134 SPECIAL EQUINE THERAPY 



AGALACTIA IN MARES 



Absence of lacteal secretion, or agalactia, is a condition 

 that occurs in mares with considerable frequency. It has 

 at times been known to assume the proportions of an 

 enzootic trouble, especially during recent years. The 

 cause seems to lie in feed that is deficient in nitrogenous 

 matter, the affection being most common during years 

 in which oats are "light" and other grain feeds are of 

 inferior quality. 



There occur two distinct varieties of this affection 

 and their identification and recognition is important for 

 reasons bearing on the prognosis. 



1. In the first form the mare "makes a bag," but the 

 mammary development is checked at about the ninth 

 month of pregnancy. In some eases the mammary glands 

 decrease in size from this time on, and remain only 

 slightly enlarged until parturition. The enlargement has 

 a doughy, clammy feeling and, when the teat is stripped, 

 its contents have the appearance of a blackish jelly. This 

 form of agalactia in mares is never benefited by treat- 

 ment, although at the next pregnancy the mammary 

 glands may perform their functions in a perfectly normal 

 manner. 



2. In the second form, the mammary glands show no 

 sign of engorgement, or at least so little that it is barely 

 noticeable, until a week or so before parturition. They 

 then become slightly rounded; they occasionally show 

 wax on the teat orifice, but contain no milk. If the teat 

 is stripped a fluid is abstracted that has the appearance 

 and consistency of very thin maple syrup. It is just a 

 trifle sticky and has a light yellow tint. This form of the 

 affection can be benefited by treatment, and at times the 

 glands can be brought to normal function. For best 

 results the treatment should begin before the end of the 



