advice sought, can a vet be wrong?

[benrajah]

Don't know where to start really as I'm so upset and shocked atm. Had the vet today as my mare is having trouble walking properly and he did an internal and said he could feel no foal.

This is the thing, mare foaled previously two foals, no prob. Sent to stud and took on first covering, scanned in foal. She is a very showy mare, completely changed character, very hormonal, won't let a gelding close to her, would kill it, not showed at all in season, even though I have a stallion on the yard. She has put on weight throughout pregnancy and although not huge looks to have a belly. She is low slung but is carrying no extra weight on her bum and you can slightly see top of her rib cage. She has four weeks left to due date.

I called the vet as she is having problems walking properly and was a little concerned, he did an internal and said he can't feel a foal although he couldn't find her uterus either. I have had a blood sample taken although realise that this is not 100% accurate.

I'm just praying that there is still a slight chance but wondered has anyone has been in this situation and had a happy surprise. Just feeling very sad at the moment.

Tracey x

[FF]

Sorry no advise but I hope you get better news with the blood results. It's a long time to wait to then be told no foal. My mare has only ever had 1 foal two years ago now and she still looks pregnant..... Did you have her scanned etc?

[benrajah]

Hi, yes she was scanned before she came home from stud and the vet said it was a healthy viable pregnancy. She has given me no reason to have her rescanned so hence the reason for being so upset and disappointed x

[leevale]

How disappointing, I hope she is in foal. Is there any sign of her bagging up? I would be expecting her to be with only 4 weeks to go?

[anna85]

We had a vet put a hand in and declare empty and mare foaled a lovely filly 5 days later. The foal drops very low before they go into fnal stages so apparently they can be too far down as such to feel. That was his excuse anyway!

[kilnstown]

Feb 14, 2013 20:31:47 GMT anna85 said:

We had a vet put a hand in and declare empty and mare foaled a lovely filly 5 days later. The foal drops very low before they go into fnal stages so apparently they can be too far down as such to feel. That was his excuse anyway!

I have known this happen as well anna, to a very well respected equine vet.

So in answer to the op question, yes they can sometimes get it wrong.

[benrajah]

Well quick update, am more confused than ever now! Checked her this evening after bringing in from the field, she is still walking funny but her shape is so different from all the other horses on the yard. She managed to let me slide my hand down the side of her belly and feel her teats and udder. Teats are defiantly swollen and her udder feels like two small deflated balloons and warm and fluidly, if I'm making any sense! Felt my other two mares and their udders are right and sucked up with two raisin like teats. So I will check in the morning again before she goes out. Still awaiting blood test results but after reading above feel more positive. I know this mare, if she isn't in foal then she is very ill so fingers crossed xx

[Deleted]

Hope everything is ok for you - keep us posted xxx

[pattendown]

surley you can feel the moving by now my mare who has 4 weeks the foal can be felt through her abdomen easily ,i hope they are wrong as its always upsetting after all the build up if they are emprty

[Em5]

Would it not be best to have an ultrasound scan so you can find out of she is in foal and if not see I'f there is something else causing her to be walking funny??? If she was mine and I was thinking either she's in foal or she's very ill i'd have the vet straight back out to do further tests.

Hope the mare is ok and back to herself soon

[ellanorenatives]

Id would say stay positive, if the foal has dropped down then the vet may not beable to feel the foal!!!!!!!!!, I also have a mare due in 4 weeks (first foal) she has been bagging up over the last 10days but if i sit and watch her tummy you can see baby move, maybe sit with her for a while and see?? I was convinced this mare wasnt in foal (although she didnt return) she had hardly any belly, no movement etc, then 10days ago i had a feel around and thats when she had a tiny change in her bag, today the skin between her teats is starting to get tight (think she may foal early?) have hope sweety, vets arent always right await the blood tests and poss her funny way of going could be to do with the foal laying funny?? good luck and keep us informed xx

[Mildred]

We had a mare that bagged up and everything scanned in foal at stud but miscarried during her pregnancy but carried on to have a phantom pregnancy ! Very sad all round xx

[benrajah]

Hi guys, thank u all for your input. The reason I haven't had an ultrascan and the vet back out id as id rather wait for a while and see what happens as she has just over three weeks till due date. She didn't cope well at all with the sedation and very nearly toppled right over and I don't really want her interfered with anymore. She is on half a bute a day which seems to help, I do believe something is lying on a nerve. she wants to go out and even trotted and rolled today. to me she is resembling an uncomfortable lady in the last stages kg pregnancy so can only hope. If she suddenly went down hill I would not hesitate to call the vet back. Her udder seems to be developing which is good. Spoke to a friend who breeds three to four a year and she said she rarely sees much movement, a friend thought she felt it pushing against her hand yesterday so can only pray and keep fingers and toes crossed. She has bred two healthy foals in the past. Thank you everyone, your encouragement helps. Xx

[raemoirstud1857]

Hi Tracy,
Yes they can, we had a mare two years ago who had a similar problem with walking and thought she had laminitus, I have been breeding for thirty years and had never come across this, I would get a second opinion to determine her pregnancy, the foal depending what stage she is in her pregnancy could be lying awkwardly and causing her discomfort.
01398 82319 if you need some help

Kim
Raemoir Stud

[raemoirstud1857]

Tracy just read your last update, you must have her scanned for placentitus, an infection of the placenta, if she starts to run milk or show intermittent signs of rolling/colic get the vet quickly, and inexperience vet will not diagnose this condition as they will not be familiar with the presentation of the symtems, it is rare but I have had two in three years.
Please let me know how you go.

Kim

[victoria25]

No advice Im afraid as we're only on our first foal but hope with everything she's still in foal ... can you see/feel it moving? My mare is 8.5 months and the little bugger is moving each day quite visibly ...

Please keep us updated and fingers crossed :-*xxx

[pattendown]

sometimes the foal lays on the syatic nerve while turning and can cause alot of discomfort ,fingers crossed everything goes ok and you see a lovely healthy baby soon

[ellanorenatives]

update with our girly!!!, bag bigger and she is not quite right behind today (she's walking like she has a lepricorn stuck up her bottom) poor girl, but shes not lame just uncomfortable. xx hope you girl is ok?? xx

[pattendown]

i take pics of my mares udders daily to keep a diary of progress and for subsequent pregnancies

[victoria25]

Ive been doing this too - monthly photos - will be creating a video (pics/vid) from start to finish of the birth x

[jeanslater]

I once bought a little mare bagged up and running milk, I'm still waiting for her to foal 20 yrs later - it was a phantom pregnancy

[victoria25]

Any update Benrajah?

Lol @ jeanslater, maybe your 20 year old isnt ready to come out just yet!?

My friends horse had a phantom pregnancy, went huge, ran milk etc - no bambino :0(

[FF]

I never saw my foal move at all when she was till in mum. I sat and watched for quite a while one night, a friend even brought a stethecope thingy and we didn;t hear a thing. I was convinced she wasn't pregnant even though she had been scanned in foal at stud. Healthy lively foal landed with no problems.

[lancs]

I've had one go full term everything looking fine, scanned, huge and bagged up then no foal !! She even fooled my very experienced uncle who had had hundreds of calves and was watching her all through the pregnancy. Covered her later that year no problem and had lovely foal a year later. But she never walked awkwardly as you are describing, she was a picture of health, so I might be a little concerned, as you are, about your mare.

[busymare]

I hope everything is ok. We've only bred a few and I've never experienced this but just a thought (sorry if it's an obvious one) but as it all seems so odd I would be monitoring her temperature in case there is any infection.

Fingers crossed that your baby is just being troublesome and trying to keep you on your toes!

[benrajah]

Hi all, thank you all for your advice and help. It is with a very sad heart that I write to tell you that my beloved mare was unfortunately no longer in foal. Over the last two Weeks she has deteriorated rapidly and was pts yesterday. The vet believed it was an aggressive tumour on her spine and the last few days she had gone down hill quickly. May she now rest in peace and be forever in my heart.

Tracey x

[09rebel99]

Oh gosh I'm so sorry to hear this :-( I've been following this thread from the start. How devastating for you, my thoughts are with you xx

[Deleted]

Tracey I'm so sorry to hear this, thinking of you x

[rightrein92]

Oh no Thats bloody awful;-(

[judyh]

Really sorry to hear that.