Various PreFoaling Questions

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Okay I have a few questions I am curious about......

First - from another post I saw a mare that went from 8.4ph to birthing her foal within 3 hours....does this mean that ph may not be reliable at all with my mare who was testing 6.4 but now testing 7.0?

Second - I showed pics the other day of what I and others believed was her mucuous plug and then last night and this morning she has dried reddish brown stuff on her outer vulva and tail wrap....more mucus plug?

Third - when I checked her this morning I was looking at her vulva and her cervix was so visible, soft and loose....does this mean immenent foaling?

FOURTH AND MOST IMPORTANT....this morning she was laying in her stall A LOT and when I went out she didn't get up.....plus when I looked at her rear end her vulva and anas were protruding from her body almost like the foal was presenting but upon examination she wasn't in labor and there was nothing that led me to believe she is foaling. I mean honestly her hooha was gaping open......is this bc the foal is applying so much pressure?

I HAVE THE PIC POSTED BELOW

Thanks I am just worried sick about her. Her ph is fluctuating and when using pool strips and distilled water its showing 8.2ph when foal time says 6.8 to 7.0....and then with water its saying around 500 calcium and without its saying near 1000.....I just don't have good luck with the strips!

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

I don't care for the strips and do not use them, so I will leave the pH to someone else.

As for the pushed out vagina and anus, you betcha. There is a large and growing baby inside and it is pushing everything out. Absolutely normal.

Dr Taylor

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Does this mean the foal is in position and ready to go? She just started doing this last night never before.....

 

[chandab]

I know our cows get that pushed out anus and vagina in the last few days before they calve, I feel so sorry for them, as they look so miserable. I haven't noticed it as much with the few mares I've foaled out, but sure see a lot of it with the cows.

 

[Jean A]

..my family (all menfolk) got so tired of hearing "what color is Becky's hooha now??"

lol

Thank goodness for healthy mamas and babies..and for nature knowing better than us all..(most of the time anyway)

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Should I be on high alert with her being all pushed out?

And does onyone have any input about the vaginal discharge, ph or cervix?

 

[Matt73]

I'd be a bit concerned. Has she been pushing? Id suspect a red bag delivery if I saw that.....I've only seen that when a foal is coming out....

 

[Matt73]

Hope all is well.....

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

That's what I thought but she hasn't had any evidence of labor and I checked her and you can only see her cervix.....

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Should I call my vet and have him come out this evening?

 

[suen]

Good luck to you... that was my mare that went from 8.4 to foaling in 3 hours. These mares are something else!!!

 

[suen]

might try moving this question to the mare stare foaling forum... im pretty sure they all check most of the forums anyway, but I had soooo much help from that area.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I posted on missys foaling thread about this too =)

Anyone think I need to call my vet out? I'm starting to be concerned...

 

[Windhaven]

I think your mare is VERY close to foaling. With her laying down that can make her vulva more relaxed looking and it can puff out like hers is. If she is not trying to push and is not sweating or seems to be in distress, I would wait on calling the vet. But I have lots of experience in foaling so usually know what to do. If you feel totally uncomfortable and think you need a vet to look, it would ease your mind to have them come.

As for the foaling strips, I TRUST THEM 98%. I just love them. I use the pool strips. They have been VERY accurate for me.

I just foaled out my first mare this year and she just was not coming down on the PH for days. She looked ready, full tight bag, totally relaxed, no resisantants with the tail. She did this for 4 or 5 days. Then I tested her one evening and her PH dropped to below 6.2 immidiately. I knew we would have a baby in a few hours. She foaled about 4 hours later.

It is a guessing game for sure only experience will help, so you know what to look for.

Good luck and I predicate you will have a foal soon.

 

[Will I Miniatures]

I use strips and find they area also very accurate, how much milk are you using? and distilled water? I go by 6.2 and I know foaling is not far off and or waxing, all my miniatures wax, except for 1.

Bag to baby, is only 30 mins or less, so if you see her straining for awhile you need a vet, if it is a red bag you will see a red bag, for sure, no time to waste cut it, get in and get the baby out!!

When was she bred? Mares can be sneaky esp. miniatures..Keep an eye on her..Good Luck

 

[Mona]

I agree with Windhaven. Just the pressure from the foal, and not to be concerned unless she is actually pushing. Also, please be sure you do not have the vet wrap tight. They can lose circulation easily and lose the tail. I would suggest braiding it and then using the vet wrap below the dock of the tail. It may get a little dirty, but not bad, and better than taking chances. The problem with vet wrap is it's hard to guage what "too tight" may be.

Good Luck with your mare and foaling!!

 

[griggsmel]

My mare looked like that for a couple days, I thought she would burst and we should see a leg sticking out or something. I tested her ph with pool strips and she was always above 8 until right before foaling, then she dropped to 6.2. The pool strips have been 100% for me so far. Oh, and my mare also dropped in ph and then went back up about a month before foaling so I guess it does happen.

 

[Katiean]

I do not like the test strips. This year I had a camera on my mare. Loved that. The day she foaled she was warm and moist in her bag area. She had no sweating like the biggies. We sat and watched her on the big screen and when she pooped and peed about 4 times in 1/2 hour I knew there was something going on. We let her start to push before we went out to help. We did have a red bag, kinda. As the red bag protruded, I got ahold of it and ripped it. However, as it protruded out a bit further, it was more normal than not if you understand what I mean. We got the foal out as fast as we could and he did breath with a bit of a rattle for a couple of hours but is normal now. She took about 20 mins to drop the placenta. He is the foal in my avitar.

 

[AnnaC]

Chill and calm (LOL!! not easy I know!) Missy is doing just fine. Carry on with the milk strips and use them alongside all the other signs from her udder, tummy position and any changes in behaviour to give you an idea of how near she is to foaling.

And yes, do remove that tail wrap - if you really want/need to do something with her tail , then loosely braid it. Must admit I never touch my mares tails - too difficult to pull a braided tail out from under a mare when she is lying on it as she foals and it you dont unbraid it immediately after she foals, the foal can get a nasty whack/thump from it when the mare swishes it about if she feels uncofortable from the birth or is experiencing post birth contractions/pains.

Bet you will be seeing a new baby before very long!