Advances in managing pregnancy toxaemia in sheep

In Practice ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-94
Author(s):  
JP Crilly ◽  
Clare Phythian ◽  
Mike Evans
Keyword(s):  
Pregnancy Toxaemia

Pregnancy Toxaemia in Small Ruminants

2020 ◽  
pp. 541-556
Author(s):  
P. B. A. Simões ◽  
R. Bexiga ◽  
L. P. Lamas ◽  
M. S. Lima
Keyword(s):  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Pregnancy Toxaemia

Studies on the carbohydrate metabolism of sheep. X. Further studies on hypoglycaemia and hyperketonaemia in undernourished pregnant ewes and in ewes with pregnancy toxaemia

1960 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 346 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL Reid
Keyword(s):  
Acetic Acid ◽  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Clinical Syndrome ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Under Nutrition ◽  
Blood Glucose Levels ◽  
Previous Level ◽  
Pregnancy Toxaemia

Data on blood glucose, ketone, and acetic acid values have been obtained over a period of several years from field cases of pregnancy toxaemia and from cases induced experimentally and their controls. When feed intake is controlled, differences between blood glucose and ketone levels in ewes moderately undernourished in late pregnancy are largely dependent on the number of foetuses. The consistency of these differences often allows accurate diagnosis of multiple and single pregnancies. Differences in blood glucose between undernourished monotocous and polytocous ewes disappear when undernutrition becomes severe or in the early stages of fasting after a period of moderate undernutrition. Differences in blood ketones tend to be maintained even after several days of fasting. The level of blood ketones during fasting depends on the previous level of nutrition of the ewe; blood glucose is unaffected by previous level of nutrition. The frequent presence of persistent normoglycaemia in ewes with pregnancy toxaemia is discussed in the light of data presented; it is concluded that the onset of pregnancy toxaemia often occurs in the presence of normal blood glucose levels. Blood volatile fatty acid (V.F.A.) levels are often high in those cases of pregnancy toxaemia which occur largely as a result of severe under nutrition in late pregnancy, in spite of an almost empty rumen. Only acetic acid was detected in six blood samples examined; this is considered to be of metabolic origin, but there is no consistent relationship with blood ketone level. The usual clinical syndrome of pregnancy toxaemia can be classified as acute or subacute. In the latter, cerebral depression reaches a certain stage of severity which is then maintained, survival is often prolonged, and ewes do not become comatose before death. Cases of pregnancy toxaemia induced by under nutrition alone usually show the acute syndrome. Blood ketones are higher in such cases than in fasted ewes showing no clinical signs; the critical blood ketone level appears to be about 30 mg per 100 ml. Cases induced in previously well-nourished ewes by fasting in association with a severe environmental stress are usually subacute; blood ketones are no higher than in ewes not showing clinical signs and are often considerably below 30 mg per 100 ml. The significance of these observations is discussed.

The productivity of breeding ewes grazing on lucerne or grass and clover pastures on the tablelands of southern Australia. II. Wool production and ewe weight.

1983 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 537 ◽  
Author(s):  
JR Donnelly ◽  
FHW Morley ◽  
GT McKinney
Keyword(s):  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Chemical Characteristics ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Weight Losses ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Supplementary Feed ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Pregnancy Toxaemia

Spring-lambing Merino and crossbred ewes grazing on dryland lucerne pastures were generally heavier throughout the year than ewes grazing on phalaris and subterranean clover pastures, even though they experienced greater weight losses during winter. These losses were mostly eliminated by compensatory gains in spring. Annual fleece weights of the Merino ewes grazing on lucerne or phalaris and subterranean clover pastures declined linearly by 146 and 64 g respectively for each additional ewe carried over a range of stocking rates from 9 to 18 ha-1. Corresponding figures for crossbred ewes were 114 and 46 g. In each case the difference between pasture species was significant (P < 0.02). Only at the lowest stocking rates were fleeces from ewes on lucerne heavier (by c. 500 g) than those from ewes on phalaris. At the highest stocking rates, there were no advantages in terms of wool production from grazing breeding ewes on lucerne. Not only was there a greater need for supplementary feed during late pregnancy to avoid losses from pregnancy toxaemia, but the lucerne pastures at all stocking rates proved more sensitive to unfavourable physical and chemical characteristics of soils than did phalaris and subterranean clover pastures. The fleece weights of Merino and crossbred ewes declined, on average, by 70 and 50 g per year for ewes aged between 1+ and 6+ years. Pregnancy reduced fleece weights by 5-10% in Merinos and 5-21% in crossbred ewes, depending on seasonal conditions which varied from year to year. For Merinos only, dry ewes grew about 4% more wool than lactating ewes. No other effects of reproduction on fleece weights were observed.

Pregnancy Toxaemia and the Posterior Pituitary

BMJ ◽  
1942 ◽  
Vol 1 (4251) ◽  
pp. 802-802
Author(s):  
G. G. Lennon
Keyword(s):  
Posterior Pituitary ◽  
Pregnancy Toxaemia
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