Help! Need some quick opinions

[remington]

Can a mare suddenly become violently itchy everywhere due to a sudden hormonal change? My mare has suddenly become nonstop. excessively itchy....now I am used to mares rubbing vulvas, but she is obsessing other places too. This is a highly abnormal and sudden change for her. I can find no hives, or reason for the itching. She is 324 days, bagged, but bag not tight and hot.

Could use some opinons if you have seen this before. Has just started the past hour.

Thanks so much!!!

 

[eagles ring farm]

Bump

I have no experience hope someone else does

Lori

 

[remington]

Bumping again...still having the trouble. Double checked, no hives, no breathing problems, but no imminent foaling signs either....she's focusing on the vulva but itchy elsewhere too. Please help if you have ever seen this with foaling?

 

[Skittlebittie]

Define "other places." Any fire ants? They will rub their tails alot because the baby is bumping up against the vaginal wall.

Also, they will bump their bums up against the wall to stop the pressure the baby is putting on them. I would watch this mare very closely, sounds like her time is near............

 

[remington]

No fire ants...snow here. "other Places" are head, lower belly, legs. Really itchy and aggitated, then has a short 1 or two minutes very still period. If it were just vulva bumping and rubbing I would not be concerned. Guess time will tell.

 

[countryrose]

My mare is right at 320 days and has been itching on neck, head, sides for over a week. I don't usually have babies this early so not sure if it is normal or not. We have had a weather change and their hair is really itchy.

I will cross my fingers with you that they are just close to foaling.

 

[CAM]

I have a mini mare due to foal in April doing that very thing and I had the vet check her when she was out. She appeared to be shedding a bit on her upper back but I wanted to consider rain rot or pin worms. I didn't think it was either but wanted the vet's opinion. She said not rain rot and pin worms very rare here especially with the deworming regimen we have her on. She gets a Panacur Power Pac annually as well. We even had her stool sample checked for worms. Nada.

I have been grooming her regularly and finally got the clippers out and clipped the extra hair away on her back to see if that would help. She is rubbing her back less but now working on other areas. Frankly, she would be one to enter in the most unusual clip job for sure.

:

 

[slaneyrose]

my mares (some more than others) tend to get really itchy on the face and front legs near to foaling.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I have never witnessed abnormal, suddenly obsessive rubbing such as you are describing, in all the years (over fifty now

: ) that I have been foaling mares BUT is this a maiden mare??

Even if not, has she shown a slight "hysterical" reaction to foaling??

I have one mare who does this every time- she also red bags as normal!!- she needs pain relief EVERY time- she just has a minor hysterical reaction to the pain of foaling, is all.

What I am suggesting is the mare may well be reacting in an atypical manner to the sudden change in circumstances and may well be getting ready to foal.

The foal changing position and the minor cramps may be causing her to rub as a means of taking her mind off things- she may not even have an itch at all!!

Once she has starting itching she will keep on doing so.

I would check with your Vet that this is OK and give her a tiny, tiny "aspirin" level of pain relief- Banamine by choice.

PLEASE check with your Vet before you do this- it's only a phone call, and what I would do for my own animals may NOT be right for yours

 

[Cathy_H]

Can't say if this is what your mare is doing but our near foaling mares have been consistant neck & head rubbers. Coming out of winter with thick hair might be a reason for rubbing other body parts................................. We have been breeding since 86. Most of our mares would rub their heads up & down on a post or doorway constantly. When they started rubbing their faces we would laugh & say they are close - don't know why but they foaled within 2-3 days of starting the face rubbing..... Most also did what I call the grasshopper leg rubbing. SLowly rubbing one back leg up & down on the other for minutes at a time. Good luck.