69. Small ruminant medicine: lambing and dystocia Flashcards
Lambing first stage of labour?
Lambing
- First stage labour (3-6 hour):
Behavioural changes:
- Does not come to the feed
- Leaves the group, lying/standing
Internal changes:
- Cervix starts to open
- Abdominal contractions lasting 15–30 seconds
- Thick mucus is hanging from the vulva
- Cervix is fully dilated → allanto-chorion in vaginal gap and ruptures
second stage of labour?
2.Second stage labour (1 hour)
- Expulsion of foetus(es)
- Amnion ruptures
- Lamb ruptures the amniotic sac → one lamb
- Expulsion: 5-10 min.
- After lambing:
o Umbilical cord for 1 min. intact
o Approximately 30 seconds until the first breath
o Not shake the lamb!
- Mother 1-2 minutes until sitting up
- In multigravida ewes the interval between births varies from 10 to 60 minutes
Third stage of labour?
- Third stage labour (2–3 hours)
• Expulsion of foetal membranes
Dystocia causes?
Dystocia
- Perinatal lamb mortality <5% and 70% of dystocia
- Presentation and postural abnormalities are very common
- 2nd stage of labour, simple to correct
- Congenital abnormalities are usually rare
o Schistosoma reflexum
o Arthrogryposis causes by in utero Schmallenberg virus infection
Anterior presentation?
Anterior presentation
• Head and both forelimbs are presented normally (in the vaginal gap)and no progress is made within
30 minutes
o Two sided elbow flexion
o Large single lamb
o Each forelimb should be extended and traction
o Traction is applied in an arc and the lamb is pulled ‘down and around’ and not ‘straight out’
Anterior presentation but one sided shoulder and elbow flexion?
Anterior presentation but one sided should and elbow flexion
• Head and one of the forelimbs are presented normally (in the vaginal gap)
o Forelimb must be extended and traction
o Traction is applied in an arc and the lamb is pulled ‘down and around’ and not ‘straight out’
• Traction with shoulder and elbow flexion
o Twin (sometimes possible)
o Lamb is a singleton →never !
Anterior presentation but two sided should and elbow flexion?
Anterior presentation but two sided should and elbow flexion
• The head is presented through the vulva but both forelimbs are retained alongside the chest
o Repulsion of the head
o Correction: shoulder → elbow → carpal
o Sacro-coccygeal anaesthesia?
§ To block abdominal contractions
o Traction is applied in an arc and the lamb is pulled ‘down and around’ and not ‘straight out’
o Tongue may remain swollen for a few hours → colostrum within 6 hours
Posterior presentation?
Posterior presentation
• The lamb’s hooves facing the roof of the vagina and the tail is visible
o Cause: lamb or ewe
o No progress within 2–3 hours
o Traction is applied in an arc and the lamb is pulled ‘down and around’ and not ‘straight out’
§ Twins: the other twin will also be in posterior presentation
§ Singleton:
• CS?
Posterior presentation with bilateral hip extension?
Posterior presentation with bilateral hip extension
• Occasionally, the lamb’s tail may protrude through the ewe’s vulva
o Sometimes not detected until 24–48 hours after the lambs
o Lamb dies and the ewe has become sick
- Correction: hip → hocks
- Sacro-coccygeal anaesthesia?
o Rupture of the uterine wall
• Traction is applied in an arc and the lamb is pulled ‘down and around’ and not ‘straight out’
Simultaneous presentation of two lambs?
Simultaneous presentation of two lambs
- who is who?
- Lateral deviation of the head
- the lamb is often dead
- wire head snare
- lubrication
- traction
Veterinary approach to every lambing case?
Veterinary approach to every lambing case
• Unskilled shepherd
o Oedema
o Reddening and bruising of vulval labia within 1–2 hours
o Vaginal bleeding
o Ewe’s mucous membranes → pale
o Foetid yellow-brown vulval discharge → autolytic lambs
• Prolonged lambing or toxaemia
o Apathetic
o Lateral recumbency
o Frequent abdominal straining
o Vocalization
Sacrococcygeal anaesthetia?
Sacrococcygeal anaesthesia is strongly recommended for all manipulations and hygiene
- Abdominal pressure and pain
- Animal welfare
- Uterine rupture!
