Pregnant, or fat?

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

Hi, I posted this in the regular mini horse forum, but after I decided that I didn't think she was pregnant somebody said that she seems to be acting pregnant and that she could be, and told me to post it in here. So, here goes. ? Tuesday night, I came in the barn at around 8:45 to look at Ms. Angel because I was missing her. She was laying down, and didn't get up when I came in. I had only done showmanship that day, and it was rainy so she didn't go outside either, so she wasn't tired. She normally jumps up when I come in. It looked like her stomach was in pain. I had to force her up. She laid back down again after a few minutes, and then I had to force her back up again. She did this multiple times before I started walking her around. She was lethargic, slow and wanted to stop. I thought she was colicing. However, her gut WAS making sounds. I gave her some banamine and continued to check on her until about 2am, when I decided she was okay and I could go to sleep. The next morning, she was more alert, but she still laid down and made me force her up. We gave her another dose of banamine and that seemed to help her again and then the vet came out. The vet said she looked pregnant, and was acting kind of pregnant. She said she also could have been colicing. So, we ultrasounded her and the fluid that she was looking for in a pregnant mare did not show up, but she said if she was about ready to foal, the foal might of taken all the fluid she 2as looking for, or something like that. I messaged her owner, and she said she was bred last year, however she said she thought the last time they bred her was around April 29th, 2014 and that the vet blood tested her and said she wasn't pregnant. That's when I started to doubt her being pregnant, and thought she had coliced and she just had a bloated belly or a grass belly. I measured her stomach Wednesday, Thursday, and today, and she was at 50 1/2 - 51 inches each time. She is 34 inches tall, she is normally not this fat. She is kind of holding her tail up, and she did 'wink' earlier but she hasn't done it since so I could of caught her right after she peed. In the other forum, a lot of people said she looked pregnant, and seemed pregnant. However, she would be at about 390 days! So, I am doubtful, and that's why I'm posting here. Here are some pictures from today, she isn't poking out as much, but she still measures the same. I will post pictures in the comments from yesterday, and how she looks in show shape. I have been driving her every other day, and lunging her on the days she wasn't driving. She hasn't lost any weight, just gained. She gets 1/2 cup of grain, and a half flake of hay day and night. She eats grass every day for a few hours but she wears a muzzle. What do you think, fat or pregnant?

Forgot to add. she is very touchy about her lower stomach near the flanks today. If you touch it, she will pin her ears to her head or even lift her leg like she is going to kick me.

Also, ,my 32" in shape mini gelding is about 44" around his stomach, for comparison.

And also, sorry about the bad udder picture lol. I can get a better one if you want. It was really hard to try to take one! She doesn't have any udder development. Also, if she was pregnant, this would be her first foal.

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

Here she is 2-4 years ago in show shape.

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

This was her yesterday. She seemed to be poking out more, but she measured the same, 50 1/2 inches around her stomach, yesterday and today.

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

I feel like these pictures make her look skinnier than she is in real life lol! She looks really big to me,

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

Yikes! Went out to feed her and I accidentally bumped into her stomach, she pins her ears, turns around and bites me!

 

[chandab]

Usually ulcers cause weight loss; but since she was a show mare, ulcers are a possibility and could explain her sensitivity to having her belly touched. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me will be here soon to look at your pictures (some of the members are night owls or in another country, so they read at "odd" hours).

 

If she is a maiden, then it's very possible she's pregnant, since they tend to carry high and tight. It appears that she could be a bit lop-sided, which is something we look for in pregnant mares.

Certainly, if she's pregnant, the last breeding date wasn't in April, as she wouldn't carry this long. So, if it's possible she could have been bred later, then it could be a go. But, did you say your vet did an ultrasound? An ultrasound should have shown a baby at this point, not just fluid. What type of ultrasound did the vet do?

Doesn't look like any udder development, but we don't gauge by that anyway.

When did you get her? What are her eating habits? Is she leaning towards only eating hay and not grain? If so, ulcers may be the problem, and you should start her on some type of ulcer treatments. Even some doses of liquid Tagamet or something similar should get you through the weekend. Or if your vet is open tomorrow, ask about Ulcerguard or something generic. With gut sounds, I'm not thinking colic, but ulcers would cause her pain. I'd try some ulcer treatments and see if she improves. The key with ulcer treatment is to keep it up long after the symptoms disappear. If it's an ulcer, it can take a month or so to heal, so if you see some improvement, keep up the treatment.

Try taking a picture of her down at her level from the back -- looking forward -- and we can see if there is a baby hiding in there, by looking for a lop-sided belly. Then another full side picture but right down at her level. This will help us see the true positioning of her belly.

So, I'd try both the ulcer treatment, and get the pictures and not to worry. We'll get it figured out, and any ulcer treatment will not hurt if there is a little "rider" inside. We'll just pray for her quick return to her normal self, and watch with you.

WELCOME to our Nutty Nursery, by the way. We're happy you joined us. We're here to answer any questions you may have -- nothing is too outlandish to ask, or silly. We're here to help in any way we can, and with many here from all over the world, you'll see answers pop up all hours of the day and night!

She's a pretty girl!

~~Diane

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

If she is a maiden, then it's very possible she's pregnant, since they tend to carry high and tight. It appears that she could be a bit lop-sided, which is something we look for in pregnant mares.

Certainly, if she's pregnant, the last breeding date wasn't in April, as she wouldn't carry this long. So, if it's possible she could have been bred later, then it could be a go. But, did you say your vet did an ultrasound? An ultrasound should have shown a baby at this point, not just fluid. What type of ultrasound did the vet do?

Doesn't look like any udder development, but we don't gauge by that anyway.

When did you get her? What are her eating habits? Is she leaning towards only eating hay and not grain? If so, ulcers may be the problem, and you should start her on some type of ulcer treatments. Even some doses of liquid Tagamet or something similar should get you through the weekend. Or if your vet is open tomorrow, ask about Ulcerguard or something generic. With gut sounds, I'm not thinking colic, but ulcers would cause her pain. I'd try some ulcer treatments and see if she improves. The key with ulcer treatment is to keep it up long after the symptoms disappear. If it's an ulcer, it can take a month or so to heal, so if you see some improvement, keep up the treatment.

Try taking a picture of her down at her level from the back -- looking forward -- and we can see if there is a baby hiding in there, by looking for a lop-sided belly. Then another full side picture but right down at her level. This will help us see the true positioning of her belly.

So, I'd try both the ulcer treatment, and get the pictures and not to worry. We'll get it figured out, and any ulcer treatment will not hurt if there is a little "rider" inside. We'll just pray for her quick return to her normal self, and watch with you.

WELCOME to our Nutty Nursery, by the way. We're happy you joined us. We're here to answer any questions you may have -- nothing is too outlandish to ask, or silly. We're here to help in any way we can, and with many here from all over the world, you'll see answers pop up all hours of the day and night!

She's a pretty girl!

~~Diane

Thanks! She tends to eat both her hay and grain, grain first then hay. Doesnt seem hesitant or slow. i got her April 11th this year. Is there different type of ultrasounds? Lol. I didnt know that. I think it was judt a regular one, its an ultrasound machine. She uses it on my big horse, too, because he has leg issues, so she looks for torn ligaments in his legs. With Angel, she said she couldnt see the baby or fluid, but if she was near ready to foal, the baby or fluid might not be noticeable. I know a friend who had a vet out to look at her mini to see if she was pregnant, and she said she wasnt, then a week later she foaled. ☺ I will post that picture tomorrow morning, its late and dark here.

 

I'll look forward to the pictures tomorrow. Sleep well.

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

I'll look forward to the pictures tomorrow. Sleep well.

Sorry, was at a show all day yesterday! I took Angel, too, since she seemed to be feeling good. She did great! I could tell she laid down or rolled a few times, though, because her sheet and hood were filthy by the end of the show! LOL! I just fed her this morning, touched her stomach again near her flanks and she pinned her ears flat to her head again. I tried to clean out her udders, too, and she kicked me. She normally lets me do that. I haven't measured her stomach yet but I will soon, in a hour or two. I'll go out and do that, and take those pictures. Any other pictures that would be helpful? I can try to take them.

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

I think she is just fat, but she's acting so weird, so I would like your guys' opinion once I post the pictures so I know to keep a closer eye on her or not.

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

We have mares that don't like there flank/nipples touched. The only mares we have had that had no problem being touched in those areas previously, than got sensitive, were pregnant and in the last 4-8 weeks of there pregnancy. If she's not colicy any more, I don't think she would all pf a sudden hating you for touching those areas. Especially. since she never had a problem before. Also if you are exercising her as much as you say and have not increased anything in her diet, why is she gaining weight. If she's not pregnant, maybe she just finished filling out. We have a mare that when we got her as a yearling, she was fairly refines. When she turned three, she put on more weight. She was by no means fat, she just added her girly weight at maturity. She then had a mare figure, especially now after her first foal.

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

We have mares that don't like there flank/nipples touched. The only mares we have had that had no problem being touched in those areas previously, than got sensitive, were pregnant and in the last 4-8 weeks of there pregnancy. If she's not colicy any more, I don't think she would all pf a sudden hating you for touching those areas. Especially. since she never had a problem before. Also if you are exercising her as much as you say and have not increased anything in her diet, why is she gaining weight. If she's not pregnant, maybe she just finished filling out. We have a mare that when we got her as a yearling, she was fairly refines. When she turned three, she put on more weight. She was by no means fat, she just added her girly weight at maturity. She then had a mare figure, especially now after her first foal.

She is 11, now, so I think she has already filled out by now LOL. Thanks for the comment I am heading out soon to take pictures. You have been very helpful with your replies

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

Okay, here are the pictures. I swear she looked more 'poky' out at the sides two days ago or so, but she still measures the same around her stomach, 50 1/2, so I guess it all went to the bottom of her stomach, haha. If you want to see how poky she was two to three days ago I posted it in the comments on the first page of this topic. This morning with the five seconds that I got to touch her udders before she kicked me, I couldve sworn they had gotten a little fuller, but now from the pictures they look the same lol. I must just be paranoid haha. These pictures make her look a little skinnier than she is for some reason, must be the angle or something. But she wasnt this fat when I got her or normally. She's gained a lot. She was fat and out of shape when I got her, not as fat as she is now, but I was pretty sure I could work it off of her. Apparently not. She measured 50 1/2 - 51 inches around her stomach today, too.

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

Lol, Im not sure how she looks so much slimmer in the pictures than she is in real life. She was big enough for the vet, my sister and I to suspect she was pregnant

 

If she's a maiden, they can be very tricky to figure out. I wouldn't give up on her being pregnant, with some maidens you just can't tell. Hopefully Chanda will post my favorite pictures of her "tricky" mare -- that certainly didn't look pregnant, and then foaled a beautiful baby the same day.

We'll watch for some udder development with her, and hope she shows us a few signs. Keep the pictures coming every few days, so we can look for changes!!!

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

If she's a maiden, they can be very tricky to figure out. I wouldn't give up on her being pregnant, with some maidens you just can't tell. Hopefully Chanda will post my favorite pictures of her "tricky" mare -- that certainly didn't look pregnant, and then foaled a beautiful baby the same day.

We'll watch for some udder development with her, and hope she shows us a few signs. Keep the pictures coming every few days, so we can look for changes!!!

Okay, I will, thanks for your help

! I will try to post a picture of her tonight, she looked a little bigger to me, but she measured the same. I'll see what the pictures look like. She is getting more touchy about her lower belly/udder area.

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

These are her tonight.

 

[chandab]

Was gone today, just for Diane...

Here's Tana (the silver bay dun):

First thing in the morning:



And, right after lunch:

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

Was gone today, just for Diane...Here's Tana (the silver bay dun):First thing in the morning:

Tana - June 23, 2012 - with Dolly.jpgAnd, right after lunch:

Tana and foal - June 23, 2012.jpg

Oh, wow, she really didn't look that pregnant! She is very pretty .