I am looking for suggestions on what to do next. First; the weird, but true health history. Saw first sign of prolapse about a week ago, and inserted a prolapse retainer. Saw ewe pushing on Sunday, pulled out retainer, felt for lambs, found nothing, so replaced retainer. Sunday evening she delivered a big lamb, with a little help. No prolapse, looking good. Monday afternoon, almost 22 hours later, I find a second big lamb in her pen, alive & well, nursing like a champ! Still no prolapse. 2 hours later, full uterine prolapse. We hoisted her onto a hay bale, washed the uterus, sprinkled the sugar, reinserted, placed retainer, tied a girth to decrease pushing, hit her w/ antibiotic, and all was well. She perked up, was interested in her lambs etc. Still great at 5 a.m. Tuesday, at 8 a.m. I see her straining, and beginning to prolapse again. I have gone through the drill of replacing again, but need to know what else now. She may hold on for awhile, but I expect that uterus to reappear. Any suggestions? We have raising sheep for 14 years, and every lambing season brings new challenges, and a large animal vet is extremely hard to come by around here.

-- Lisa (vadas@nfdc.net), January 29, 2002

Answers

I suspect that you will end up putting her down. If you are able to get her to retain her uterus, I would definitely sell her ASAP. I have not had any luck with sheep being able to lamb the next year normally. In fact they stand a greater chance of uterine rupture. We lost one of our favorite sheep this way and we were not able to save the lambs either. It was a horrible death.

-- beckie (none@this.time), January 29, 2002.

I agree with Lisa. We have luckily not had a uterine prolapse but did have a rectal one. We spent more money on that sheep and eventually just set her to the butchers. We were really sad to do it but learned a hard lesson. I have also heard uterine prolapse is highly genetic so you might not want to keep these lambs in your breeding program.

Sorry - Kim

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), January 29, 2002.

After having gone through vaginal prolapses last spring I'm wondering if you could put something non-irratating into the vaginal, with cattle someone told me that they put antibiotic granuales (?), (I threatened to put a rubber ball in there) and then sew the vaginal shut like they do for vaginal prolapse. (You do that across the top, angle across the opening and across the bottom and angle to the top corner being careful to get deep into the flesh so it will not pull out. Maybe that would stop the straining, and you would at least be able to keep mom coming to raise the lambs. Just an idea, I don't know if it would work, it seem that if the uterus could not escape as things shrink after birthing maybe it would stay put. I did not sew up the ewes I had that prolapsed because they had to lamb yet but that wouldn't be a problem with yours. Definately send her down the road after she raises the lambs, this will continue to be a problem. Also don't keep ewe lambs, since they say this is inherited.

When you are replacing the uterus are you shoving it way in, back where it would be or just pushing it into the vaginal. I know it's hard to get the uterus back where it belongs, because isn't it really turned inside out? The vets from Pipestone would be able to help, they'll try to help you if you call. E-mail address www.pipevet.com or phone 507-825-5687.

Just thoughts, our vets around here are not up on sheep either and they kinda act like it's just a sheep, so what. I did get help from one of them with a rectal prolapse which they sewed up.

-- Betsy K in Mi (betsyk@pathwaynet.com), January 29, 2002.

I honestly don't know if I remember this correctly or not, but a little local anasthesia so the ewe doesn't feel like she has something there to be pushed out?????????????

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), January 29, 2002.

By all means, place some sutures in her ASAP . At this stage, she is not going to give birth. Put her back up over that bale of hay , wash off the protuding uterus, and insert the uterus back in , using your fist not fingers so as not to lacerate anything.If the uterus is inverted, make sure you push it as far back as you can, like turning a glove inside out. Of course use rubber gloves.. I use a purse string type suture . Start from the top, across and than down ,across and tie the ends together. If you don't have a surgical needle and tape, dental floss and a curved upholstery needle will do in an emergency. These are items you should get ahead from a vet or hospital supply room for just such emergencies. Once the vulva is sewed up, she will stop straining . No, you should not ever breed her again, but at least you can salvage her for raising those lambs. The stitches can stay in for several weeks. I would also put her on Penicillin for 5 days, twice a day. My Dorset ewes get 10 cc . If you are uncomfortable doing the sutureing, get a vet there and watch the vet or have him show you how to do it. My vet is very good about teaching me, hands on, how to do these things. Been there, done that. Good Luck. Keep us posted.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), January 29, 2002.

Been there, almost..Had a nice ewe that was a quad have a vaginal prolapse when she was three weeks away from lambing. Didn't know enough when I got her to know it was genetic, but her mother had prolapsed, which was why I was able to get her as a bottle baby. It is difficult to find a sheep/goat vet. I was told by our regular vet that he was too busy with real, horse emergencies, and to call someone else. I called several, and only one called back, telling me it was impossible for a sheep to prolapse before birth! Not. We ended up putting the poor ewe down, after trying all the above methods. She ripped out sutures, pushed out the retainer, even with a harness attached, etc. Her tissues began to crack and bleed, and I knew she was suffering. Best advice is to either bottle feed the babies if you can't get the prolapse to stay in, or if you can, cull her as soon as they are weaned, as well as any ewe lambs. In all fairness, I would tell anyone buying one of the ewe lambs about the possiblity of them prolapsing, so they don't have the same experience. Good luck, Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), January 29, 2002.

I still don't buy that genetic part, maybe that line doesn't fit your managment but that's a point for another day. What Kate said is what I'd do except I use a clean washed beer bottle (no label!) to finish pushing the uterus back into place. She keeps pushing because it's not correctly positioned and as said before partially inverted. Do not leave the bottle in! Stitch carefully (I use umbilical tape) and be sure to miss the urethra. More Pen G for 7 days min.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), January 29, 2002.

Are many people comfortable morally with trying to sell a defective animal, such as previous prolapse, to an unknowing buyer?

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), January 29, 2002.

No, I never, ever sell a sheep with a health problem, even a small prolapse. Next time around could be a disaster for the animal or the owner or both. Not even to auctions. These animals go in my freezer for our consumption or if very injured or ill, are put down humanely and buried here. As many sheep as I have had over the past 23 years, I do care what happens to them.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), January 29, 2002.

Ross is correct with the mechanics of it. She is pusing because part of her uterus is in her vagina, which gives the ewe/doe the urge to push. Thank goad a prolapse in a goat is very rare, but for ripped cervic which make the doe push on and on well after the placenta has been delivered, we will use preperation H slathered on the cervic and vaginia, deadens the nerves and shrinks the swelling. Also we give Banamine to take the edge off the doe. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 29, 2002.

I had trouble with prolapse before and attribute it to clover hay I was feeding. Had 5 or 6 animals get it at once. Lost two but saved the others by using a retainer and changing the hay to straight grass hay. Did not have trouble with those ewes the next year. I clean the prolapse with diluted dish detergent then slather it with penicillin and push back in. I believe it was the clover hay because of the estrogen in it. I also believe that docking the tail too short can also cause prolapse. Neither of these can be attributed to genetics. Good luck, Terry

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), January 29, 2002.

I dont raise sheep but I know that the 4h in our area will not axcept sheep now with to closely docked tail, the ag dept thinks there is a link to prolapse and tail length.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), January 29, 2002.

I jave no problem selling my cull sheep. Butcher couldn't care less if she prolapses just so long as she drug free and doesn't do it in his shop! Big market for mutton here Muslims, Africans, etc. No I wouldn't sell it as breeding stock.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), January 29, 2002.

I assumed when I sold my cull ewes, when the truck came around they were going to a butcher for dog food. I never thought he would maybe pull them off the truck and sell as breeders because some of my culls would be a big problem for a beginner. I will check this out!

-- debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), January 31, 2002.