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Discussion on Large follicle, showing heat, cervix tightly closed | |
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Member: judyhens |
Posted on Saturday, Jun 7, 2014 - 3:08 pm: Would love your ideas on this. We co-own a 4 year old mare with fantastic bloodlines. We are breeding her to a national champion stallion. She was a little low on weight we she got here, but has put on weight nicely. Bred her when she was in standing heat. Had the vet check the next day or so to confirm ovulation. She said there was nothing breedable and she did not see a cl, so thought the mare had just ovulated. She did see a follicle maybe in the 20s? Anyway, the mare came back into heat maybe 6 days later. We had the vet ultrasound again and she said there was a 40. She said that perhaps the mare was going to double ovulate and we could breed her again. But, her cervix was completely closed. The vet didn't want to force it thinking possibly she was pregnant from the first breeding. We just checked her again (2 days later) and the cervix is still closed. She is still showing some signs of heat. This will be the first pregnancy. What do you make of this? |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Sunday, Jun 8, 2014 - 2:07 pm: Hello Judy,Sorry about the "maintenance mode" last week.We were doing some work on the site and someone forgot to put us back live. I presume beside the cervix being closed the uterus in not edematous? A closed cervix suggest the influence of progesterone and that comes from a CL. I have seen mares ovulate and go out of heat yet still have a large follicle present. It will often ovulate (regress?) during diestrus or rapidly when the next estrus begins. I would check her every other day and only consider breeding if the cervix and uterus appear to return to estrus. DrO |
Member: judyhens |
Posted on Sunday, Jun 8, 2014 - 4:24 pm: No worries re: maintenance mode. You just seem to be on top of topics, and we value your opinion. At this time of year with a number of mares in for breeding, the vet comes out once or twice every week, so our staff can recheck periodically and the vet can ultrasound again if needed. This closed cervix is just different from what we usually see with a mare in heat. If the mare conceived when bred about 7 days earlier, is it possible to see what we are seeing...ie a large follicle yet a tightly closed cervix? We usually don't check for pregnancy until about 17 days and we aren't there yet. The process was mare in heat, cervix wide open, mare bred, mare out of heat, 6 or 7 days later mare back in heat, 40 follicle, cervix tightly closed. Rechecked two days later. Cervix still tightly closed. We are now about 10 or 11 days from the initial breeding. Haven't checked her today. Will keep you posted. Just wondered if a mare could be pregnant, still have a large follicle, and have a tightly closed cervix at this point in the pregnancy? |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Monday, Jun 9, 2014 - 1:40 pm: Not only possible but it is what you are seeing. Let me correct one thing you intimate above: the presence of the follicle does not indicate estrus, though you would expect it. The progesterone of diestrus will trump the estrogen release of the ovary and maintain diestrus. Think of giving Regumate to an in heat mare that is not ready to ovulate: she goes out of heat within 72 hours but will usually go on an ovulate though she is not showing any other signs of estrus. And yes, your mare might be pregnant.DrO |
Member: judyhens |
Posted on Monday, Jun 9, 2014 - 2:04 pm: Thanks! Makes sense. Just not the norm for what we typically see. Your input is greatly appreciated. |