predictable. If you wanted to breed later in life they might have to be removed. They can abscess, but usually not a big deal.

I prefer Regumate, but certainly the implants are an option.

Dr Taylor

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Thank you for the reply Dr Taylor. I don't plan to breed this mare at any point but we all know how plans are (subject to change) I have every intention of keeping her and driving her for many years and don't require her to be a brood mare as well. However with other mares, other owners may want to have it both ways and I do wonder what the different physiologic responses to each course of treatment would be. I hadn't heard of anyone using the implants and was surprised by the suggestion. It sounds like a low cost alternative and my vet says she has not seen any negatives as yet, but, since I know nothing of this use for the implants and very little about the use of Regimate I'd like to find out as much as I can and do a risk comparison. Since I already know the implant to be cheaper why is Regimate a better option? How difficult is the removal of an implant? At this point I am just beginning to think of the questions that need asking.

 

[Kendra]

Did your vet talk about using a marble? I think you can find them by googling Mare-ble or something like that. Basically, they just put a marble in the uterus and it fools her system into thinking there's a pregnancy and she won't cycle. I know some have had good luck with it ... some it didn't work.

Are you going to breed her in the future? Might be worth removing at least the problem ovary.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

I'm glad the new vet found that for you. I was going to say if it was always when she was going into heat, I would have suspected 'female trouble' (cystic ovaries definitely painful) as I know that can cause pain/distress with colic like symptoms.

Good luck with the decision. I don't know which way I would go, but at least you'll know in the future, a bit of pain relief (banamine) will help.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Regumate does exactly what it is reported to do and it does it very consistently.

The implant 'may' work, but it may not and its duration of action is not predictable. In cattle it is applied and then in 6-14 days removed to induce timed ovulation. It is not left in to stop ovulation. How happy will you be if its actions wane while you are at a show? And 'no' just adding Regumate at that time will not make the ovulation stop.

The marble is even less predictable and involves more than just putting the marble in.

Dr Taylor

 

[Becky]

I've had very good luck giving my show mares 1 dose of Regumate to take them out of heat. So, you may not have to keep your mare on Regumate for multiple days. For me, it's very cost effective and it solves a lot of issues with the mares.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Interesting input everyone.

Kendra, I have heard of the marble, the idea is an old one but I have always understood it to be a bit hit and miss. I would think if it were reliable it would be in common use. I had heard that mares often 'slip' the marble and go back to cycling.

Regumate does exactly what it is reported to do and it does it very consistently.

The implant 'may' work, but it may not and its duration of action is not predictable. In cattle it is applied and then in 6-14 days removed to induce timed ovulation. It is not left in to stop ovulation.

One plus for this year should I decide to experiment (assuming I am convinced no harm will be done), I won't be taking her out to any shows for several months. Between shows being canceled due to EHV1 and my decision to stay home from the ones not canceled (we have cases of the virus here in this province) the first show she might be entered in is in September. By then we might have had a chance to see how she metabolizes the hormone in the implant, how long it lasts with her and if she shows any negative responses.

How happy will you be if its actions wane while you are at a show? And 'no' just adding Regumate at that time will not make the ovulation stop.

I would think its failure would be about what we are dealing with now would it not? Can't say I'd be happy, I don't like to see her in pain but when I chose a mare as my driving horse I did accept that she would cycle at in opportune times. That said, if she were not going to be reliably maintained on the implant then there would be no point in its use. Just thinking aloud (well, in print)now.

The marble is even less predictable and involves more than just putting the marble in.

Dr Taylor