It’s the best time of year for those who raise sheep and goats, eagerly anticipating lambing, kidding or both. Although most late-gestation periods go smoothly, several obstacles can challenge even the most experienced herd and flock owners.
Dr. Denise Konetchy, DVM, explained some of the most common pre-birthing issues in small ruminants. Pregnancy toxemia, also know ketosis, is one of the most common.
“The biggest difference we see in small ruminants is that it tends to be more of an issue right before parturition,” she said. “Generally, we see issues in the last month of pregnancy.”
One of the major causes of ketosis is poor nutrition. In some cases, pregnant animals have been receiving feed that is poorly formulated or intended for another species.
“As animals are late in pregnancy, especially if they have multiple fetuses, the uterus starts taking up room that had been used for digestion,” said Konetchy. “The ability of animals to consume enough nutrients becomes a challenge.” Animals that have a body condition score (BCS) that’s too low or high may be prone to pregnancy toxemia.
Clinical signs of pregnancy toxemia vary. “What I notice first is that animals are not willing to get up and go to the feed bunk to eat,” said Konetchy. “If they do get up, they may be unsteady on their feet and have muscle twitching.”
As the disease progresses, pain may lead to teeth grinding. Early intervention and adequate nutrition are the keys to managing ketosis. Ewes and does require a higher plane of nutrition during the last trimester, and the feed should be good quality. Hay should be leafy and not too stemmy.
“If I suspect an animal is slow to get up, I typically start them on propylene glycol,” said Konetchy. “This product, given orally, will convert to glucose in their system. It’s a good way to support their need for glucose before things get worse. Monitor closely and make sure they’re going in a positive direction. If they aren’t, treatment should be more aggressive and might include IV fluids, and additional dextrose both IV and orally. Antibiotics are only indicated if there’s an underlying infectious issue.”
Although the signs of pregnancy toxemia may be visible, there may be underlying reasons other than poor nutrition that cause this condition. If a female isn’t responding to treatment measures, a last-ditch effort is a C-section to remove fetuses.
There are low-cost ways to monitor and diagnose pregnancy toxemia, including ketone test strips and glucose monitors. These are available at pharmacies and can be used for livestock. Monitors are sensitive to temperature, so in cold weather they should be warmed up prior to use for accurate readings.
If animals aren’t already shorn, removing wool encourages animals to eat more to keep themselves warm. It also reduces the weight they are carrying.
Make sure there’s adequate feed bunk space and good walking surfaces that aren’t muddy or slippery to encourage does and ewes to eat.
“Prevention is key to this disorder,” said Konetchy.
Does with adequate nutrition and mineral supplementation have the best chance to deliver healthy offspring. Photo by Sally Colby
Another pre-birth issue is hypocalcemia, a metabolic disorder influenced by calcium levels in pregnant animals. This can be the result of poorly designed feed rations and/or incorrect or inadequate mineral supplementation. It can also be due to excess stress resulting from being moved from pasture to indoor housing or excessive chasing by dogs.
Ewes and does with hypocalcemia exhibit weakness, lack of appetite, muscle tremors and teeth grinding. Untreated animals decline quickly and eventually develop blindness and inability to rise. Treatment with calcium gluconate is usually dramatically successful.
An issue that can occur in older animals is rupture of the prepubic tendon, which runs from stem to stern on the ventral aspect. “As animals age, or as they’ve had trauma, a hernia or multiple pregnancies with multiples, the tendon can stretch and rupture,” said Konetchy.
A ruptured prepubic tendon is fairly easy to recognize: the dam will appear to be pregnant with multiples that are carried extremely low – sometimes almost to the ground. Options for females with ruptured prepubic tendons are to induce parturition or a C-section. After lambing or kidding, these females should be culled or kept as a pet and not re-bred.
Vaginal prolapse can occur prior to birth. Some of the reasons for vaginal prolapse can be managed, including better quality forage to decrease abdominal fill. Dusty barns that cause coughing are another cause. A prolapse harness can help hold the organ in, which Konetchy suggests removing prior to the start of labor.
Ewes that had a vaginal prolapse will likely prolapse in future pregnancies.
Abortion can occur any time during gestation. “Early abortions often go unnoticed because there isn’t a lot of material being passed,” said Konetchy. “Sometimes we notice vaginal discharge from an animal, and we can ultrasound to see if she’s still pregnant. However, it’s usually difficult to find discharged tissues, which are important for diagnosing abortion.”
Common infective causes of abortion are Campylobacter, chlamydia and toxoplasmosis. Non-infectious causes include toxic plants, poor nutrition and genetic issues.
“Don’t handle any abortive tissue without first putting on gloves,” said Konetchy. “If you are immunocompromised, be aware that abortive tissue has a high prevalence of transmitting disease to humans. If you can get the fetus and placenta, place it in a bag and submit it to a diagnostic lab along with a blood sample from the dam. This is the best way to diagnose what’s going on. Abortions can indicate a lot of things, but if it’s infectious, the best plan is to get it identified. Isolate animals until lab results are back.”
In some areas, depending on weather, it’s important to check females for parasite loads via the FAMACHA method to estimate the level of anemia due to parasitism. The stress of pregnancy often leads to higher parasite burdens, so it’s important to deworm any does or ewes with a poor FAMACHA score. Use caution in choosing an anthelmintic product and select one that can be used in pregnant animals.
If you haven’t already established a relationship with a veterinarian who handles small ruminants, now is the time to do so. While most kidding and lambing seasons go without incident, having a vet who’s familiar with your herd or flock management will be the first line of defense in an emergency situation.
by Sally Colby
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