My mare produces milk.........

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redamy1983

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but she is not in foal or with foal at foot!!!!

I was wondering if anyone has a similar problem or any idea how to stop it?
She has had a foal but that was 4 years ago. She only produces a small amount but it has been going on now for a year and over the weekend she developed mastitis! (antibiotics, bute and an unhappy horse!!!).


The vets can't seem to suggest anything so thought i'd try here...ideas appreciated!!
 
Ooo really? Does she produce it all the time? Ie every day?

My mare does. She had a foal 3 years ago, he was weaned, but she never dried up completely.

We tried unsuccefully to dry her up last winter, with pergolide. Under vets instructions. Vets says Josie is a bit of a mystery she just wont dry up.

He said it's very rare for them to never dry up and had to make many calls the RVC to find out best treatment etc.
Ooops!
 
Its been ther constantly for the last year although the amount and size of the bag varies. The last few weeks she has been producing more than usual, which probably explains the mastitis.

A mystery indeed..... and slightly frustrating!!
confused.gif
 
This can happen occasionally when various external factors influence the mare's hormone production that then triggers a half hearted effort from the udder. My rescued mare - popped foals for most of her 12 years we think - was sent to a different yard for backing and she promptly developed mastitis. Factors that may have been involved are: she was used to being put to the stallion so may have thought that it was happening again; different grazing and nutrition; different horses around her; handsome gelding; yearlings in a nearby field; different stresses.

However, if ishe's been producing milk all year I'd suspect something else at work. Could she have a tumour in her mammary glands? Or false pregnancy? Or general hormonal problem? Have the vets done blood tests?
 
Sounds like pseudo lactation.

They usually lactate when hormone levels are raised. They do develop mastitis from it and the udder needs to be kept clean regularly.

Lou x
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. Her udder is kept clean and this is the first episode of mastitis she has had.
The vets have done various tests including blood, scans etc to investigate the suspected hormonal problems as for the last 2 years she has become very nappy when she is coming into her first season. But nothing of significance was found.

It must be part of her........thanks again
x
 
My mare has been producing milk from one of her teats this year. It has always been bigger than the other one and when she was vetted it was noted that she had probably bred in the past, though this would have been over 8 years ago.

I haven't noticed milk before this year. She ran with the stallion last summer and the summer before but didn't get pregnant. I was putting it down either to a phantom or reabsorbed pregnancy or more likely oestrogens in the pasture.
 
I have this problem. Long story and came to a head last year when she developed severe mastitis and an absess that ran from umbilicus to udder. She had had several boughts of less severe mastitis prior to this in the previous months.
She is a very mareish girl and she pseudo-lactates in season, its not milk its clear fluid but it leaves the udder teat open to flies and consequently infection.
It isnt as uncommon as you may think, lots of people may not notice because they havent had a problem to draw their attention to the area. Tia had a foal 4 years ago too and never developed any issues post weaning, milk dried up all was well.
I am now udder obsessed. I keep it clean and dry and when she is in season I gently express and check that the fluid is clear and odourless. The udder has four chambers, keep an eye on all of them. Topical antibiotics dont work, oral and IM did. Steroid cream I was given by vet just made her kick me in the hand HARD. 12months without any issue now, we had to give her Regumate to stop her seasons last year just so that we could get on top of her infections. She was a poorly girl
 
My mare has run milk every year for the last 9 years, ive had test done etc vets have done bllods scans etc etc... they show nothing! The just say to make sure her teats are kept clean and that i apply summer fly cream to prevent fly strike! touch wood we have had no problems, she is now 29yrs old.
 
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