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  Discussion on Abscesses, in-foal mares and abortion
Author Message
Member:
Imogen

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 30, 2004 - 10:04 am:

Dear all

It's a "well-known fact" here in Ireland that foot pain particularly abscesses can cause mares to abort - by which I mean it is commonly believed.

My 7 month-in-foal mare is lame with what I suspect is an abscess, I'm waiting for the farrier to come this evening. She went suddenly lame 3 days ago, getting worse by the day, lame in walk, no leg heat or swelling til last night but now some fetlock swelling, heat in hoof, worse on hard ground - hence farrier called before vet.

Hope I'm just panicking but does anyone know if the abortion link is just a rumour?

Imogen
Member:
Deggert

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 30, 2004 - 12:00 pm:

Imogen
I am a panicker, so I would call the vet first because of the pain level and then because she is pregnant. I have been dealing with a one legged founder in the thread on foundered mare with foal at side. What a nightmare. Rule out another cause besides an abscess with the vet and get her on pain meds. I would think the relationship, if any with abortion would be high levels of prostaglandins from the pain. I am sure Dr O can answer this much better than I. My mare became sore at 9 months with a cracked frog that went in to the sensitive tissue. In hindsight I wish someone had panicked for me, as I would have supported the other foot more intensely and probably been more liberal with bute per my vet and other safe laminitis prevention tools for a pregnant mare. But, we live and learn. When my mare went lame she was suddenly 3 legged from the crack in the frog but the other good foot foundered 6 weeks later from weight bearing. I know everything should be fine with your mare just thought I would share. Best of luck
Debbie
Member:
Imogen

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 30, 2004 - 3:33 pm:

Farrier says no abscess but quite a bad bruise... I will phone the vet tomorrow and find out if they think I should give her anything for the pain - I really hate it when you see a very active horse like her just standing in the field with the head down looking dejected.

Dr O, if the answer is "no nothing because she's pregnant" it would be really great if you could please let me know here and save me an hour or so chasing the good vet by phone tomorrow morning - it's 8.30 pm here now so as it's not an emergency I won't bug them tonight...

All the best

Imogen
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 1, 2004 - 7:09 am:

Pain causes stress, stress causes the release of stress hormones and these may increase the likelyhood of abortion but many chronically lame horses carry foals full term however. Transient moderate lamenesses are not a common cause of abortion.

I must say increasing pain and heat over 3 days and swelling in the fetlock does not sound like a foot bruise to me.
DrO
Member:
Imogen

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 1, 2004 - 9:41 am:

The fetlock swelling is only very mild and the guy was looking at her at night though the lights in my stable are good. She does sometimes stock up a bit in the legs when in the stable but I don't think it's that.

I thought she was a bit less lame today. The other farrier (her normal one, he was away at the sales selling yearlings) is coming Monday, I would trust his advice (actually the one that saw her is good too but I know he is very overworked and it was the end of a long day for him). Anyway if her usual farrier says it's not the foot I'll take her up to the vet. The main thing is I hope we've eliminated abscess from the picture.

She is generally a very health horse and I know from hunting injuries she can put up with a lot of pain so fingers crossed.

Imogen
Member:
Imogen

Posted on Monday, Dec 6, 2004 - 1:23 pm:

Well done Dr O and my usual farrier. She got lamer the past couple of days and I was getting worried as she looked distressed and was also a bit constipated (me removing the other mare to a different yard didn't help her anxiety levels either).

It was a dirty big DrOp (so big the farrier says although he lanced it it will probably come out the coronet band as well in a couple of days). Poor mare, at least it's out now and I'll keep doing the usual packing with stockholm tar and cotton wool during the day, soaking with salt water and leaving open at night.

Imogen
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 7, 2004 - 6:07 pm:

I will take a brief bow....that’s great news Imogen. Here’s to hoping this does not need to pop out and it now resolves quickly.
DrO
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