# ewe with retained placenta and maybe a dead lamb



## Shannonmcmom (Jul 18, 2005)

My 5 year old suffolk cross ewe gave birth yesterday. It started out with me noticing some yucky colored blood. I left her alone since it was new and hadn't been that wa for a while. About 45 minutes later I found her in our back bush. When she heard me she stood up and called to me. So I went over to her. Then he laid down and pushed again. I could see she was having trouble and the bag that was coming out looked odd compared to what I am used to seeing. I felt around the bag to try and deermine what was coming out. I was ure it was a dead lamb. Much to my surprise something moved. I gave a bit of a tug on the sack and the head and feet came out of her vagina. She pushed again but there was no movemet. So I opened up the thick sac an saw a cute little lamb that was covered in thick pea soup colored fluid. She as having trouble so I just gave a little tug on the lambs front feet to straighten them and she pushed him out. I helped clean off his nose. She cleaned offthe rest. The fluid that she was still expelling was abnormal and I knew there was something dead in there as well. She had some other sac hanging out but it was a dark creamy blood colored and didn't look right. I felt around just on the inside of her and could feel something similar to appenages in the sac. I felt her alone.

I came back about an hour later and not much progress had been. So I reached in a gave a little tug. She started to push out the sac. It was a lamb that had died about 1 to 1.5 months ago, judging by it's size. I just left it hanging there hoping she would push it the rest of the way out. Nothing was happening. So I opened the sac and tore the umbilical cord off the dead lamb. Then the placenta and sac from the first lamb was expelled but the other sac was still left on. So I am dealing with 2 placentas and we are waiting for the second one to be expelled. It has been about 18 hours. I have reached in and could feel that it was still attached and I am not sure what else I should do. She is eating and voiding both bowels and bladder. She had some molasses water, grain and hay. The living lamb is nursing well and is getting plenty of milk.... her nipples are almost the size of his face.

So if it is another dead lamb in there will it just eventually ooze out? Should I go in to check? Should I just leave her alone and if she shows signs of infection then do something? Thanks for any advice.

Shannon


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

If you can still get your hand inside and know there is a dead lamb in there, it would be worth trying to get it out.
The combination of Lutalyse and Oxytocin, should do the trick to expel everything, but must be done as soon as possible. 
You need to get these from the vet.

I would also start giving her Oxytetracycline (LA-200 or Bio-Mycin).
She needs to get everything out real soon !

Sorry you lost the lamb and hope your new lamb does well...

Deb


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Since you went in get her on PenG right away!!!!
You also dont always have 2 placentas with 2 lambs. Sometimes the 2 will share one placenta.

I would PenG for 5-7 days her and watch her close.


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## Shannonmcmom (Jul 18, 2005)

I know all about them sharing placentas and usually my ewes only pass one. The sac with the placenta that was attached only had 1 three vessel cord on it. The one that is hanging out is definitely another sac with placenta. It looks like there is some calcification on the placenta that I can see that is hanging out of her.

I will phone the vet and see if I can pick up something from them to help expel the placenta.


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## Shannonmcmom (Jul 18, 2005)

Got some oxytocin and gave it to her this afternoon. I also gave her some pen-g LA. This evening I went out and saw it hanging out more so I gave it a slight tug.... like gentle pressure, and the rest just came out. It definitely was a separate placenta and it looked nasty.... my LGD ate it in one swallow.... blech...


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Shannonmcmom said:


> Got some oxytocin and gave it to her this afternoon. I also gave her some *pen-g LA*. This evening I went out and saw it hanging out more so I gave it a slight tug.... like gentle pressure, and the rest just came out. It definitely was a separate placenta and it looked nasty.... my LGD ate it in one swallow.... blech...


I hope you didnt give her PenG and LA. The two dont work together. You can only use one of them.
If you did use both, dont use the PenG anymore, just the LA.


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## Shannonmcmom (Jul 18, 2005)

It says on the box it is a long-acting pen-g. so a pen-g LA.... it lasts 72 hours.

Proc Pen LA
Procaine Penicillin G
Sterile Injectible suspension
A long acting antibiotic.


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## beoircaile (May 2, 2006)

This is where abbreviations get confusing. LA200 is a Long Acting oxytetracycline. Pen-G LA is as you indicated, a Procaine Penicillin G Long Acting.

People tend to talk shorthand and usually only refer to LA200 with the term "LA".

Hope she's doing ok. We had a similar thing this spring. Keep an eye on her for vaginal discharge. If she looks like she's still having problems, I'm sure the vet will want you to retreat her.


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## Shannonmcmom (Jul 18, 2005)

Up here we can get a penicillin LA and just a regular pen-g. Many times the vet has told me to use both at the same time. So the pen-g is the quick burst of abx and the LA is for the lasting effect. 

I tend to use the penicillin more so than the oxytetracycline because there is less stinging and I can usually get it into the animals by myself without someone else holding them....


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Thanks for the clear up.  My bad.
Just didnt want anyone mixing the 2 drugs. 

We just call LA200 LA And PenG long lasting just PenG.


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## sheeplady (Oct 31, 2003)

Had the same thing happen here last month. The placenta apparently detached a few days before ewe went into labor. After several hours of labor, she stopped. So at vets advice, I gave the oxytocin ( I keep on hand for emergencies) which started the contractions back up and she was able to expel the 2 dead lambs. As I assisted her (with gloves on) and with my vets advice, I gave her the penicillin G BID (twice a day)for 5 days. Not the long acting one....not as effective.And in a case like this, do not milk the udder. It will dry up gradually.


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## Shannonmcmom (Jul 18, 2005)

sheeplady said:


> As I assisted her (with gloves on)


At least you had gloves on...lol!!!!! I had the smell on my hands for a while... I have a box of 2 different kinds but I also have a 5 yo and a 3yo who like to take them and play with the gloves....


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