Spaying a mare

[MadeYaLook]

Looking for information from anyone that has had this procedure done. Was it preformed due to health or behavioral issue? How was the procedure done? What was the "down" time in the recovery process? And of course the final result?
A client of mine has a mare that has had 2-3 painful episodes when producing a follicle- In painful I mean low grade colic- like symptoms that were resolved basically with banamine except for this latest and recent that ended with the mare in the hospital undergoing surgery for what they felt was a twist only to find nothing more that gas. In the episodes prior when palpated it was noted that there was a follicle on the ovary and a ultrasound was performed to check for any tumours or anything out of the ordinary.
In this latest episode the mare acted a "little off" behind when the client was riding so she stopped riding and gave mare 2 grams of bute. Later that afternoon the horse was in a full blown colic overriding every pain med administered. Interrestingly the vet noted in the palpation that there was a large follicle.
This client is a lesson client only and the mare is not boarded with me but with my neighbor who is a friend so there is no conflict here as far as care and offering advice on this.
One more side-note when the client asked the surgeon about spaying last nite the doctor told her that this would put the mare in a permanent state of heat-HUH???:confused:
Is this true? As I thought that like any other animal this prevented the heat cycle.
Thanks for any and all info.

[deltawave]

when the client asked the surgeon about spaying last nite the doctor told her that this would put the mare in a permanent state of heat-HUH???

That makes no sense to me. You remove the ovaries, you remove the cyclic production of the female sex hormones. The animal is neutered, like a gelding.

[ryansgirl]

Years ago while in college I worked at the barns on campus and we got in a paint mare that was spayed - she was donated to the University riding program (and didn't last long). It did not make a difference - they thought it would help but she was just a nasty, mean, unpredictable mare when she got there. She was spayed before she arrived (don't remember how long before) and I vaguely remember the previous owners were hoping it would change her temperment. She was retired to someone's farm soon after she arrived and last I knew was just living out 24/7 as a pasture pet (which she is probably enjoying every minute of :D).

[deltawave]

It did not make a difference - they thought it would help but she was just a nasty, mean, unpredictable mare when she got there.

This illustrates nicely the notion that not all aspects of an animal's (or a person's) temperament are due to "hormones". :)

[dressagevettech]

I just had my mare spayed back this last March. She was showing signs of pain mainly under saddle and even looked lame behind at times.

They performed the Colpotomy, incision in vaginal wall, to remove her ovaries.
She had to stay at the hospital for about 3 days so she could be kept standing at all times. This was just to prevent any internal organs from trying to escape via the incision until it had time to start healing.

She then went out on full turn out like normal.
I was back to riding her lightly in about 4-5 weeks. By two months post surgery she was back in full training.
It made a huge difference in her behavoir under saddle..she balked alot due to the pain from her cycles.
This did end up going away. And I even noticed a difference on the ground..I never found her to be bad on the ground. But it was amazing how much more relaxed and chill she became.

I would recommend this to anyone who has a mare that has alot of pain associated with her cycles. Regumate and other drugs may work too, but in the end you would have to be giving them for their entire lives. Unless the owner wants to breed in the future, I think spaying would be a great option for this mare.

Also find a local equine hospital that has done alot of these surgeries. I know the vet who performed my mare's surgery is a Repro Specialist so has done many. And we also have a equine surgeon who is quite skilled at doing a laproscopic flank approach which creates a much smaller incision than the normal flank surgery.

Good luck to this mare!

[MadeYaLook]

Thanks for the great info-will pass this on to the owner. Don't know when this could be done because as I mentioned she had sugery done Mon. nite for the colic that thankfully ended up being gas.
Delta wave- glad I wasn't the only one that saw no sense in that statement at all about the post prcedure heat cycle.

[Laurierace]

Wow its too bad they couldn't have done it while she was already on the table if they are so sure that is the problem. My next step if this were my horse is to put the horse on regumate and see what happens.

[SLW]

A client had a TB mare he evented who cycled with mulitiple problems making her unrideable during her cycle. Last year he had her spayed (flank method) at K-State at a cost of like $1300. After the required confinement and rest she was put back into work and is doing fine. He said it is the best money he has spent.

[hollyhorse2000]

I'd personally try Regumate before I'd try surgery . . . but that's just me.

[deltawave]

Remember that Regumate puts a mare into QUITE a different hormonal "state" than spaying does! Regumate (or a marble) simulates the pregnant state, while spaying puts the animal into a neutered state. The effects on cyclic behavior might (or might not) be the same, but the two states are NOT interchangeable nor the same, biologically. :)

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

If you board Regumate is a total PITA. It's expensive too. Unless you give shots yourself (done every 10 days). Some horses react to the injection site and form a hard lump. Interestingly, mine did when a woman gave the injection and when a man did it (I think he pushed it in further) no reaction.

It is nasty stuff to handle if you are doing the daily--be careful.

I'm not sure it gives the same "mood" as removing the ovaries, and can't comment on if it will help with the pain--I was using it to keep a pregnancy in a mare. If you think it could help you could try it for one heat cycle and then make the surgery decision.

[MadeYaLook]

Thanks for input. I want to reiterate that this would be for a health issue. Regular vet who palpated for colic exam did find that there was a follicle on ovary and the surgeon did say when speaking with owner that one of the ovaries was larger.
Regumate is certainly an option being discussed but cost is a consideration in that at $300 a bottle and figure at least 3 bottles a year=$900
Surgery-$1000-$1300 and your done so to speak
Mare was ultrasounded several months ago after 2nd occurrance of this and while nothing significant was found(cyst,tumour?) possible that missed? It's not like that doesn't happen.
I suggested at least start tracking cycles and maybe if any pain symptoms noticed treat with either low dose banamine(as suggested by vet) or bute to get past ovulation.

[deltawave]

Putting a marble in the uterus is also an option to induce a state of "false" pregnancy, hormone-wise. Not nearly as precise as Regumate, but a pretty easy thing to try.