Double Ovariectomy (also in Vet & NL)

[GinnieRedwings]

Hi all,

Just wanted to know if anyone had a recent experience of a laparoscopic double ovariectomy perfomed on their mare, and could tell me how much it cost them, why it was deemed necessary and whether the bill was picked up by their insurance company.

Many thanks.

Ginnie

 

[Cazza525]

My mare had one ovary removed 6 weeks ago, laparoscaply performed. Bill came to just a touch under 2K. It wasn't covered by insurance, no

 

[GinnieRedwings]

Thanks Cazza525. If it was 1 ovary only, I'm assuming it was a tumour? I wonder why the insurance company would not cover something that can only be considered to be a medical necessity? (as opposed to having both ovaries taken out due to bad behaviour in season, for instance).

 

[Cazza525]

My mare is 20 and so covered by veteran insurance....they only payout for accidental damage. Yes, it was a tumour on her ovary, stallion like behaviour etc

 

[GinnieRedwings]

That would make sense... I hope she makes a full recovery and has a lovely long life x

 

[Cazza525]

I felt the same until yesterday.....hopping lame with an abcess now....blooming horses who'd have 'em!

 

[GinnieRedwings]

blooming horses who'd have 'em!

... a bunch of nutters!

 

[KarynK]

Ginnie it is common practice with non breeding competition horses in the USA, they use it a lot on mules as well, last time I asked it was around $1,500 US, much cheaper than here!!
I did ask my vet when the news broke that we had the gene PSSM in the breed over here, a friend was considering it when looking for a home for her positive mare, to stop anyone breeding from her in the future, but it was around £2k. It should be covered by vets fees insurance if the vet recommends it.

 

[GinnieRedwings]

Thanks Karyn, I saw a post of yours covering this subject some time ago and did think the vet was taking the p*ss with his £4,500 quote in view of the US$1,500 you suggested! I know the article you put a link to at the time is a few years old, but stil...

I am going to shop around. Vets are too used to people sticking with them regardless. Time to get competition working a bit!

BTW, it's for my little TB mare you like Her loaners won't let her go to breed as they like her so much as a riding horse, but the Regumate situation is getting ridiculous!

 

[sallyf]

Ginnie have they tried the double ovuplant option to try and stop her cycling that way.
Like everything not sre to work but if it does it usually works for a number of months

 

[GinnieRedwings]

Ginnie have they tried the double ovuplant option to try and stop her cycling that way.
Like everything not sre to work but if it does it usually works for a number of months

Thanks Sally. No, that's not an option I was aware of and so I will investigate

They keep suggesting the marbles, which isn't an option as the little sod cycles all year round and you have to take the marbles out for a couple of moths a year, as I understand it.

 

[Cazza525]

Just a thought re;regumate, I had my mare on it for some time before ovarianectomy and I found it far cheaper to buy it by the litre bottle online with a prescription from the vet. It cost a fortune directly from the vet

 

[GinnieRedwings]

Thanks Cazza525. We have been doing it that way for a while now.

Vets still have to come out (£50 odd) every 6 months so that they can look at the mare and say "Yep, it's a horse, you can have prescriptions for the next 6 months" (£14 per prescription) - with the litre bottle of Regumate online costing between £110 - £125 (4 per year needed), the whole exercise amounts to £600 give or take per year...

We do try and combine with routine visits for jabs etc, but the cost added to the general pita of organising the above + ensuring we never run out or all hell breaks loose + the slight loss of effectiveness towards the end of the bottle (supposed to be used within a month of opening, but a litre lasts 3 months...)

If we could get it done through the insurance on the basis that it is the best thing for the mare, or else I'll claim LoU... Just trying to establish precedents in order to "convince" the insurance company!

 

[Montmorency]

My mare has had it done. Can't remember price off the top of my head and it was a few years ago now. The insurance covered it as the vet recommended it because she was showing a pain reaction to her seasons- and she was permanently in season so always in pain! She was completely unrideable before and is better now.
Don't know if it's as successful for behaviour reasons as she is still the most 'mareish' mare I've ever met!!
As a side note I also recently discovered that ai centres use ovariectomied (is that a word?) mares as teasers as they appear to be permanently in season so don't know how that would impact on behaviour.

 

[sallyf]

My mare has had it done. Can't remember price off the top of my head and it was a few years ago now. The insurance covered it as the vet recommended it because she was showing a pain reaction to her seasons- and she was permanently in season so always in pain! She was completely unrideable before and is better now.
Don't know if it's as successful for behaviour reasons as she is still the most 'mareish' mare I've ever met!!
As a side note I also recently discovered that ai centres use ovariectomied (is that a word?) mares as teasers as they appear to be permanently in season so don't know how that would impact on behaviour.

ovarectomised mares are injected with estradiol to make them think they are in season

 

[Montmorency]

ovarectomised mares are injected with estradiol to make them think they are in season

That does make more sense! But it's not what what I was told by the stud groom when I was wondering why my mare still appears to have seasons. She doesn't seem to need oestradiol!!

 

[GinnieRedwings]

There is a thread on here somewhere about this subject and a very good response from Andy Pandy (a repro specialist) about how ovariectomised mares are happy to accept a stallion.

I'll look it up and post a link when I have a minute.

Montmorency, who are your insurers and what sort of cover did you have?

My little TB mare is an 11 year-old ex-racehorse who has severe physical and
behavioural symptoms when in season, which translate into her being unrideable for 2/3 weeks out of 3/4, all year round, as her cycling
helpfully doesn't seem to slow down much in winter.

It goes like this:
- 3-4 days before coming into season, she becomes frankly foul, starts weawing herself stupid in the middle of the field, generally tries to kill people.
- when coming into season, complete U-turn, she tries to "love" everyone, squirts at and on everything that moves (or doesn't), goes all gooey-eyed and tries to "cuddle" people, by getting her neck round their body and keeping them in a neck lock!!! - NEVER seen anything like it!!!
- That is when she starts doing a camel impression - back up, bottom tucked under herself (presumably because of ovary pain). She can't move very fast, let alone be ridden or do any work for about a week.
- When she comes out of season, her back is sore for a couple of days due to camel impression described above.
- if I'm lucky, she is "normal" (sweet, lovely easy little riding horse) for a few days before we start all over again.

This has been very successfully controlled for the last 5 years with
10ml Regumate a day. I am however now considering an ovariectomy, to
hopefully solve the problem once and for all.

 

[Montmorency]

GinnieRedwings I've pm'd you.

 

[sallyf]

Not all of a mares hormones come from the ovaries hence why some will still show to the stallion.
Ovarectomised mares can also carry a pregnancy as a recipient mare if maintained on regumate for the same reason.

 

[Alec Swan]

Back in '92 (or 3), I had a weaned foal with OCD in both stifles. He went down to The AHT, had what they called key-hole surgery, and from memory, the charge was about £800. A not inconsiderable sum 20 years ago. As time moves on and the operating processes become more refined, so they become cheaper. Again from memory, my youngster had a GA, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that today, most laparoscopies are done under sedation, and without the need for huge and expensive theatre conditions.

I spoke with someone who had a stifle op carried out, on one of their youngsters on the Continent, and it was about £450. The practice is carried out there, on a daily basis, and is viewed rather like simple dental work, so I understand.

Ginnie, rather than £4.5k I'd suggest that finding a cheaper vet, on the other side of the Channel, and taking the horse over there, would be a better option, particularly as you live on the Eastern side of the country anyway!

Alec.

 

[Hurricanelady]

Ginny this is a really long shot and your mare sounds like she has much, much worse symptoms than one of my mares - however I did see a marked improvement in behaviour which seemed to be being caused by in season discomfort after starting to add a herbal blend to the feed from Equinatural (http://www.equinatural.co.uk/epages/BT3755.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT3755/Categories/Mares). I used the Mellow Mare Plus but they do a stronger one (Mellow Mare Ultra).

May possibly be of some assistance until you get your operation sorted.

Good luck with her.