Is She Pregnant???

First off, a huge apology for the wait time in between blog posts. I have been super busy, but things are starting to settle down and I should be able to get a post out more often.

Now, today I'm going to touch on a subject that kind of makes me shake my head.

Most of you know I am a member of quite a lot of forums that range from reptiles, to horses, to goats, as well as others.


On a lot of the livestock forums, around this time of the year, you get a lot of posts titled:

"Does she look preggo to u???"

Insert eye-rolling icon here.

So you click on the post, and see pictures of the mare/goat/dog/whatever. Then people give their opinions, "O yes she looks preggo for sure lololol" or other such nonsense.

Then I walk in and poop the party.

First off, it is 100% impossible to tell if an animal is pregnant via pictures. I mean, look at the picture on this post. That sure looks like a pregnant pony, doesn't it! Nope, just a big grass belly. No baby in there!

If you are confused on whether your animal is gestating or not, you need to sit down and think.

Is there *any* possibility your animal was exposed to an intact animal of the opposite sex?

If so . . . . let me be clear here. Don't go on a forum or Facebook and ask your friends if your animal is pregnant.

FIND OUT YOURSELF.

Seriously, there are MANY ways to find out if your animal is pregnant. For horses, a vet call suffices. The vet will either do a blood test or palpate, or even possibly an ultrasound. Your vet will be able to tell you if your mare is pregnant or not. Sounds pretty damn simple to me,

For a goat, learn how to draw blood. Ship it to Bio-tracking. Get a result back. Wah-lah. No more guessing.

For any other animal, you need to speak with your vet for the best course of action.

As some of us have animals for a long while and grow experienced, we may be able to ascertain if a certain animal is pregnant or not, usually in the later stages. I have grown quite proficient at telling if a goat is pregnant or not after the third month. I look for certain signs that present themselves.

However, you cannot post a picture online and expect people to be able to tell you. You can also be fooled by your animal. Many a horse or goat has "bagged up" without being pregnant. Many times I've heard, "But I felt the baby move!" and months and months go by and yet no baby presents itself.

Look, get a vet out. If you can't afford a vet for a simple pregnancy check, you need to reevaluate your ability to keep animals. Producing babies costs money. A lot of it.

I'll leave you with my favorite saying: "The only sure sign of pregnancy....is birth!"