Pregnancy toxemia in sheep

In the last month of gestation, lambs gain weight very quickly and take up almost all the available energy. At the same time, they occupy an increasing amount of space in the abdomen and leave less and less volume to the rumen: the ewe can no longer eat as much as she needs. When the energy supply does not follow, the body draws on its fat reserves. This combustion produces ketone bodies which accumulate in the blood and gradually poison the animal. It is the typical disease of sheep carrying two, three or more lambs. It is not contagious: it is a breeding disease, and therefore preventable. An affected ewe almost always signals a feeding problem that affects the entire flock.

📷 Pfc. David J. Marshall, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons ; Tabita Tan/AusAID, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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