Mare scanned not in foal, what do you think

[Deleted]

My mare went to the stallion at the beginning of June, she was scanned at 25 days I think, as not in foal there was lots of fluid but no foal the vet says. Took her rug off tonight and her belly looks suspect.
I'm not getting her scanned again as it was too traumatic for her.

What do people think, she will be due beginning of may. She just doesn't look big from the front or back. She has never had a foal before. She's a Dartmoor.

[Deleted]

Sorry for the overload. She's quite deceiving as she is very deep bodied

[rhydygrug]

Hmm, difficult (in my opinion) to say for definite either way. Maiden mares are quite often very good at hiding foals, and scans have also been known to miss foals, so i suppose it's just a case of wait and see! If she is having a lot of fodder, then it could be a 'grass belly', but i suppose in winter unless she is having a lot of hay/haylage then that is less likely...She doesn't look particularly in foal to me, but you know her best!

[comanchediva]

She doesn't look 8 months in foal to me but as a maiden mare she could be carrying a small foal. I'd wait and see what happens, natives are very good at looking after themselves and their babies even if it's their first one.

[Deleted]

They have just had ad lib haylage. Just a little shocked when I saw her belly as she's not fat anywhere else. My D mare was 8 months in foal when I got her and it was quite noticeable from the front and back, but they are all different. Maybe I'm looking into it to much but from the side to me she looks possibly in foal but on the other hand she's not far off full term so I would expect a bulge on one side

[lovebird]

Did you see her in season after she was scanned ?

[Deleted]

No we haven't seen her in season, she doesn't show that much but she is a flirt with the boys but we never saw any of that. I'll keep my eye on her she's so deep girthed I don't know if it's making me think she looks pregnant.

[lisadundee]

Well we had three all scanned not in foal and they all were! One I sold very cheap as the vet scanned not in foal and she had a lovely filly so I don't have much faith in the scanning if I'm honest unless their re scanned further on

[Deleted]

Cost use £86 to have her scanned so I'll be asking for that back if she is. And we will then have to sort out stud fees on top as we were not charged anything as not in foal. I do hope she is but not getting my hopes up. Id get her scanned again if it was such a trauma for her

[maddie]

you could have a urine test done , you just have fun catching it.

[sarahp]

Accuracy of scanning is down to the expertise of the operator, a good stud vet wouldn't make many mistakes. Relying on an early scan like this could just mean the she was in foal at that stage but lost it early on but that's not your way round!

[deucoch]

I think it's likely to be a haylage belly.

[gillwales]

hayledge will give more of a belly than hard feed, when we showed broodmares that's what I would give them, especially if I had not covered them that season. I never bothered to scan small mares, it is not comfortable for them. I would try a urine test, best to catch when she first comes in at night.

[Ashenvalestud]

If she is due beginning of May she should be approaching to the bagging up time by now.

Did the vet investigate the fluid any further?

[Deleted]

I've put her on a diet, like gill Wales said I think it was just a haylage belly. She certainly doesn't look anything like she did. No vet didn't investigate fluid any more.