I have a 1991 Arabian mare who was bred on 05/11/2007. She is approaching 270 days gestation.
Long story short she had a long and complicated maiden pregnancy last year due to Regumate. She foundered severely but was in foal with a deceased stallions last foal so the lessee at the time was anxious to keep her in foal. It was a cross of keeping her on the Regumate to keep her uterus quiet but keeping her on the Regumate is what was causing the founder.
Two months prior to her estimated delivery date (04/05/07) we had gotten the founder and feeding regime under control and I took her off of the Regumate. With in two weeks she was able to come off of the soaked hay aspect of the change in her diet and became quiet on her feet. She finally became comfortable. On 03/09/2007 she began waxing and waxed daily to 03/24/2007 when she foaled. The foal was small to average but seemed healthy. The mare suffered a vaginal tear which is now closed with a permanent caslicks. Two days after delivery the foal was diagnosed with Maladjustment Disorder and with abios and 48 hours of two hour forced feedings she came through and managed from that point on. She now lives in CA with the deceased stallions owner.
I chose to breed the mare using the P&E protocol and one shipped semen dose. If she had not gotten in foal I was not going to try again. She conceived. No complications there.
We are now approaching 270 days and I have noticed her udders go from nothing to what appears in overweight mares to be fat deposits immediately in front of the udders. There is little fluid in them, no discharge of any kind. No vulvar changes or discharge. She is also softer over the immediate hips, more firm as you approach the tail head, and still has tail tone. However, she is doing a fair bit of shedding over the last three days. I am in New England and no one is doing much shedding of any kind right now. She's BAR besides. I will say that she is much larger with this pregnancy than with the first.
I'll be honest, I'm nervous that we may be heading into this too early.
Advice?
Jan Owen Senior Stallion or Mare Username: 1frosty1
Post Number: 1025 Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Monday, February 04, 2008 - 04:00 pm:
Hi Amanda~when my mare starts shaping up it is how you describe that she has swelling in front of her udders about 6 weeks before she foals. It sounds like she is just starting to shape up. Remember she is carrying extra weight and pregnancy hormones do funny things. Will keep fingers and toes crossed that she holds out for at least another 6 weeks.
I wouldnt worry too much. My Arab mare was a maiden last year, I noticed a change in her udders about a month and a half out, there was a tiny bit of clear fluid in them. She ended up foaling at 320 days, and the foal was fine except for somewhat lax tendons. I thought my mare was going to have the filly at 300 days (Thank God she didnt, the foal most likely wouldnt have survived).
Good luck!
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