Ewe prolapse vs birthing?

[Youngfarmer2019]

Following…I’d like to see where this goes.

 

[purplequeenvt]

It’s not a prolapse. The vulva will go through a lot of changes, including getting puffy like that, because of the hormones of pregnancy.

 

[jambi1214]

Glad to hear that! Thank you. Going to check on her now.

 

[farmerjan]

I would not be panicking over a little puffiness like that. @purplequeenvt has lambed out hundreds of pregnancies I would venture to say... I agree with her. It is hormonal changes and all that the body goes through and manifests in changes in the vulva and area. A prolapse normally would not be an equal puffiness on both sides, light pink, like that either. It would be more of a reddish color, and look like it was real swollen and pushed out.... not just a little puffy. Vaginal prolapses look "angry" if that makes any sense... Uterine prolapses are 99% after they lamb because they "keep pushing" instead of it calming down after lambs are expelled.... the muscles are loose and sometimes with a difficult birth, the loss of muscle tone to lamb continues on to just keep trying to expell more and the uterus comes out... Vaginal prolapses are actually a little more common in sheep (uterine prolapses seem to be more common in cattle) than cattle... and are a concern.... getting puffy or loose "behind" are just part of the getting ready process.
Watching her is good... and you are being very observant... DON'T panic or look for trouble... if she is going to prolapse then there is little to do and there is no real way to prevent it "ahead of time".... I think she will just go on and it will be fine... Puffy and protruding are 2 different things.

 

[jambi1214]

No panicking today she had some clear discharge this am and everything still looks the same. Found an area on her foot in between hooves that looks like it had some damage and starting to be infected. Reason for lameness so soaked in betadine and have her in separate pen. She was being a bit more distant from others and bleating. Prob getting close. We'll see how she does separate otherwise will get her back with others and see. Thankfully she will let me soak her feet. Wasn't sure if antibiotics or meds at this point since she will be possible lambing. Got foot as cleaned as possible. With the nasty snow melt mess I wanted her in a clean area while I clean the cement area she likes to be in and throw down something clean for her to be in.

 

[SageHill]

No panicking today she had some clear discharge this am and everything still looks the same. Found an area on her foot in between hooves that looks like it had some damage and starting to be infected. Reason for lameness so soaked in betadine and have her in separate pen. She was being a bit more distant from others and bleating. Prob getting close. We'll see how she does separate otherwise will get her back with others and see. Thankfully she will let me soak her feet. Wasn't sure if antibiotics or meds at this point since she will be possible lambing. Got foot as cleaned as possible. With the nasty snow melt mess I wanted her in a clean area while I clean the cement area she likes to be in and throw down something clean for her to be in.

Sounds good. Clean is great - though I'd probably hit it with Bactine - or maybe Vetrycin. Bactine being go to for almost everything. But - I'm still a newbie in the caring for sheep. Dogs, horses chickens been there done that - have them all down pat.

 

[jambi1214]

Put vetrycin on it. Starting to smell so here we go with that. Anyone use antibiotics on a ewe close to lambing?

 

[farmerjan]

If it is between her "toes", use LA200 or something similar... put in a syringe and squirt it directly on the cleaned out toes... sounds like foot rot... common in sheep... It works on cows with foot rot and with some other things; strawberry warts in between toes on cattle.... won't hurt her being pregnant... On the skin/tissue like that, I have never had an effects on pregnant animals. Most antibiotics will not affect a fetus... especially not this close to term...

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

Following

 

[jambi1214]

I have been putting foot rot solution on her foot twice daily. She is about the same. Vulva still very swollen and did have some discharge that looked bloody this evening. Hard to really see this evening. She has been out in pasture with others eating and otherwise normal beside slight lameness. Didn't notice any blood earlier today. Will squirt some LA 300 onto foot tonight.