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The following case study was prepared by James R. Crabtree BVM & S, CertEM(StudMed)., MRCVS.
Independent Veterinary Consultant, Equine Reproduction & Stud Medicine.
Case 3: You are presented with a mare prior to breeding, on ultrasound examination you observe the following (see video).
Intrauterine glass ball (marble)
Remove it
Administer single or multiple does of prostaglandin to lyse the luteal tissue bringing the mare into the follicular phase of the cycle and remove manually after trans rectal manipulation via the cervix.
1). Oxytocin therapy 60iu bid daily 7-14 days post ovulation
2). Intrauterine coconut oil (fractionated/sterile) on day 10
3). Vaccination against GnRH; Equity (Zoetis Australia)
4). Ovariectomy
5). Downregulation of GnRH release using gosarelin or deslorelin
6). Pregnancy
7). Systemic progestagen therapy; altrenogest - Regumate (MSD)
Marbles are more often missed or mis-identified than one would expect so look carefully. No one treatment/management option stands out as the gold standard. One must also consider the regulatory aspects for hormone therapies in competing horses.