This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (BRIAN C JACOBSEN) Ingrid Ivic asked:
>....I was wondering how many breeders have their mares palpated, halfway through >the mares pregnancies? We have a new vet and it's been recommended to have this >done at our next "Rhino vaccination visit". We've been told a few mares resorb their >fetus or abort, some with no apparent signs. Is there any danger in this? It's true that occasionally a mare will either resorb or abort in early to mid-pregnancy, and when this occurs there's very little or nothing to see. When this happens to a mare, you need to do a few things differently. There's no need to continue the Rhino vaccinations. And you will need to feed your mare differently than if she were still pregnant. So two reasons to have a mare palpated at around 5 months are: 1. To avoid wasting money vaccinating her if it's not necessary, and 2. To avoid overfeeding if she's not pregnant. Every Spring and Summer we receive calls from clients saying their mares are a month overdue and can we come check them out to make sure everything is OK. Well, a mare can go a month overdue, so sometimes everything is fine and the owners just have to wait a little longer. But several times each year we will find that a mare is actually not pregnant, and hasn't been for a while! You might wonder if an owner couldn't tell the mare was not pregnant because the mare's belly was not big enough. I guarantee you though, if you have been feeding your mare as if she were pregnant for 11-12 months, she will look pregnant!! And what about those times the client saw the foal kicking inside the mare? That was gas in the intestines moving, not a foal. And finally, why do these mares look like they have "bagged up"? Well, they have bagged up, but it's with fat not milk. I believe it is safe to say that there will be a few Fjord owners this Spring and Summer that will be disappointed when their mare doesn't foal, because they just didn't, or didn't know to have her palpated in mid-pregnancy. So is something terrible going to happen if someone doesn't have their mare palpated? No. But just as described above, it would have been better for their pocketbook (unnecessary vaccinations and extra feed), and better for their mare's health (overweight from overfeeding) if they had known. And finally, with careful palpation, as most veterinarians practice, there is no danger to the fetus no matter when it's done during the pregnancy. Hope that helps! Brian Jacobsen, DVM Norwegian Fjordhest Ranch Salisbury, North Carolina ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
