I have a 15 year old mare who is leaking from her teats. It is milky white in color and can be expressed by squeezing. Is this a sign of being in heat?
Posted 2006-10-19 7:01 AM (#50301 - in reply to #50284) Subject: RE: Mare
Elite Veteran
Posts: 954
Location: Hagerstown, MD
A couple of things to check for:
1. is she leaking from both sides?
2. is there any inflamation/heat in the local area?
3. is there a new horse nearby, possibly a stud or older gelding that got cut late in life?
4. are there any new foals close by?
There a quite a few things that can cause her to lactate, these are just a few. I have a mare that is.........well let's just call it like what it is, slut! Not only is she a red head (sorrel) she PREFERS to be sexually active if you know what I mean. She's a very complicated mare, I really like her, but she's a handful. She's the reason that I can come up with a few reasons why your mare might be lactating.
Posted 2006-10-19 1:53 PM (#50319 - in reply to #50284) Subject: RE: Mare
Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico
Any new babies in the neighbour hood? My old mare started lactating when my neighbours mare foaled. She did it again when my young mare foaled. Poor old thing wanted a baby soooooo bad.
Posted 2006-10-21 11:32 AM (#50373 - in reply to #50284) Subject: RE: Mare
Veteran
Posts: 209
Location: pensacola, fl
My mare did this about a year ago. Her teats produces milk and had heat in them. Hear teats didn't sweall but her sacs right in front of them did. At first the vet said to rinse her with cool water and it would eventually go away, but one day I came home and she was on the ground, I thought she was colicing but when I got her to the vet he said she was having a false pregnancy, she was so determined she was pregnant that she was even putting herself through labor. The vet did give her some ace to relax her. Bless her heart I guess she misses being a mommy, she has had serveral babies(with previous owner) but most of them died, she is low on progesterone(sp?) and her previous owner didn't realize it.
Posted 2006-10-28 8:03 PM (#50781 - in reply to #50284) Subject: RE: Mare
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316
Location: Illinois
I second the call your vet. There is a good chance she has an infection. I only know this as my Vet just recently diagnosed a mare at the barn I board at with the same symptoms. I believe she got anti-biotics and was to express the fluid out of the udder as part of the treatment as well.
Best wishes it's something that can be taken care of that easily.