# Is this a miscarriage?



## BoPeep75 (Mar 18, 2022)

Can anyone tell me if this is a miscarriage?  This is not a great picture but it’s the best that I could get. It looks like an umbilical cord almost.  Several of our lambs have given birth but this ewe did not look very big at all, and I did not think she was pregnant. She’s just now barely over a year old. I know they have some mucus and a water bag come out beforehand, but this looks different than what little I’ve seen.  Is it a miscarriage?  Also looks like placenta but there is no baby that I can find.  Sorry for the terrible picture but that’s as close as I can get without them bolting.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 18, 2022)

1.  When was she due?
2.  You need to catch her and restrain her while you check inside.
3.  Might be the beginning of lambing or a lamb positioned wrong.
4.  If a wrongly positioned lamb you only have a certain amount of time to rescue it before it will die.
5.  It looks like bloody tissue discharge but if it is just dirty discharge mucous she might just be starting the process.
6.  Can you run her into a barn or shed and gradually close her into a smaller space to look more closely?


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## BoPeep75 (Mar 18, 2022)

Well this is the problem I was not even aware she was pregnant. I knew our others were but how they managed to mate I don’t know, she wasn’t really turned out with him for more than a few moments.  I guess it was all it took. 

I have got her confined now.  She seems fine, moving around and eating well.  I didn’t know if I should cause her discomfort by trying to reach inside or if it would be better to attempt it. I’m fine with doing it, I just didn’t know if it would cause her more issues.  I will see what I can find out thank you!


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## Ridgetop (Mar 19, 2022)

Since she is not showing any discomfort and is eating well, probably not a retained lamb you need to be worried about. Usually miscarriages are seen by finding a fetus in the pasture.  Super early "miscarriages" are just reabsorbed. Is the ropey dark stuff still coming out?


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## BoPeep75 (Mar 19, 2022)

No it came out on its own and she has been fine, eating well and running around.  My husband called a sheep farmer he knew, and he said that sometime a ewe sheds her lining like that.  I had never heard that before or seen it, but it’s very possible I just missed my girls doing it.  He recommended some ways to apply gentle pressure over a time to help it come out, but it came out on its own.  We’ve been watching her through the night, but everything seems good.  Thank you for your help 🙂


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