Foetal Heart Scan
Two of Troytowns Partners, Hugh Dillon and Michael Sadlier have specialist certificates in Equine Stud medicine from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. They have considerable experience along with other members of the practice.
As well as providing an ambulatory, regular on stud service Troytown also will carry out detailed investigations into barren and subfertile mares. These investigations are carried out at Troytown. Assessment firstly invloves getting a detailed history of the mare’s breeding record followed by a clinical and gynaecological examination. A thorough ultrasonographic assessment if made of both ovaries, uterine horns and uterine bodies. Speculum examination of the cervix is done along with manual palpation of the cervix through the vagina. An assessment is made of the effective vaginal and vulval seals. Cervical swabs and uterine lavage samples are taken and analysed in the laboratory. Other more specialised tests including hysteroscopy of the uterus and uterine biopsy may be used where indicated.
Once this assessment is completed a treatment plan can be started. There are a number of surgical procedures to improve mares’ fertility and they include Casslick’s operation, perineal reconstruction, Pouret’s procedure, repair of rectal vaginal fistula and lacerations and extension of urethra for prevention of urine pooling.
Sometimes when the cervix is damaged at foaling it needs to be repaired which is a long, difficult and complicated procedure. Uterine cyst are also removed were necessary.
In conjunction with surgical correction there are a range of medical therapies to help treat uterine infections and uterine degeneration. Troytown has been involved in a number of novel procedures for these treatments which have given some promising results. These include the use of kerosene, ozone, DMSO along with saline irrigation, anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics.
Once the mare returns home she may require further assessment and/or treatments or she maybe ready to go to stud. Strict protocols and guidelines are generally sent home with the mare to be followed when she is been covered and afterwards. Although assessments are done throughout the year and especially during the breeding season we feel the best time to these examinations is in the period from August to October. This will ensure the mare has the winter months to prepare for the following breeding season.
