My new shetland is in foal!!!! Help

[jakey]

I have just got my new shetland home and she is in foal. She ran all last summer with a stallion and the lady i bought her off said she was pretty convinced she was in foal and would be due April / May time.

I am planning to get the vet out to take a look but is there anyway i can tell for certain? This is my first shetland and i am unsure if she looks like she is carrying or not. If she is due April / May time, when will she start putting weight on?

I am a little worried what i should be doing and what i should know about all this. I guess as it is a shetland it will look after itself?

Also, she was kicked today. Obviously this could have a terrible outcome. What should i look out for if something has happened?


hope someone can help us
Jake x:confused:

[horse__obsessed]

Im not experienced in any way in these matters, but I think I read somewhere that if you get a scan to see if they are pregnant, a not pregnant is always correct but a pregnant might be wrong. So if its no its definitely no, but a yes isnt always definite. Hope that helps.

[Jessey]

I am no expert, but if I remember rightly its the last 3 months of pregnancy you will need to make sure she is getting suitable feed (high quality, enough energy and vits and minerals etc) but obviously being a shettie you don't want to over do it ;)
I would definatly get your vet out and ask his/her advise on what you should be doing, consider feed, exercise and preperation, also do you know enough to cope with the foaling alone, could you recruit someone (maybe your vet) to be there/at the end of the phone day and night to give advise if you need it during the big event.
good luck

J x

[jakey]

Well, the vet came out and took a blood test. Results due back today!!!!!!

[Jessey]

Ohh, let us know what they say then.

J x

[c2b]

if you get a scan to see if they are pregnant, a not pregnant is always correct but a pregnant might be wrong. So if its no its definitely no, but a yes isnt always definite. .

BEWARE OF A NEGATIVE SCAN.......PHOTO OF NEGATIVE SCAN SOME MONTHS LATER!!!!!!!


http://image48.webshots.com/49/8/76/95/375587695ggtMno_ph.jpg

[Lgd]

If she's due April/May it is too far along to scan anyway. See what the blood test comes back at.

Wally can probably advise better as she has Shetties, but I suspect that on lowland grazing she is unlikely to need anything extra to maintain her weight. - remember they are bred to survive on not so good grazing.

[Wally]

Shetlands are like any other breed, sometimes they cannot look after themselves, some have to out in the hil, but it's much better to keep an eye during her due dates. I nearly lost a foal as he got stuck in his bag, had I not been there I'd have lost a perfectly well birthed and healthy foal.

Don't over feed her it can cause a prolapse or difficulty in giving birth. A mineral lick is usually plenty if there is rough grass to be had, if not plenty of good hay and a pasture block.

You'd be really unlucky to loose a foal at this stage due to a kick, they are failry well insulated, watch out for any loss of spirit, depression or temperature. Otherwise they can lose a foal resorb it and you'll be none the wiser abd there's nothing you can do about it. An aborted foal will be obvious. The vet would be needed in that situation.

I'm sure if she is in foal she'll be fine, watch her carefully at her due dates, you'll be able to tell as the time gets closer.

Do your best to register it, you have to get this done within 6 months of birth.