My 9 YO TB mare gave birth to a BIG colt on 4/11. We have been trying to rebreed but to date she has not settled. The vet and stallion owner started her on Regu-Mate (10 cc/day) after latest ovulation (5/30). I brought her home and continued treatment as directed. On Sunday (6/4), 5 days after ovulation, the mare showed obvious signs of abdominal distress. After consulting with vet, 10 cc Banamine/1 cc xylazine. Symptoms resolved. On Monday, the mare was again in distress. Hauled mare to vets where she was examined and treated with Banamine/IV fluids/tubed with Epsom salt solution. Blood work showed no abnormalties. Manual palpation showed no indication of torsion or impaction. Stool was normal. Upon returning to barn mare was again in distress for about an hour but has since resolved. I have discontinued Regu-Mate.
Mare has previously been treated for abdominal pain only once. That was upon return to the farm after being bred. Again, I believe that farm gave a dose of Regu-Mate upon ovulation to help the mare settle.
Does anyone have any similar experiences with Regu-Mate? The product literature says very little about side effects in equines. However, it does strongly caution human females avoid contact and warns product can cause painful cramping. I am aware of cramping side effects with Lutalyse, which is a prostaglandin. I understand Regu-Mate is a synthetic progesterone.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Regu-Mate Side Effects?
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster, madelyn
-
- Starters Handicap
- Posts: 616
- Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:29 pm
- Location: Oregon
We have only ever used Regu-mate as an aide in maintaining a pregnancy where the older mare(6+ years old) has a low progesterone level. Below 5. And we keep the mare on the Regu-mate at 10cc a day for the first 5 months of pregnancy until the newly formed placenta can take over production of the necessary progesterone. I am confused as to why you would give a progesterone supplement to your mare to "settle" her in ovulation. Progesterone is kinda like an anti-estrogen in that during the female cycle, estrogen promotes the follicle development and ovulation, the progesterone begins increasing in levels around ovulation to ensure the lining of the uterus that has been developed is shed. Progesterone levels in pregnancy are elevated to keep the estrogen from producing another follicle and continuing the menstruation cycle. Maybe the "cramps" your mare are experiencing are due to her cycle being disrupted by an overabundance of progesterone too soon in the cycle. I am not a vet or a doctor, but I do not see the reason why progesterone would help with "settling" a mare in ovulation or help in a one time dose for pregnancy. Our mare that requires progesterone to maintain her pregnancy is just well-fed and supplemented prior to breeding and always catches the first breeding with a fertile stallion.
-
- Starters Handicap
- Posts: 616
- Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:29 pm
- Location: Oregon
First, Regumate can do a whole lot to get your mare in foal. Five days after ovulation the mares corpus luteum (CL) forms and starts to produce progesterone. If your mare is not producing enough progesterone (above 5) that leaves nine days for that pregnancy to terminate, assuming you will check her for pregnancy at 14 days, and then run your progesterone blood test. This is a fairly common practice after a mare has been bred several times and has not caught. You start to speculate what are the reasons she is not in foal, and that is a possible one. If you start her on regumate and then at 14 days you check her progesterone blood level and it is over five then you can take the mare off of regumate (the synthetic progesterone in regumate does not show in the blood test, giving you an accurate reading of what you mares body is producing on its own). If the level is under five then the regumate did its job, be happy. You do not need a new vet, judging by this one experience you probably have a good vet who understands a mares cycle. Second, progesterone and prostaglandins are two seperate hormones, and affect the body differently. Prostaglandins destroy the CL eliminating the production of progesterone and the mare comes into heat, because progesterone is no longer inhibiting the production of another hormone follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Comparing the effects of all these different hormones is to quote an old saying like comparing apples to oranges. Thirdly, and back to the original question, I have seen hundreds of mares on regumate and have never had any abdominal cramping or colic, at least non that would lead me to say regumate was the cause, especially in springtime, green grass is the much more usual culprit. Not to say a mare couldn't react this way to regumate, anything is possible, just unlikely. Lastly, regarding regumate's safety, it is a bad idea to get it on your bare skin because it is absorbed easily by humans. This causes the same reaction in humans as in horses. In females, the surge in progesterone will sqrew up your cycle, and in males, in high enough doses this is called chemical castration. Latex gloves are a good idea, but don't freak out if you get a little on you, it won't kill you, and a little will most likely cause no effect.
Quick Update
Mare was checked yesterday and is in foal. Vet agreed I made the right move to discontinue Regu-mate. Suggested a blood test for progesterone in 30 days when we check for fetal heartbeat. The heartbeat check is required in breeding contract. Hopefully, all goes well from here and we can leave things to mother nature!
Stan, Thanks for your clear explanation of the hormone functions. Thanks to all for your comments!
Chuck
Stan, Thanks for your clear explanation of the hormone functions. Thanks to all for your comments!
Chuck
-
- Starters Handicap
- Posts: 616
- Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:29 pm
- Location: Oregon