Neighbor has ewe with full prolapse....help!

TxMex · #1 02/16/12, 11:34 AM

A neighbor of mine has a ewe with a full prolapse. Another one with what looks like a partial prolapse and she has lost 2 ewes in the last week. I figure this has got to be some kind of nutritional problem. I've not ever had sheep except for 1 bottle baby, so I don't know what it could be. Could she be feeding them too much grain?

Back to the sheep with the prolapse. This is the vet's day off and he isn't checking his messages. The poor ewe is obviously in terrible pain and is still straining like she is in labor. I do know how to recognize prolapse as I have extensive experience with cows and goats. I can't stand to see the poor thing suffer. Any advice is appreciated.

LibertyWool · #2 02/16/12, 11:41 AM

I've never had to deal with a uterine prolapse. Chapter 6 of this book explains how to re-insert it.

http://hem.bredband.net/ronpar/tsb.html

TxMex · #3 02/16/12, 04:50 PM

Thank you for the link. I've passed it along to my friend.

The ewe was in too much pain to attempt to save and we took it to the butchers.

Laurie J · #4 02/17/12, 01:30 AM

We've experienced probably 3 full-prolapses in the 20 or so years of raising sheep. We've NEVER been able to reinsert it, and have had to put down the ewes. It's an awful experience. It's better to put the ewe down than to have her suffer. So sorry about this!

wendle · #5 02/17/12, 07:35 AM

Hope you got the ewe taken care of. It's important to get it fixed up quick so she doesn't push it out even more. After many years of no prolapses I ended up having two half sister mules prolapse this year. I was able to get them both put back in and successfully deliver lambs. In both cases the lambs were presented wrong. They are both doing fine now, so far. Both are 86. I won't keep offspring out of them either.

LibertyWool · #6 02/17/12, 10:38 AM

Wendle, I think you missed this part of the post.

Quote:

The ewe was in too much pain to attempt to save and we took it to the butchers.

**Ross** · #7 02/17/12, 05:19 PM

It's really not as difficult as all that to re-insert. Stand the ewe wash any crap off with a very mild warm iodine water mix, and by using your open faced hands push everything back in (its not easy but with the ewe standing it is easier) You're going to lose the battle a few times but persistence pays off eventually. Use a de-labled and sanitized beer bottle to push all the corners into place and lube really really helps too. Remove the beer bottle!! Keep the ewe standing and you'll have to stitch the vulva closed carefully (boy having a vet show you is worth every nickle!) use umbilical tape as it resists tearing. Get an energy drench of some sort into the ewe and get her walking to jiggle anything back where it belongs for a good half hour. She'll need antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory med. Success rate here seems to run a good 75% . I was told not to re-breed but I have it's an indication of poor muscle tone and it's usually a flock wide issue. Get your flock walking for food or water. Fatties have more problems than lean ewes.

Sorry they lost this one but if they're prepared its not that big a deal.