Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
fat to provide this energy. If the ewe is breaking down signifi cant levels of
body fat, she may reach the point at which ketones are being produced faster
than her body can excrete them. When this occurs, the ketones build up to
toxic levels, and pregnancy toxemia occurs. This disorder often affl icts ewes
that are on a high-fi ber (hay), low-energy (no grain) diet and ewes that are too
fat early in pregnancy. Stress and forced activity also demand energy, which
can contribute to the problem or actually trigger the toxemia in borderline
cases of inadequate nutrition. Simply stated, prevention requires calories. To
determine which ewes are not obtaining suffi cient nutrition, use the test kits
as a precautionary measure — especially on ewes that you expect to have mul-
tiple lambs.
The symptoms to watch for include sleepy-looking, dopey-acting, dull-
eyed ewes that are weak in the legs and have sweet, acetonic-smelling breath
(it smells like model-airplane glue!). They usually refuse to eat, are unable to
rise, grind their teeth, and breathe rapidly. Recovery is unlikely if treatment
is delayed too long.
PREGNANCY TOXEMIA OR MILK FEVER?
It can be diffi cult to tell the difference between pregnancy toxemia
and milk fever. Pregnancy toxemia can be accurately diagnosed by
test strips, but you should know that it also can be a complicating
factor in milk fever. So a diagnosis of pregnancy toxemia does not
rule out milk fever. You can make an intelligent guess by reviewing
the circumstances.
If the disorder happens before lambing and there is any possibil-
ity that the ewe may not have been fed properly in the last month,
it's probably toxemia. If in doubt, call your veterinarian immediately,
as milk fever is a life-or-death situation.
If it occurs after lambing, the ewe is providing good milk for
twins or triplets, and she has had adequate feed with molasses,
the problem is more likely to be milk fever, possibly with a trace of
pregnancy toxemia as a complication. Most mail-order veterinary
suppliers sell commercial preparations for milk fever that also con-
tain dextrose or other ingredients for pregnancy toxemia, so they
can be used to treat either or both.
