Ok so now I want to ask something about Regumate (which I know nothing about). I understand that it can be used to hopefully 'prolong' pregnancy/keep the mare pregnant until the foal has a good chance of viability??
Now if a mare has a partial detachment of the placenta, firstly, how is this confimed? Secondly, how much is this compromising the foal's nourishment/oxygen and how do we find out to what degree?
If the foal is being compromised and the mare is easily within her time to give birth, then surely to give regumate to prolong pregnancy is endangering the foal? As a complete novice/learner regarding regumate the above seems like normal thought procedure to me.
In Saffire's case we have a mare who, judging by her almost V shaped tummy and her full bag, will be likely to foal within a week or so. However she appeared to be a bit off colour, plus suddenly showed a yellowing of the whites of her eyes. Jenny asked here about her eye colour and was told to get her to a vets immediately; this she did the next day and was told several things.....that Saffire had a separating placenta, that a scan showed the foal not yet in the birth position, that Saffire should take the anti-biotics provided and WORST OF ALL that the foal had a 50% chance of survival 'but that's life, take her home and see what happens'!!
The day following all this Jenny finds another vet who is now willing to work with her and Saffire and to monitor Saffire and the foals progress, possibly to induce her if the foal suddenly moves into a possible birth position. Jenny also came back here to ask if there is anyone who has experienced this problem and what they would do. The answer from nearly everyone has been to give regumate, but perhaps it is called something else in Australia, or perhaps Jenny's new vet has already considered this and dismissed it due to how close the mare is to foaling anyway. Remembering the time difference on the other side of the world, I think delays in responses are quite understandable.
But if this foal is being compromised by the separating of the placenta so far and this was one of your mares, would you still give your mare regumate or would you hold off in the hope that the foal positioned itself for a normal birth within a week or 10 days?
Jenny has reported that within 24 hours of taking the anti-biotics, Saffire has perked right up and is back to being her old self. I would like to offer Jenny my very best wishes and prayers that with her new vet's help, she will be welcoming a new baby in the very near future.
