Diseases of the Peri-parturient Ewe 2 Flashcards
Name 3 aims of the live ewe at the time of the lambing period?
o Fit and able to feed and rear her lambs
o Able to breed again next year
o Suitable for cull
Name some problems for the ewe during the lambing period?
- Metabolic/nutritional diseases
- Prolapses
- Dystocia
- Mastitis
- Metritis
Name some key features of dealing with dystocia
o Wear gloves
o Keep Clean as Possible
o Lots of lubrication
o Use NSAIDS
o Use EPIDURALS
o Use ANTIBIOTICS – 5 days
o Give Lamb Colostrum
When is a simple embryotomy performed?
When there are dead lambs that cannot be delivered per vaginum
Describe the steps of a simple embryotomy procedure
o Lots of lubrication
o Remove fore limbs
o Cut through skin round leg above carpus then up towards the elbow
o Undermine attachment shoulder to chest wall
o Pull leg off
o Repeat
When looking at the history of a farm, if deaths are dystocia related than what needs to be looked at?
- Age of ewes
- Breed of ram
- BCS of ewes
- Lambing hygiene
- Pen hygiene
- Staff numbers and training
- Lambing techniques
Name 5 indications of a caesarean section
- oversized lamb
- ring womb
- vaginal prolapse
- foetal monster
- malpresentation
What is ring womb?
Failure of the cervix to dilate
What are some contra-indications for a caesarean section?
- Rotten lamb
- Smelly fluids
When giving antibiotics post c-section, how many days of coverage should they provide?
5
Which NSAID can be given to sheep for a c-section?
Meloxicam
- Cascade from cattle
Describe the anaesthetic options for a c-section
- Local procaine infiltration
- Inverted L block
- Paravertebral T3-L3 block using procaine
- Sarco-coccygeal epidural
Describe how to find the incision location for a caesarean section in sheep
Last rib and wing of the ileum halfway down
10-15cm below the transverse process
Describe the steps of performing a caesarean section
- 15cm incision in the skin and subcutaneous tissue
- External internal abdominal oblique and then lift transverse muscle, peritoneum before incising, don’t puncture rumen
- Grasp uterine horn and exteriorise
- Incise 10-12 cm (scissors)
- Remove lamb
- Check for other/s
During a caesarean section, once the lambs are removed, describe how you would close up the uterus layer
Suture the uterus with a continuous inverting pattern using catgut
During a caesarean section, once the lambs are removed, describe how you would close up the muscle layer
Simple continuous suture
Catgut
During a caesarean section, once the lambs are removed, describe how you would close up the skin layer
Forwards interlocking or simple interrupted
Nylon
What are the clinical signs of metritis?
- Dull, depressed, recumbent
- Toxaemia congested mm
- Red/brown or purulent vaginal discharge
How is metritis treated?
Antibiotics e.g. oxytetracycline
NSAIDS
How can metritis be prevented?
Review lambing hygiene measures (gloves)
Dystocia management
Environmental hygiene
Clostridial vaccination
When is vaginal prolapse most common in sheep?
Last 4 weeks of pregnancy
What are some causes of vaginal prolapse?
- Prolific breeds
- Litter size
- Age
- History: up to 40% will re-prolapse
- Nutritional factors
- Stocking rates
- Lack of exercise
Give 3 nutritional factors that can increase the likelihood of vaginal prolapse
- Obesity
- Hypocalcaemia
- Poor quality forages
How can vaginal prolapses be treated?
- Retention devices
- Harnesses
- NSAIDs
- Antibiotic
What are the disadvantages of retention devices for vaginal prolapses?
- Discomfort
- Irritation of mucosa
- Secondary infection
Describe an epidural anaesthesia for a vaginal prolapse
- Sacrococcygeal or 1st intercoccygeal space
- Give 1.75 ml 2% procaine for short action
- Or 1.75 ml procaine + 0.25ml 2% xylazine for longer action (24h+)
Describe the surgical procedure for a vaginal prolapse
Replace the prolapse
- Gently palm of hand
- Raise back end of ewe
Suture
- Obstetrical tape not suture material
- Purse string (leave 1.5cm opening)
- Buhner
Mark ewe, remove sutures before lambing
How can vaginal prolapses be prevented?
- Review and address farm risk factors
- Cull
How would you manage a ewe with prolapsed intestines through the vaginal wall?
- Fatal
- Euthanase if seen alive
- Occasionally may save lambs if seen alive
Which kind of prolapses most commonly occurs post lambing?
Uterine
Cervix
How does mastitis present at lambing?
Peracute and toxaemic
How does mastitis present around weaning?
Peracute cases or chronic mastitis lumps in udder
Name 4 consequences of mastitis in a herd
- Ewe mortality
- Ewe premature culling
- Lamb mortality
- Poor lamb growth
When is Peracute/gangrenous/ toxic mastitis seen?
- immediately post lambing
- 4-8wks post lambing
Describe the signs of peracute/gangrenous/ toxic mastitis
- Ewe sick, toxaemia, tachycardia, rumen stasis, inappetant, lame, recumbent
- Lambs hungry
- Udder swollen, cold blue, clear boundary between diseased and healthy tissue, well eventually slough
- Milk severely discolored
When is acute mastitis seen?
- immediately post lambing
- 4-8wks post lambing during peak lactation
What are the signs of acute mastitis
- Ewe fever, lame, lambs hungry
- Udder red, painful swollen
- Milk abnormal appearance, discoloured, clots, watery
What are the signs of chronic mastitis?
- Ewe not systemically ill
- Udder abscesses, swollen or light purulent discharge from teats
When is chronic mastitis most commonly detected?
When ewe is dry at weaning or culling time when udder checked
Name the bacteria found in the teat skin that causes mastitis
Staphylococcus aureus
Name the bacteria found in the lambs mouth that causes mastitis
Mannheimia haemolytica
Name two other causes of mastitis
E.coli
A.pyogenes
Name three nutritional factors that make an animal more at risk of mastitis
- Under nutrition in late pregnancy and lactation
- Low BCS
- Vit E/Selenium deficiency
Name some risk factors for mastitis
- Concurrent disease e.g. fluke
- Multiple lambs
- Age (older)
- Udder confirmation
- Teat lesions
- Genetics
- Hygiene
- Milking practices
How is gangrenous mastitis treated?
Euthanasia
How is acute mastitis treated?
- Systemic antibiotics based on culture and sensitivity
- Strip udder
- NSAIDs
- IV fluids and supportive care
Which antibiotic is first line for acute mastitis in sheep?
Amoxicillin
How is chronic mastitis treated?
Culling
Name some current areas of advice for mastitis prevention
- Adequate ewe nutrition pre and post lambing
- Wean lambs at 12-16wks abruptly
- Control orf
- Control fluke and worms
- Dont turn ewes out with triplets
- Cull ewes appropriately
- Ensure good bedding hygiene
