Posted on Wednesday, September 13, 2000 - 10:15 am:
I have a 16yo TB mare that has had numerous foals. She has 3 or 4 uterine cysts. A vet told me in '98 that I would need to remove these eventually but my current repro vet doesn't seem to think it is necessary. She conceived in '98 and '99 on the 2nd breedings but did not conceive this year on the first normal cycle after foaling. It was late and I opted not to try again and wait til Feb. She also pools urine after foaling, but was not as bad this year as last. She is also "sucking wind" behind terribly now. She hasn't be open during the time I've owned her until now. My vet also said I should think about having the minor surgery done that will alleviate the urine pooling. What is your opinion on removing the cysts and this other procedure? Do you think either will hinder her tremendously getting back in foal? Thanks Jos!
Jos
Posted on Wednesday, September 13, 2000 - 05:50 pm:
Uterine cysts can be present in actually quite large numbers, and yet cause no reduction in pregnancy rates. It depends a lot upon their size and location. In the event that they are large enough to reduce the mobility of the conceptus through the uterus during the first 16 days of pregnancy, then that will certainly affect the pregnancy (the mobility of the conceptus allows "maternal recognition", which prevents the release of prostaglandin by the mare's uterus, which would cause a return to estrus). If the cysts are located close to the base of the uterine horn on either side, then they may interfere with conceptus "fixation" and subsequent "implantation". If however they would not appear to be capable of affecting either of those situations, I would not at present be concerned with reducing them.
The urine pooling and vaginal windsucking on the other hand are a serious problem, and it is most likely that is relative to these problems that your mare is now "open". I would certainly recommend following your veterinarians advice to have the surgery to alleviate the urine pooling, and I would ensure that the mare has "clean" culture and cytology prior to breeding. As you indicate that the urine pooling has been a persistent problem post-foaling, it may well be worth having a uterine biopsy performed to establish how much, if any, endometrial scar tissue is present as a result of endometritis. This also sounds as though it's a mare that would benefit from a Caslick's procedure post-breeding.
You should also have her ultrasounded prior to breeding, and "map" the locations of the uterine cysts, so that they will not be mistaken for a pregnancy later upon ultrasonic pregnacy status evaluation.
As I suspect this is an older mare, and it is obvious that she may have a "tired uterus", be sure to watch for delayed uterine clearance of inflammatory fluid post-breeding, or indeed of fluid build up pre-breeding. Oxytocin can assist in clearing this.
Posted on Thursday, September 14, 2000 - 10:54 am:
Jos, thanks for the info. She has always been caslicked post breeding and is flushed 3 consecutive days after foaling and is also given oxytocin post foaling. We do also note the location of the cysts pre-breeding. I have no documention to substantiate this, but supposedly she has had 12 foals. I am sure of 5, all in the last 5 consecutive years. She has gotten in foal for me the 3 yrs I've had her so I have not had reason to do a biopsy. I only bred her once this year and suspect the stallions semen wasn't very good. Stallion owner kept bragging about the semen having 70% motility at 12hrs but could not tell me what it was at 24, 36 and 48! It was late in the year and I opted not to try again as it is VERY hot here in late May and on through the summer. Since she cannot be bred on foal heat anyway, I was going to have to skip a year sooner or later, so I opted to wait. She is one awesome producing mare and hopefully I will have the finances to have the other procedure done. Any idea of the costs? My vet is saying around $1000?
Jos
Posted on Thursday, September 14, 2000 - 11:45 am:
No, I'm sorry, I can't give you any idea of costs. I would however suggest that you contact a Veterinary Teaching University if you have one locally, as often their prices are cheaper than a Veterinary practices, and the service just as good.
Good luck!
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