Need Help!

Hi I was looking over my mare the other day and I noticed that one of her teats looked swollen and felt like it might have milk in it but her other teat looks small and normal. I was wonder if anyone knows what it could be. Is it signs of being pregnant or hormones or what?

Thank you!!

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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on June 18, 2013 at 8:58am

I'd get a veterinarian in to look at it.

Will she let you touch it without kicking at you? If you can touch it and it is hot as well as swollen it probably is an infection, usually called mastitis. Or it could be an allergic reaction to a fly bite, either way treatment to reduce the swelling is called for. When you call the vet be sure to take her temperature right before you call them since they WILL want to know! If teat and milk bag are not hot you will still want a vet to look at it.

It is ALWAYS better to give a horse medical treatment early, the horses usual recover faster and, in the long run, it can be a lot cheaper for the owner. I have never been anywhere near wealthy, but I have had many vets thank me for calling them out at the first signs of something when they still could do something quick, effective, and at a more reasonable cost than if I had waited.

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Permalink Reply by Claire Bear on June 18, 2013 at 12:20pm

Thanks I'm actually working at a vet clinic this summer and I had my vet come to get her teeth floated and he checked it quick and didn't know what it could be. The clinic is closed for the week but I will probably bug him again about it at work on Monday

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Permalink Reply by Ashley on June 18, 2013 at 12:40pm

Hi Claire!

Does your mare have any other symptoms that you have noticed? Have you taken her vitals to see if they are normal? Is there any scabbing/blood/etc around the teat? Our mares are miserable right now from being brutally attacked by biting flies and often have blood-soaked legs from the amount of blood coming off of their fly bites on their bellies and teats. If it's some sort of allergic reaction, it's important to get her proper treatment. Is there another vet clinic you can contact?

Remember, when in doubt, get the vet out! :)

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Permalink Reply by Zoe Bremer on July 29, 2013 at 11:59am

A mare doesn't need to be pregnant to lactate. If she lives with brood mares and there are foals around, this is normal. However, she seems to be lopsided so it would be a good idea to have the vet check her for pregnancy or for a prolactinoma (this is a type of pituitary tumour normally treated with cabergoline).