How reliable are rectal examinations?

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neddymad

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Has anyone ever had a mare examined as not in foal that then went on to produce one!

My pony mare had a rectal a couple of weeks ago and the vet said she was not in foal however she still has udder development, yellow drops on the end of her teats that look like wax and cloudy fluid coming out of her teats. Is there anything you can give to mares for a phantom pregnancy. She is 13 and has never had a foal. I have had her since she was a foal. Thanks
 
neddymad said:
Has anyone ever had a mare examined as not in foal that then went on to produce one!

My pony mare had a rectal a couple of weeks ago and the vet said she was not in foal however she still has udder development, yellow drops on the end of her teats that look like wax and cloudy fluid coming out of her teats. Is there anything you can give to mares for a phantom pregnancy. She is 13 and has never had a foal. I have had her since she was a foal. Thanks
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Yes - I've had a BOGOF. She was scanned as not in foal - and washed out - before I bought her (experienced stud vet.) She foaled in due course and spent the next 8 years hiding 14 day pregnancies from my excellent vet! Vet: "I can't see anything!" Me: "This is Portia, keep looking!" She always WAS pregnant - 1st time.

A rectal should be VERY accurate in late pregnancy if the vet is any use - not because you can feel the foal - you can't usually because it's out of reach. But you CAN feel the uterus and a heavily pregnant uterus feels very different to an empty uterus! But I know of several mares rectalled as n.i.f. who went ahead and produced!!

SO - she could be in foal - and your vet could be useless at stud work - IF she was in contact with a colt or stallion 10-11 months ago. Any chance???
 
Thanks for your reply. I bought a newly gelded colt in June last year and he got in with her after about 4 weeks but as we were told it would be safe after 4-6wks we thought it was highly unlikely, I have since found out the period of time is much longer!!! :rolleyes: ( I have changed my vet since) I would much rather she wasn't but if she did surprise us it wouldn't be the end of the world and the foal would stay with us.

The vet had a good feel and was pretty certain that she was empty. He thought she was probably having a phantom or that she had been in foal but slipped it.
 
Put it this way - phantom pregnancies in mares may exist but I've had 12-15 mares here for the past 10 years and none of them has had one. I'vehad mares lose pregnancies at some stage who have got fatter - so I didn't immediately realise they'd lost the pregnancies - but they didn't develop udders or wax up.

Can you put up some pics of her - front, side and rear views? Because if she's bagging up and waxing up, she should LOOK pregnant (if she is.)
 
Thank you I will get up to date pics tomorrow and put them on here. She has never had any udders before she was flat and now after 13yrs she has developed them! I am starting to worry that now the vet has said she is not in foal that there is actually something wrong with her although she is very bright and looks fantastic apart from looking too fat :rolleyes:.
 
How old is she? The only true (?) phantoms I have seen have had Cushings and are over 20yrs. Phantoms in younger mares are very rare though they do occur
 
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