Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2.
To ensure safety, use only one deep stitch at the top of the vaginal opening
and one across the bottom.
3.
Insert the needle from right to left at the top, then bring it down and insert
it from left to right at the bottom.
4.
Knot the two ends together on the right side. The advantage of sewing this
way, rather than crossing the stitches across the center of the opening, is
that you can tell when the lamb is coming. There is room for the feet and
nose to present themselves, allowing you time to cut the stitches.
If the ewe is beyond 143 days of gestation, your veterinarian can prescribe
or give medication, such as dexamethasone or oxytocin, to start labor. After
lambing, replacement and suturing can be done.
One factor is now known to be particularly important in preventing pro-
lapse: selenium, which is known to increase lamb survival and prevent white
muscle disease in lambs, has been noted to increase muscle tone and help
counteract a prolapse tendency in pregnant ewes. In some areas of the coun-
try, soil selenium is adequate, but in other areas low soil selenium means low
dietary selenium, so check with your local feed store or Cooperative Extension
agent to fi nd out if selenium defi ciency might be an issue where you live. If
so, supplement your fl ock's ration or use a selenium-vitamin E injection to
achieve adequate levels of plasma selenium. Too much selenium is acutely
toxic, so a selenium-enriched ration, plus a mineral-salt mix with selenium,
plus injections would be a dangerous combination. There are several selenium
SELENIUM SUPPLEMENTATION
Experts at the USDA Sheep Station in Dubois, Idaho, suggest that
people who live in an area with selenium defi ciency should inject
ewes with this mineral 1 week before lambing to maintain muscle
tone. Because of the potential trauma to ewes from a prolapse,
injection could be given earlier along with the last vaccination. The
slightest indication of a prolapse calls for an additional injection
of selenium, along with the usual prolapse-repair measures. While
selenium-vitamin E injectables have instructions for intramuscular
administration, many experienced sheep veterinarians recommend
subcutaneous injection to avoid incidence of muscle damage at the
injection site.
