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Lisabeth
Member
Username: Lisabeth
Post Number: 6
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, Apr 16, 2003 - 12:20 pm: |   |
Dr. O.
I am hoping you can give me some guidance on a current situation I have with one of my broodmares.
This is a mare I have recently acquired. The breeding history on her is that she was bred one time only three years prior. That particular spring she did not come into regular heat cycles well into the breeding season. It was believed this was a result of the stress she had suffered the prior winter, having fractured her leg, with the associated extensive stall rest. Late June she was given a shot of Prostin, came right into heat, was bred on a smaller follicle (4.2) checked in foal 14 days later and delivered a healthy foal the next spring. I am now trying to get her bred a second time. I had her checked the day after I got her in. She had a large follicle of 5.2, very soft and sensitive. Her cervix was open and she had good mucous (very sticky after removing swab for uterine culture). All appearances were that this mare was ready to be bred immediately. Unfortunately since I could not get semen for two days (collected every other day and it was already past collection time that morning) we opted to let her go, and short cycle her. We waited 9 days, gave her 2cc’s of Prostin then had her checked 5 days later which was yesterday. What was found is a large odd shaped follicle on the same ovary (not measured, but looked to be the same size as the last time). It showed white floating specs inside as well as a funny white spot in the middle and otherwise no major signs of this mare being “in”. She was also very sensitive upon palpation of this ovary. One other “odd” note is that just prior to the last exam, I saw on two occasions (while standing idle or eating hay) this mare suddenly sit down behind (exactly like you would see when a horse gets a cold hose sprayed from behind when bathing) then act perfectly normal again. Don't know if this has anything to do with anything...
According to my vets diagnosis, this is a "Persistent Corpus Luteum" and the same follicle we saw back on 4/2. Vets orders are, Regumate for 10 days, followed by 2 cc’s of Prostin, then have her checked again 3-4 days later.
My questions are these. I have read over your excellent breeding articles, particularly “Abnormal Heat Cycles (Estrus) in Mares” as well as others on the internet and in books. As I understand the prognosis and that we need to get rid of that follicle before we will have a healthy follicle to bred on. As these respond to PGF2s, I'm wondering if the one shot of 2cc’s of Prostin will be enough to accomplish this? I saw in one of your articles a larger dose of PGF2a is given to mares w/ PCL than when trying to control heat on a "normal" mare. Should an additional dose been given? Also, I understand what Regumate does, but will it help in this particular situation? Lastly, if this is in fact a “Persistent Corpus Luteum” and the same follicle that we saw on 4/2, was it “normal” for her back then to exhibit full heat signs?
Thank you so much. Your advice is always appreciated!
Lisa
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Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 8156
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, Apr 17, 2003 - 6:16 am: | |
I have had a PCL that did not respond to PgF2a at all. Higher doses, doses repeated over several days...about the time I was about to take out the ovary (1 or 2 months later) it popped. That said I think your vets plan is a good one. The Regumate is known to have a stabilizing effect on erratic cycling. There is no information on higher or repeated doses and much of the recommendations for this probably center around the fact that CL's are not sensitive to their effects when immature (first 5 days after ovulation). Therefore repeated doses were needed till given on a day it was sensitive. I don't know if a higher dose of PgF2a is indicated but you could repeat it every other day until you get the desired effect or decide this CL is not responding.
DrO |
