Mucous Plug?

[Signature]

Hello all!

We have a maiden very close to foaling and she seems to have passed her mucous plug today - at feeding I lifted her tail and saw a pink discharge about the consistency of hair conditioner, maybe a tablespoon worth. I have heard about it but never witnessed it.

She is testing 300+ppm on calcium and pH has dropped to 6.2 about 36 hours ago, and she had HEAVY wax this AM. Milk is still cloudy yellowish perhaps with some white tint but it does not look like milk. It is very, very sticky and obviously testing very promisingly.

For those who have experience with the mucous plug thing, about how long do you think? I have heard 24-48 hours, so wondering if it's likely to be tonight or not. She is not acting too dramatic right now at all, some slight kicking at belly but nothing really new. She is at day 337 today. Just curious! Thanks!!!!:winkgrin:

[Home Again Farm]

Going by the PH, tonight? The mucous plug is not a very accurate way to predict foaling though it is one of many puzzle pieces. Good luck!! :yes:

[Signature]

I hope and think you are right - just checked and she is now dripping a bit around the wax... Hmmmmm!

[sid]

Mary Lou is right. The mucous plug can go many days before foaling or just before foaling..if you're lucky enough to even witness it (wink).

If she's now waxing...don't leave her unattended for long.

Happy and safe foaling to you!

[avezan]

I saw a mucous plug once and it was at least a week before the mare actually foaled. But based on your other signs, it sounds like she might go tonight! Good luck!

[Signature]

Well, no baby last night, lots of moaning and groaning and drama, but no baby!

A week!? Say it ain't so! :) All other signs point too "soon", but how soon lord only knows. :)

[Sakura]

The only time I was "blessed" to see a mucus plug my mare foaled 24 hours later (this mare happened to be a veteran broodmare, not sure that makes much of a difference). Every horse is different and every delivery is unique... could go tomorrow... could leave you hanging on a few more days ;).

[Horsecrazy27]

I was in a habit to looking under my girls tail close to foaling too, when I cleaned her stall. there was this hard thing in her ?? About an inch thick and just a clump of stuff?? I kinda put my finger in there and flicked it out. Called my vet and she told me that was the mucus plug. LOL She said, she had never even seen one in all of her years of being a vet. She foaled 4 days later. :) It was very exciting.

[Sugarbrook]

I have been foaling mares for 22 or more years. Never have seen one.

[patch work farm]

I have only seen one once but your other signs are really the more important ones! Wax, change in milk color/consistency, her shape, vulva relaxing, etc. They are all different but once you see those changes happening, don't go far.

I have to say, over the years people have raved about different types of predictors so, on a lark I have tried them-nothing works as easily (cheaply) and as reliably as all the signs you are working with (my vet and I laughed last week when my last foal was born about how inaccurate most of those are). I had an old test that I used before I had to go out of town this year-it told me that my mare was going to foal in 48 hours since I would be gone for 2 days, I wished the person staying at my farm the best of luck on the impending delivery...13 days later she had him. Even when the test kit was new it was just as inaccurate so, the best way to tell is exactly as you are.

[Signature]

She actually did have her foal on Thursday evening, day after the plug passed! She was 6.2 on the milk test for about 48 hours. Our other two went 24 hours from reaching 6.2. :)

[avezan]

Signature, I'm glad your mare foaled soon after the plug passed. I'm the one who said my mare didn't foal for another week after seeing it. Well, I just saw mucous on the hindlegs of this same mare this year! It was clear. But...the mare isn't due until June! I have to check my records, but I think she is only 310 or 315 right now. So, she better wait a few weeks! I had already decided that she was going to go early this year. Her milk is clear and watery and she doesnt' really have any other imminent signs. Maybe this mare is just a prolific-mucous-producer. She had better be an early-mucous-plug-passer. Last year I think it was at LEAST a week later, and possibly several weeks later that she foaled after seeing the mucous. This year I will write down the date! Last year I did see mucous over several days. Do you think this is the mucous plug? Or can it be something else?

[Equsrider]

at 295 days our maiden mare was showing signs of mild colic or labor, I had the vet out and we treated her for colic.I kept a close eye on her, checking her every 2 hours, the next day I noticed a thick pinkish, sticky discharge on her tail.I called the vet again and they came out and did a pelvic exam.She had lost her mucous plug,obviously it was way too early for her to deliever, so my vet decieded to treat her for placentitis...Regumate and SMZ tablets, and Banamine as needed for any other signs of colic.The vet did say that if we can keep her from immient delievery she could reproduce another plug?Needless to say the foal watch had begun..everyday that went by without a foal was a blessing, as she was a maiden mare I knew it possible for her to foal without any of the telltale signs of bagging up or waxing and that made me even more nervous...At day 320 I breathed a sigh of relief as I thought that now at least the foal had a chance of survival.The mare had grown absolutely HUGE in her belly and the foal inside seemed to have become very quiet.Again I was worried...at day 335 she began waxing a little for a day then dripping milk...On day 342 I awoke with a strange feeling that something was wrong...could have been I'd slept very little for the last 40 days! I called the vet and asked if I could bring the mare up to foal out at the clinic.I loaded her up and off we went.She foaled 6 hours later, but without the assistance of the vet I may have lost them both.The foals head and one front leg were stuck.The mare had lost all her colustrom, the colt needed a transfusion, and his umbilicus broke at a very odd place.But he was big and strong and very healthy.The mares placenta was the most perfect one the vet had ever seen, he took pictures to use in his lectures.
After 3 weeks the unusually long umbilical stump had still not fallen off and the colt had a bump surrounding it at his belly.He was otherwise a very active athletic colt, I called the vet and asked about this bump...sounds as if he has an outie they said,I called every day for the next 4 days. FInally they came out and took a look and pulled a CBC...his white count was high!I took them both back to the clinic and we scheduled surgery to remove the bump.During surgery however they found a pus pocket which had been walled off from his umbilicus laeding to the bladder, they removed the infected tissue and stapled him up.Upon culture it appears the infection was Streph Zoo,we treated him with the appropiate antibiotics and today he is a normal happy healthy, athletic colt who is none the worse for wear thank god!
I have read that Streph Zoo can enter the placenta at any time thru the mares vulva and can infect the foal even before birth...Other than the mares attempt at aborting and a longer than normal umbilical stump this foal NEVER showed ANY signs of illness...I am a first time breeder, and as new as all this has been for me,I have learned my lesson that knowing my horses behaviors, keeping a close eye, and following my instinct served me well.

[carolprudm]

Lotty has a bloody show today....day 370