Pregnant Mare (photos enclosed, need opinions)

[Mona]

OK, this is a mare that I have bred and is due this month. A little background information...

She is on Thyro-L daily for a low thyroid, and has been on this throughout her entire pregnancy. She is close to 35.5" in height, is 12 years old and has had 6 foals, prior to this pregnancy.

She was hand bred May 11, 14, 16 and 19, 2007. Due dates(calculated at 340 days) for these breedings would be April 12-20. I never saw her come back into heat, and never bred her on any other dates but those mentioned here. I pregtested(WeeFoal) her in December, and she was confirmed to be in foal. When I look at her, she LOOKS pregnant from the side, but when I look at her from the front/rear/over top of her, she is not bulging at the sides at all. This makes me wonder IF she is really in foal. I am sure she is, as I am sure I have felt the foal moving on a few different occassions. These photos were taken yesterday, and according to my dates, this would leave her with 1 to 2 weeks left to go to her due dates.

HOWEVER, I cannot be 100% sure on those dates! Even though I hand bred her, the stallion was in the pen that adjoins the mares pasture all last summer. I moved him out of there August 18, SO I guess there IS a possibility that she could have been bred through the fence, but I would have thought I would have seen her showing signs of being in heat, since they are right out in front of my kitchen wondow, and that is how I know when the time is right to hand breed them.

So now my concern is, what do I do? She has absolutely NO bag even starting at all!! Do I give her Domperidone to bring her milk in once her hand breeding due date gets a little closer, or take the chance that she may have been bred through the fence at a later date, and maybe not due for sometime between now and up to another 3 months? No, ultrasound is not an option to determine how far along she is.

What would happen if I gave the Domperidone now and she was not actually due until later? Would it cause her to foal early or ???

 

[REO]

Gosh Mona, I see what you mean. That would be a tough one. What, if anything, is her vulva doing? Getting a soft rump? Anything?

Looking at her and if she were mine, I think I would hang on and not give the Domperidone now. I would be out there feeling/checking her every day and any sign I thought she was shaping up to foal, then I might give it then. How long does that stuff take to make the milk come?

Tough call!

I have a maiden mare that has always been chubby and I could never tell until the end that she is not bred. Well, she would now be 9 months and she's starting to get bigger than her normal chubbiness. She looks JUST like your mare! From the side and back too. She has no bag at all either. So I'm still guessing on her.

Makes me wonder if your girl did breed through the fence (at night) on her next cycle?

Have you owned her through her previous foalings and know her signs? And was she on the medication then? Or is she new to you? I'm just wondering if she does bag up at the last minute or if this is unusual for her.

Good luck! I have no ideas!

 

[Mona]

Thanks for your input Robin. This mare was born here, so I do have past foaling records. Actually, I cannot find any for her first 2 foals, but I do have them for her last 4, and she has always started to bag about a month before she foaled. She is not showing any other signs either, in the vulva or rump muscles etc. If not for the fact that she tested in foal and that I am sure I felt that baby in there, I would swear she was open!

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Wow Mona, tough call. I can see why your somewhat confused. I agree with Robin, I'd wait until I saw some other type of sign before I'd give the drug. I don't know the effects of giving it too early. Hopefully someone else who knows will post.

Good luck. I'm sure this is stressful for you.

 

[Miniv]

I agree with Robin. Hold off giving her the Domperidone. But I'd be all over like a dirty shirt while she's eating her grain and just after to feel for baby.

You're right, her sides aren't bulging out, however, she is dipped low. You have a mystery on your hands that you can either wait on, or have the vet check. (The latter is probably not an option because I know you live a long ways from a vet.)

 

[Mona]

Thanks folks! I guess I'll just go ahead and wait. IF she foals near her due date without any milk, I can give the Domperidone then. I also have frozen colostrum here, and with 7 mares all due this month, some should foal before Angel, so will have that too.

 

[Charlotte]

Good plan Mona. I'd make the same recommendations as the others have and hold off on domperidone....especially since you have frozen colostrum and other mares coming on.

I just have to ask...how many times a day do you look at her and say 'she is', 'she isn't', 'she is'. I bet it's driving you crazy!

Please let us know how this goes.

Charlotte

 

[yankee_minis]

If you go to my webcam you can see Diana who looks a lot like yours from the top but on the side she has less drop. She's 35" and has a long body so she carries the baby with a lot of horizontal room.

I had Diana palpated, I got kicked by the foal, her previous owner said she only bred her once, but she has no bag. Her tail is not loose so I feel pretty good that she's got a little time. At 336 days she is due Monday (2 days). One year she went 342 days.

I would like very much to know at what point to give domperidone, if at all...I am so nervous about her!!!

What are the consequences of giving it too early?

 

[Mona]

I just have to ask...how many times a day do you look at her and say 'she is', 'she isn't', 'she is'. I bet it's driving you crazy!

Please let us know how this goes.

EVERY DAY, at least twice a day Charlotte!

Every time I go out there I give everyone the "feel" job, checking bags, lifting tails etc., and each and every time I feel her bag (or lack thereof) I am actually second-guessing myself, but I just know that I have felt that baby in there! Yet even knowing that, I think maybe it was just her belly moving around and not a baby!

I'm telling you, this one has me going crazy! OH!

What are the consequences of giving it too early?

That was what I was wondering too! Good Luck with your mare. She (you mare) is not gettng ANYTHING at all for a bag? I mean does her bag just seem totally normal like she is open?? That is how my mare's is...just like she is totally open...NOTHING showing any sign of even beginnig to develop!

I believe it can take up to a few days for the Domperidone to work...make sure you also have some Oxytocin on hand to give your mare.

Tracy, I went to your camera and wow, I can sure see where that mare does not look in foal either!

OH MY!! Why do these crazy little horses do this to us?! LOL!

BTW Tracy, your link to the marestare streaming cam does not work. I had to remove the www.bitoblue.com from the addy to get it to work. You might want to fix that!

 

[Margo_C-T]

Mona, I never had occasion to use Domperidome and am unfamiliar w/ its effects, but that mare looks PG to me--that belly droop! Like the others, I'd not be giving her that med unless/until I was as certain as I possibly could be that it was needed, and that it wouldn't hurt or make matters worse....can you give the vet you have the most confidence in a call, and ask about using the med? In the meantime---yep, all that observing and touching and feeling.....!

Seven mares due this month...OH, my gosh! I surely am glad it's you and not me---I am 'past' being able to deal w/ the sleep-deprivation--even WITH the technology! You have my sincere best wishes for all to go well, and result in seven healthy, bouncing baby foals, for sure!

Margo

 

[Charlotte]

I've never used domperidone in a situation like this (only used it after mare foaled) but I've been told they can leak out all their colostrum if it's given too early. Vets have said that. With the mare I gave it to, in less than 12 hours we had MILK! Tons of it!

Charlotte

 

[Sue S]

Mona, is your mare a palomino pinto, the one I think is in labor of mine looks just like her, Mine hasn't bagged up much and Donna told me she usually gets a big bag, I'm not worried about it she could bag up after she delivers. The vet told me not to worry about it. My maiden mare last year didn't bag up til she had the baby.

 

[Mona]

Sue, my mare is a grulla pinto. She has always bagged in the past. I wouldn;t be concerned if there was at least SOME development going on, but there is NONE.

Thanks for that info Charlotte on the Domperidone bringing the milk/colostrum in that fast and them maybe losing the colostrum.

 

[Mona]

Seven mares due this month...OH, my gosh! I surely am glad it's you and not me---I am 'past' being able to deal w/ the sleep-deprivation--even WITH the technology! You have my sincere best wishes for all to go well, and result in seven healthy, bouncing baby foals, for sure!

Yes, I am going to be pooped out! It would have been 8, but one mare came back into heat a second time. On the plus side, my new stallion was quite happy!

At least this way, my foaling season will be short and sweet, and less sleep lost in the long haul. I HATE the waiting!

 

[Katiean]

Like I said this is a pic of a mare 24 days before she had a 22" 30lb colt. I would keep a very close eye on your mare.

 

[Ashley]

I am going to say she doesnt look bred. I have a 37" mare that is due betwen now and the 15Th. IF she looked like that mare I would call her skinny!

 

[yankee_minis]

She (you mare) is not gettng ANYTHING at all for a bag? I mean does her bag just seem totally normal like she is open?? BTW Tracy, your link to the marestare streaming cam does not work.

Thanks, I'd forgotten the http://

Nothing. You can't see the bag from the back. She has bagged up before for her other foals.

 

[Suzie]

I think I would wait. I have had mares bag up at the last minute. I am waiting on my mare who I am sure is bred but I swear she makes me think twice every day. Her mother bagged up overnight and had a nice colt. Tough call.

 

[mizbeth]

She looks bred to me from the side but not from the top. I would certainly keep an eye on her as these mares do not always follow the same pattern each year I have noticed.

Good luck!

Beth

 

[wildoak]

Just from her picture, I'd say bred. Mares can sure fool you though - I have one who looks for all the world like she's going to foal anyday, but is with my stallion as we speak

. If she's in foal it's only a few days LOL.

Have you taken her by a stallion lately? Might be worth teasing her a few times to see if she has a reaction at all.

Jan