Fatal Deformity....WARNING GRAPHIC PICS.

Sheepshape

Herd Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
1,706
Reaction score
3,095
Points
373
Judy was lovely 2 year old Blue Faced Leicester ewe.....and the last of my ewes to give birth. Yesterday she was lying on her side, scratching and arching her back...clearly in pain. Labour....but things didn't look right. Eventually she discharged a small amount of mucky, bloodstained fluid.I took her indoors to examine her....her cervix was only about 3cm open and I couldn't feel any presenting part. I gave her Metacam and Pen/strep and waited. She seemed much more comfortable.

Today she began straining again. I examined her and felt first one set of front hooves, then the other, unable to determine the nose. One leg eventually came down, the hoof sheared off. The other couldn't be moved. We phoned our sheep farmer neighbour, who managed to bring down the other leg with ropes, but couldn't get a bearing on the head. The lamb was decomposing, the ewe very ill. To cut a long story short, the lamb couldn't be bought down the birth canal. We decided it was kindest to euthanise her (never a decision I take lightly).

We opened up the ewe to determine the cause of the problem and found a lamb with a hugely deformed head (puncturing the head led to the release of a very large amount....probably well over a pint, of fluid).I believe the lamb had developed congenital hydrocephalus.....unfortunately leading to the death of both itself and the ewe.

I show pictures here to show one rare cause of fatal dystocia.

Deformed lamb.jpg
Deformed lamb 1.jpg
Deformed lamb 2.jpg
Deformed lamb 4.jpg
Deformed lamb 3.jpg


Not a pleasant way to end lambing....but at least I don't feel there was much that could have done for either.
 

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
33,103
Reaction score
98,672
Points
873
Location
East Texas
So sorry about your lamb and even more sorry that you lost your ewe. That sucks. But we do what we have to do, get up, brush off our jeans and get going again. Thanks for the post and thanks for the pictures, how else would we learn, if not from each other? My vet studied sheep in school, he is willing to learn, but at this point, I learn more right here in BYH than anywhere else. Big hugs.
 

CntryBoy777

Herd Master
Joined
Sep 14, 2016
Messages
8,088
Reaction score
18,453
Points
603
Location
Wstrn Cent Florida
Some situations only present very difficult decisions with no viable options or solutions. You did everything ya could possibly have done, and made the best decision. Really sorry for your losses, and as Bay said, I also am thankful for your strength to post this for our learning....:hugs
 

goatgurl

Herd Master
Joined
May 22, 2014
Messages
2,048
Reaction score
3,977
Points
343
Location
Arklahoma
so sorry for the loss of your ewe and lamb. loosing one is never easy. and as the others said, thanks for posting the pics. learning isn't always pleasant but is always necessary.
 

Beekissed

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
3,634
Reaction score
5,546
Points
453
Location
mountains of WV
Thank you for posting these pics....incredible learning experience for us. I'm sorry about your ewe...that's a hard pill to swallow. Any idea of potential causes for such a deformity as this? Just occasionally happens and no one knows why?
 

Sheepshape

Herd Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
1,706
Reaction score
3,095
Points
373
Thank you for the kind words. As far as I know there isn't a causative agent for this (thankfully pretty rare) condition.

I feel sorry about the ewe, but she would only have died in agony if we hadn't had her shot (sounds horrible, but neighbour is a very good shot and has a very effective gun......she died within a matter of a few seconds.....much quicker than when the vet euthanises them).

I suppose what I am learning with time is what I can do something about and what I can't.( Also when to call a halt to what I may be trying to do in order to minimise the suffering of the animal.).
 

Goat Whisperer

Herd Master
Joined
Dec 19, 2013
Messages
4,832
Reaction score
6,567
Points
463
Location
North Carolina
I'm so sorry you lost the ewe. I know you love your sheep and it had to have been tough to make that decision. :hugs:hugs

As the others said, thanks for sharing with us. I've seen deformed lambs and kids, but none like this. Very informative and sad at the same time.
 

Latestarter

Novice; "Practicing" Animal Husbandry
Golden Herd Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2014
Messages
11,384
Reaction score
17,481
Points
623
Location
NE Texas
So sorry for the loss of both. :hugs Always the worst case as you hope to at least save one. Thanks for sharing the pics.
 

greybeard

Herd Master
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
5,940
Reaction score
10,803
Points
553
Location
East Texas
I'm not a sheep guy, but have seen and read of the same or a similar deformity in cattle. Neuropathic hydrocephalus--'water head'. The affected calves very often have no brain in the skull.
In cattle, it is usually considered a genetic mutation and as such is hereditary, passed on by the sire.
In the Angus breed, 2008 timeframe, , it was traced back to a very good and very popular Angus sire (GAR Precision 1680) whose semen had been used around the globe. In that case, it is pretty well believed to have been a one time event --spontaneous mutation- beginning in that bull but by the time it was recognized, it was out 'in the wild' thru semen sales.
About 10% of the breed's sires were found to carry the mutation, found thru a breed wide sampling.
It is my understanding, that the gene responsible for this defect is recessive and for the malady to actually present itself in the offspring, both sire and dam have to have the recessive gene and the offspring is homozygous for the mutation, having inherited it from both sire/dam. There are DNA tests for it.
http://www.angus.org/NH_Summary.pdf


Gar Precision 1680 also carried the separate genetic mutation for AM--Arthrogryposis Multiplex known as curly calf syndrome and it too caused a lot of problems.
(curly calf can also be caused by ingestion of lupine plant.
I'm sure you know that a form of AM is also cause of dystocia across several species.

Which brings up my question:
You did the 'right thing' in euthanizing the animal, but ...have you had any birthing problems using this same sire?

I remember this from several years ago:

https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/polyhdramnios-fatal-outcome.21760/

Is there possibly a connection?
 
Last edited:
Top