To Scan Or Not To Scan

[vjjjebony]

please scan.
I know we have grey in our line and they are responsible for twins at times but.
no scan chance of twins. in all lines
no scan so you keep the mare for a year for nothing and get nothing. except a very ill mare and very very unlikly that either twin will survive.
scan. say price depending on shared visit etc.
but then chance of a happy mum and foal. And you know if there is a foal.
susie who has had 6 Peter foals hates vets with a vengance but will let him scan her every time. She trusts us and knows it is for her own good even though she is terified.
Last year Molly (grey went to visit |Wolsey master Oliver. scaned with twins. vet pinched one out and the other stayed! she was scanned agin twice just to check. she like her mum Susie was very frightened but stayed calm. she is HUGE now and is soon to be going to bed in the stable she was born in each night!
the debate on when to scan varies
our vet likes to scan about 17-19 days the earlier the scan the less liklyhood of a flush developing and flushing out any foal. He says.
So please scan. you have nothing to lose but everything to gain.
Valerie.

[Deleted]

Well said Valerie, I agree!!

[lancslass]

i would scan barbara. any mares we have had to the stallion in the past [dales and other breeds] we have had scanned.
you are fully prepared and know where you are if you have her scanned.

[sammy]

Thanks for all advice offered by those that are experienced, it's greatly appreciated. I have decided to scan, I rang the vet yesterday and it's arranged for Monday, which will be 17 days after last being covered. I need to know, that if she is in foal, that it's not twins, don't want to take that risk. Secondly if she is not in foal then there is still time this year to have her served again, she can go back and see Commando next week!

[kilmannan]

My advise is scan at all times, we scan before service and two or three times after. We had twins once they both died and the mare was extremely ill for a few days after. I know it is expensive but it is well worth it, I need to know if a mare is in foal or not (which my scanner can do within 10 days) so I can plan another service as soon as possible.
I agree with Valarie scan every time.

[mabel]

I would scan too. I had Jazz scanned at 17 days - nothing. Waited a while and she didn't come back into season and as things were getting urgent as Gambler was due to go to the states, I asked the vet to come out and give her the injection that brings them back in season. He decided to scan her again beforehand and there was little Josie. He said it was sometimes hard to see early on with maiden mares.

[The Moo]

I didn't scan Moo after she came back from her honeymoon as i thought it was invasive but after a while it looked as if she had come into season again and was flirting with a gelding.
People advised me to give her the jab that brings them into season so she could visit a rather nice local andalusion but i wanted her checked out properly in case there was anything wrong inside, the vet gave her a scan and as it was quite late i could see Eds legs and ribcage already formed, his head was somewhere but we didn't see that.
He was a lively little bu**er even then! LOL
I would get a mare scanned if I had the situation again.

[greydales]

What exactly is the procedure of a scan?

[anna85]

Erm to put it nicely, mare is held, the vet puts on a long glove and does it rectally first removing any faeces. He just has this little mouse thing on a lead which is attached to a screen. If he sees something he can then pause the screen to take a picture. It scans down onto the Uterus but is not done into the Uterus itself. It doesn't bother the large majority of our mares and we've never had a problem getting the image. He can also measure it and tell us how many days gone it is (i.e. whether it caught on the first or second covering)

[sammy]

Very glad I had the scan done and wouldn't hesitate to do it again to see if a pony is in foal and make sure it's not twins.
Dee was completely relaxed about the whole thing, we lead her into the trailer and she stood with me at her head talking to her and scratching her and giving her bits of carrott, whilst the vet was at the rear end doing her bit.
We will scan again in 10 days to see if there is a heart beat and then 4-5 months later to make sure she doesn't get extra food over the winter without the need for it.