My last mare to foal is about 338 days. She doesn't look as if she'll foal for at LEAST a few days. She's a BIG mare and looks like she's carrying a hippopotamus - her legs are a bit puffy as I'd expect. But she has swellings all over the lower side of her belly - from her girth area back. I would assume oedema - but they're rather harder than I'd expect. They don't appear to be painful - should I be concerned?
Jos Posted From: 137.186.22.28
Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 09:01 pm:
This sounds like œdema to me. Can you apply pressure to it with your thumb, and leave an indentation behind after you remove your thumb ("pitting œdema"). It is not unusual in mares in late term, and may resolve somewhat with exercise. If you have her out at pasture, and she is receiving hay, put the hay in multiple small piles, thereby making her move - many mares at this stage prefer to stand still if they can get away with it!
The only cause for concern would be if you are looking at a prepubic tendon rupture. Check that link for an article by Dr. Pycock on our site - chances are good that this is not what you are looking at, but better safe than sorry!
They don't pit - that was the first thing I checked. But it doesn't look like anything drastic either - and the articles suggests that prepubic tendon rupture would have a faily rapid move towards being critical. She certainly fits some of the profile - part Percheron, big, fat etc - but not OLD (13) and first time foaling. And if she DOES have twins, a well known equine repro vet will be red-faced!
She's turned out all day and moves around quite a bit - although at a naturally leisurely pace. I don't feed her haylage in the field as she eats pretty much non-stop all night and I'd rather she played hunt the grass during the day.
And she's in a big box (which I WISH she WOULD stand still in - instead of busting down the wall last night while scratching her rather ample backside!) Thinking about it, I wonder if it could just be subcutaneous FAT - that is bulging out a bit because of the size of the foal. I WILL be relieved when the damn thing arrives!
Problem solved. She produced a HUGE coloured colt tonight - her first! So that's my last foal for this year - 3 fillies and a colt and all doing well!
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