mastitis in non lactating mare

[chrisdennis]

my 25 year mare retired has developed mastitis in one udder. local vet says leave it for a while. Specialist horse vet gave antibiotics to no effect, blood sample proved negative for oestrogen excess, and says leave to see if back up will stop swelling. 7 weeks later still getting larger and harder. Any other experience of this?. It started with colostrum type liquid, and no infection says vet. Have looked on internet and scared it might be cancer. Mare eating well and still moving well in field. Doesn't seem in discomfort.

 

[brightmount]

I can't answer your question directly but as no one has replied, for what it's worth, my non-pregnant/non-nursing mare has been producing milk this summer, and she isn't the only one, there was a thread a couple of weeks ago on the topic and others have also noticed it this year. Whether it's something different about this year, or it's just a summer thing I don't know.

My vet examined her and said there was no infection and that it was not mastitis. I wouldn't call what your mare is experiencing mastitis if infection has been ruled out.

If it's getting larger and harder though you should ask the vet about this, she may have a blocked duct. I believe gentle expressing can help prevent this though you don't want to overstimulate the udder to produce more milk.

I am expecting my mare to dry up over the winter period, I haven't been unduly concerned.

The internet is a good place to scare yourself but if you want peace of mind talk to your vet again!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Hmmm. Mares can often be prompted into mastitis by eg moving on to lush grass, changes in management, sexy gelding moved in next door etc. But usually this can be cleared by a course of antibiotics. Do you mean your vet said there was never an infection or that there is no infection now? Sometimes mastitis can require longer on antibiotics than the normal 5 days. Has your vet taken a sample of the liquid that can be milked from the udder? I would have expected that tests on this would either show bacterial infection or the presence of cells that could indicate a tumour. Are you "milking" your mare regularly? Sometimes the infection has taken such a hold that you need to do this to clear the muck out. Take care as not all mares will take kindly to being milked on a very sore teat!

If you're saying that there is no sign of infection or normal milk production (that might indicate a hormonal problem) but just a hard mass within the udder, then I would suspect a tumour.

 

[buzzles]

My mare got chronic mastitis despite never having a foal. She had a course of antibiotics and I then had a biopsy done to make sure it wasn't a tumor as the teat was very swollen and hard, thankfully it wasn't however she has a lot of scar tissue. They were also able to isolate the bacteria causing the infection and so she then went on a course of specific IV antibiotics. The teat is still swollen and hard and it can interfere with the lymph system so she's prone to fluid filling up in the udder/lower abdomen area if she stands in for too long. It might be worth getting a biopsy done on your mare just to eliminate a tumor and she might need a stronger dose of antibiotics.

 

[horsimous]

My horse was so full when I bought her she looked like a gelding. She had a foal the previous spring and was in quite poor condition. The vets here (cyprus) say there's nothing I can do - one us uk trained, one is uk trained and worked in holland.

When she wasn't in work, I managed it by milking her off regularly as she gets stiff and uncomfortable behind otherwise. I tried just leaving it but this seemed very uinkind and didn't help. Since I started her in regular work, I have found no need to milk her off as the teats do not fill up, but if the work stops and she isn't as active I have to milk her again. I don't see it as a massive problem, just something odd I have to do for my horse. I did talk to one physio who was going to get an "alternative vet" to send me something but this never materialised. As my horse is now in work I'm not bothered really anyway.

Good luck with your horse.