Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Luckily, if caught early, pregnancy toxemia is easy to treat. Four ounces
(118 mL) of propylene glycol (this is not the type of glycol used in antifreeze,
which is poisonous), 4 ounces of glycerin diluted with warm water, or a com-
mercial preparation for treating pregnancy toxemia can be given orally twice
a day. To prevent relapse, continue treatment for 4 days even if the ewe seems
to have recovered.
Keep propylene glycol (or the commercial medication) on hand before
lambing for prompt treatment of any suspected cases. Once a full-blown case
has occurred, it might already be too late for treatment to be effective, and a
cesarean section will be required to save the ewe. The lamb will be lost unless
the ewe is very close to normal lambing time. Subclinical pregnancy toxemia
(also confi rmed by the ketosis test) is a milder form of the same disease and is
characterized by a weakened ewe that may produce a small or dead lamb.
Of course, prevention beats treatment every time: provide adequate energy
in your ewe's rations, particularly during the last 4 to 6 weeks of gestation.
Really good-quality hay is usually the foundation feed, but grain supplemen-
tation, particularly for ewes that may be carrying twins or triplets, is impor-
tant as pregnancy advances. Begin adding half a pound (0.23 kg) of grain
per day about 6 weeks before the ewe is due, and increase slowly to about
1½ pounds (0.68 kg) per head per day as parturition nears. Molasses is an
excellent source of energy, so a grain-molasses mix, or a molasses lick, can
help prevent the condition in high-lambing fl ocks.
Retained Afterbirth
In almost all cases the afterbirth comes out normally, usually within the fi rst
hour after the lamb has been born, depending somewhat on a ewe's activity.
If the afterbirth is partially hanging out, do not attempt to pull it out, as this
might cause straining and prolapse or some other injury. A veterinarian does
not consider the afterbirth to be truly retained until at least 6 hours have
passed since the birth, so you can afford to wait awhile before starting to
worry. Some ewes eat the afterbirth (or if you have dogs that have access to
the pasture where sheep are lambing, they'll relish this choice morsel), so you
may think it is retained even though it has passed.
Physical removal of the afterbirth is best done by a veterinarian, who can
differentiate between the maternal and the fetal cotyledons. Manually remov-
ing the placenta sooner than 48 hours after the birth is usually not advised,
and in the meantime the veterinarian may prescribe a drug (oxytocin) to help
the ewe expel it. If allowed to remain in the ewe, a retained placenta results in
