DYSTOCIA IN SHEEP AND GOATS - A SURVEY OF 7 LAMBING PERIODS AT A CLINIC FOR OBSTETRICS

The incidence of parturition difficulties from 239 sheep and 21 does f rom the last seven lambing periods was recorded at a clinic for obstet rics. Without exception the does were housed under extensive condition s by hobby-breeders. The sheep also originated predominantly from hobb y-breeders and in a smaller amount from professional breeders, both pr actising extensive housing, The incidence of manual deliveries (m. d.) in both species was lower (39.3 % in sheep; 42.8 % in does) than that of caesarean sections (c. a; 57.3 % in sheep; 47,7 % in does). In a s mall amount the obstetrics were solved via fetotomy. The practical pro ceedings concerning the different methods of therapies including analg esia, surgical approaches and postoperative treatments are described. In sheep ringwomb was the dominating reason for dystocia for m. d. (43 .5 %) as well as for c. s. (73.7 %), followed by obstetrics due to fet al abnormal presentation and/or position or posture (25.2 % m. d.; 1.1 % c. s.), secondary oversized fetuses due to postmortal emphysema and edema (19.1 % m. d.; 10.7 % c. s.), followed by primary relative or a bsolute oversized fetuses (1.0 % m. d.; 4.8 % c. s.) and simultaneousl y presententation of multiple fetuses (4.2 % m. d.). Other causes of d ystocia remained scarce (i. e. uterine torsion, hydrallantois, abdomin al or perineal hernia). There rested an amount of sheep (7.1 %) with p reterm s. c. because of continuous pressure and pain symptoms followed by infections or injuries of the prolapsed vagina and/or rectum, preg nancy toxemia and other reasons. The main indication for fetotomy in s heep were fetuses with postmortal edema and emphysema (80.0 %), deform ity of the kids (20.0 %) respectively. In does the reason for m. d. in most cases was abnormal fetal presentation and/or position or posture , whereas the main indication for s. c. were primary or secondary feta l oversizes. Ringwomb with s. c. only occured in two cases, fetotomy w as indicated in two cases because of emphysematous fetuses. The incide nce of lethal complications was 10.2 % in sheep, 14.2 % in does respec tively. The predominating reason was a general intoxication and/or sep ticemia, caused by prolonged birth by reason of malobservation by the owners. Further complications like retention of the afterbirth, puerpe ral endometritis and per secundam wound healings appeared scarce and s howed good success in therapy. It can be concluded that management of obstetrics including surgical approaches in small ruminants is a worth while and profitable proceeding, unfortunately asociated with a still too high rate of lethal complications because of the insufficient cont rol of these extensive housed species by their owners.