Fluid in Uterus. What exactly does this mean?

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joy

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Like it says, my mare after 3 months at stud will returning home next week obviously not in foal.
Was this the last chance or will she be able to conceive next year?
She is 17 and has had two good big healthy foals in the past.
Advice appreciated.
 
Right... briefly:

When semen (or any substance) is put into the uterus (i.e. during insemination, natural covering etc.) the endometrium (tissue of the uterus) mounts an immune response in order to try to clear it. This includes inflammation. Part of the inflammatory process means that fluid is produced.

Some mares produce more than others, and some are less able to clear that fluid than others. Clearance is via circulatory and lymphatic system, and where those systems are less efficient (in older mares, for instance), or where there is damage to the endometrium (through age, infection, large number of foals etc.), intervention is required to clear fluid from the uterus to make it a viable environment for the embryo.

For an embryo to survive in the uterus, once it drops down from the oviducts (around day 5 after fertilisation), the uterus must be clear of foreign material, fluid etc. If the fluid has not been cleared, then the embryo will not survive, and the pregnancy will be lost.

Older mares, like yours, with fluid problems will require specialist treatment in order to conceive. This will include the use of ecbolics (oxytocin or carbetocin, which cause the uterus to contract), lavages (when necessary - mostly overused), treatment to keep the cervix open, corticosteroid treatment and possibly more, depending on the scale of the problem.

Where has she been this year? What were the results of culture, cytology and biopsy? What method of breeding (natural/AI fresh/chilled/frozen) has been used? What has been done to treat the fluid? These are the questions you need to answer before going forward.
 
Speaking from my own mare experience:
Last year my 15 year old-two time mother-warmblood mare had a gigantic ovulation release (on the scan the egg was 7cm x 6,5cm) and my vet quite rightly refuse to AI (frozen semen) her on this abnormally sized egg. Result of this large 'egg' was that she had 'bruising' and consequently developed fluid in the uterus. After two months of rinsing, antibiotics and rest, she was still not ovulating normally nor was her uterus 'healthy'. I decided just to leave her and try again this year ... more a case of giving mother nature time to get things back to normal.
This year she was scanned at the onset of the breeding season, declared completely healthy and 'clean' by my vet and consequently after a couple of 'proper' ovulation was put to nature coverage. She conceived with one covering.

As it's rather late in the season, and unless you what to 'kick-start' her hormones for ovulation, I would suggest that you leave her and try again next year. This gives you time to allow her to be properly checked over and receive the necessary care.
 
[ QUOTE ]
a gigantic ovulation release (on the scan the egg was 7cm x 6,5cm) and my vet quite rightly refuse to AI (frozen semen) her on this abnormally sized egg. Result of this large 'egg' was that she had 'bruising' and consequently developed fluid in the uterus.

[/ QUOTE ]

Gigantic ovulation and bruising... doesn't sound quite right to me. Sounds more like it was an anovulatory haemorrhagic follicle (AHF), which can cause a mare to stop cycling for a good long time if it doesn't resolve.

[ QUOTE ]
As it's rather late in the season, and unless you what to 'kick-start' her hormones for ovulation, I would suggest that you leave her and try again next year. This gives you time to allow her to be properly checked over and receive the necessary care.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is too late in the season, you're right. I really don't think that any hormones would help now, day length is shortening, and there's nothing you can do.

This situation is not the same as the OP's mare (a problem called delayed uterine clearance (DUC)), so will probably need to be approached differently.
 
The mare in question always has rather large sized 'eggs', normally at point of ovulation at around 5.5 x 5.5 cm and because, although it did develop properly, this was for her abnormally sized, by equine vet advised against using it for AI. The egg went through the normal cycle of ripening and the next cycle started exactly on time for this mare. Unfortunately because of the fluid in the uterus and what the vet called bruising (she was VERY! tender still after 14 days around the tube), he advised again of not using this cycle. The mare was treated with antibiotics and rinsed (about 3 times over the next weeks).

As stated I can only speak from personal experience (30 years) and advise that the mare not be bred this year but treated accordingly by the vet. Again from personal experience ... and this WAS a shock ... we have had an old mare (26 years old and 3 years barren) that took a shine to a nice young thing of 2years old and 11 months later gave us a november foal!
shocked.gif
 
Thanks everyone, Maddy will be home next week and after I've finished kicking something inanimate I'll think about what I'm going to do next.
 
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