Very Common
Less Common
OTHER DIAGNOSES CONSIDERED
Other conditions or ailments that might also need to be ruled out by a vet.
Diagnosis
Conditions or ailments that are the cause of a problem that you see - your observation.
Your vet may diagnose
Early Embryonic Death, Generally
Synonyms: EED, Fetal Resorption
Summary
Fetal resorption is the early death of an embryo, the remains of which are absorbed by the mare. The first 40 days of a mare's pregnancy is the time she is most at risk for this type of pregnancy loss. This is especially common in older mares that have uterine problems (resulting in inflammation) that make the uterus inhospitable to the developing embryo.
Other causes of EED include stress, malnutrition, extreme seasonal or climate changes, hormonal imbalance, uterine environment (including inflammation) and age.
Other causes of EED include stress, malnutrition, extreme seasonal or climate changes, hormonal imbalance, uterine environment (including inflammation) and age.
my vet's role
Diagnostics Used
These are tests that might be helpful to make this diagnosis or further characterize the condition.
Treatments May Include
These treatments might be used to help resolve or improve this condition.
PROGNOSIS AND RELEVANT FACTORS
Depends on the cause of the pregnancy failure.my role
I might observe
You might make these observations when a horse has this condition.
Very Common
Rare
Skills I Might Need
I might need these skills if my horse has this diagnosis.
Questions To Ask Your Vet:
- What diagnostics can be run to best assess my mare's uterine health?
- Could progesterone be involved in the pregnancy loss?
- Can progesterone be tested for and supplemented to support pregnancy?
Prevention
Ultrasound examinations at 14 and 30-40 days helps to ensure normal fetal development. If problems are detected there may be an opportunity to remedy them. Blood progesterone determination may show that progesterone is low. This can be supplemented as necessary. Uterine diagnostics such as a biopsy proactively identifies mares that may require special treatment and management during pregnancy.
further reading & resources
Helpful Terms and Topics
Written, reviewed or shared by experts in equine health
