In foal?

[Lovewelshies]

Hi everyone,

Looking for opinions,

I bought a filly about a month ago and she is supposedly due to foal in around 4 weeks and looks completely pregnant, however when my vet came out to add her to my account and do health check, micro chip and detect the pregnancy she wouldn't do rectal due to her size also said she is too far for the ultrasound so run Oestrone sulphate bloods and egg count. A week later they call with results which was 4.8ng/ml and said negative due to being under 6 however negative are below 3 so i find this confusing also the egg count came back at 100 so the worms are in check, so what you think?

 

[Lovewelshies]

Also i need to work out how to add pics???

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Hi Love Welshies,

Welcome to the forum.

Down the bottom where you hit post you will notice there is a "More reply" options next to it. this will allow you to add pics.

If you have a look through some of the other threads on here, you can see the angles if pics that will enable us to have a look and see how the foal is riding.

Does she have an udder yet ?

Cheers Ryan

 

[Lovewelshies]

Thanks Ryan it's telling me my image is too large but yes ive taken many pic's, she hasn't got a bag just slightly puffy but the teats look strange for a maiden, there kind of wide and long but flat in length.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Sorry I wish i could be more helpful in regards to adding Pics, hopefully one of the admin team here will be able to help

Looking forward to seeing some pics

 

[Mona]

Thanks Ryan it's telling me my image is too large

You need to resize your photos to a smaller size before uploading to the forum. I would recommend you try http://picasa.en.softonic.com/

 

[Lovewelshies]

Thanks think ive worked it out

 

[Lovewelshies]

First pic is yesterday last one is 4 weeks ago

 

[Mona]

If I was a gambling gal, I would lay my money HEAVILY on her being in foal. I disagree STRONGLY with your vet. This mare looks HEAVY in foal. Not sure what recent developments there has been since I quit raising minis a number of years ago, but back then, a blood test beyond a certain point in the pregnancy would not always give accurate results. This mare looks very heavy in foal, in my opinion. I see no sign of udder development yet, but start feeling her bag at least twice a day. At some point, usually within the last 30 days of pregnancy (so anytime now if your dates are correct) it will begin to feel firm, then loosen up....back and forth like that, all the while enlarging, and finally it will remain very firm, and may even start waxing up, which means she will get little syrupy type droplets on the nipple. It starts out as feeling like long cylinders, then progresses by filling more and more all the time, into a "bag". GOOD LUCK!

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

She looks pregnant to me. Baby is sitting sideways, not lined up with mares spine.

She may not bag up until right before or after, so that doesn't always determime foaling.

It looks like you may be as far as a month out. Just take some more pictures in a few days. Broadside, from directly behind crouched down at her level. Also a picture of her milk bar and her private area.

I may be wrong, but I think the hormone levels don't read high when mares are closer to delivery. DO NOT QUOTE ME ON THAT!

 

[Lovewelshies]

Thanks for your advice its priceless has its all new to me, ive had horses most of my life but never foaled any, i will take more pics tonight see if i can get a better one of her teats but the only swelling is just in front of the teats and fells puffy and only abot 3ich like a circle if that makes sense

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

That's edema. Mares can have that if they are overweight or its a start of bagging up. Since she doesn't look overweight, I'd watch for the edema move back into her bag.

 

[Lovewelshies]

Argh right i know what your saying, i have a over weight sec a and she has fat pads but there way bigger and theres two this is about the size of a big bee sting and central

 

[Mona]

Thanks for your advice its priceless has its all new to me, ive had horses most of my life but never foaled any, i will take more pics tonight see if i can get a better one of her teats but the only swelling is just in front of the teats and fells puffy and only abot 3ich like a circle if that makes sense

That's a great start, and that sounds like what I referred to as "cylinders". Also, be sure she is off of any fescue grass!! That will prevent the mare's milk from coming in and causing problems for the pair after foaling.

EDITED to add...if you think they feel like bee stings, then those are NOT the cylinders that I was referring to afterall.

 

[Lovewelshies]

Thanks i will look into fescue grass as i was unaware of that x

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Im another that says "pregnant"

Lovely mare you have !!

Keep us posted on some updated pics when you get the chance say every 4-5 days , so we can have look as to any further noticeable changes

Any questions you have , ask away

 

[Lovewelshies]

More pics to add,

8th july

 

[Lovewelshies]

12th july

 

[Lovewelshies]

Also last night when i brought her in she had funy lumpy swelling and veins now this morning the lumpy bits had gone but not the veins??

 

[Ryan Johnson]

When your feeding her next, Put your hand flat under her stomach just in front of her udder, you should be able to feel movement/kicks ect.

The veins and the lumpy bits are edema , which is perfectly normal

Could be the camera angle but if you compare the photos of her udder form the 8-12th , It looks like there is a little development in that department.

Thanks for the pics