Incidence risk and clinical features of retention of foetal membranes in ewes in 28 flocks in southern Greece

In a field investigation of 28 flocks in southern Greece, 7660 lambings were monitored. Retention of foetal membranes (defined as failure to expel the foetal membranes within 6 h of lambing the last lamb) was recorded in 92 ewes. The median within-flock incidence risk was 1.25% (range: 0–1.9%). The...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Preventive veterinary medicine 2000-01, Vol.43 (2), p.85-90
Main Authors: Fthenakis, G.C, Leontides, L.S, Amiridis, G.S, Saratsis, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Husbandry
Animals
Extraembryonic Membranes
Female
Foetal membranes retention
Incidence
Incidence risk
Placenta, Retained - epidemiology
Placenta, Retained - veterinary
Pregnancy
Risk Assessment
Sheep - physiology
Sheep Diseases - physiopathology
Sheep-reproduction
Spain - epidemiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In a field investigation of 28 flocks in southern Greece, 7660 lambings were monitored. Retention of foetal membranes (defined as failure to expel the foetal membranes within 6 h of lambing the last lamb) was recorded in 92 ewes. The median within-flock incidence risk was 1.25% (range: 0–1.9%). The heterogeneity of the risk among flocks was not significant ( p = 0.99); no correlation was found between the incidence risk and the flock size ( r sp = 0.33, p = 0.09). Overall, the median duration of retention was 72 h (range: 9–288 h); it did not differ among flocks ( p = 0.89) and was not correlated with flock size ( r sp = 0.24, p = 0.27). During the initial stage of retention the membranes were fleshy and humid; the cotyledons were thick and congested. Progressively, the membranes became thin, dry and stringy; the cotyledons shrunk and were pale. Finally the membranes dropped as a mass. In ewes with retention for >12 h, a variety of accompanying signs was recorded: straining (in 22% of the ewes with retention), vulval oedema and reddening (in 16%), anorexia (in 13%), recumbency (in 13%) and increased temperature (in 12%) were the most frequent ones. Overall, the median clinical score of the disorder was ‘2’ (range: ‘1’–‘5’); it did not differ among flocks ( p = 0.98) and was not correlated with flock size ( r sp = 0.26, p = 0.25). In 4% of the ewes with retention for
ISSN:0167-5877
1873-1716
DOI:10.1016/S0167-5877(99)00088-4