Table of Contents

Reproductive Abnormalities in Sheep and Goats (Ewes and Does)

Reproductive abnormalities in sheep and goats (ewes and does) is diagnosed by history, physical examination, ultrasonography, laparoscopy, laparotomy, etc.

History of Animal

History is an essential component of the clinical examination, particularly in sheep and goats due to inaccessibility of the majority of the reproductive tract to palpation or observation.

Season

Degree of seasonality varies with breeds of sheep and goats and whether a male is present or not.
A prolonged breeding season indicates increased or earlier months of transition
Meat goats as a breed are known for their ability to breed more than once per year
Introduction of a buck or ram during periods of transition hlps in advancing the onset of the breeding season by 4 to 6 weeks.

Nutrition and Size

Young females should be two thirds of their expected adult body weight before they are bred
Thin animals with dull hair coats may take months to recover from poor nutritional conditions.

Social Order

To the extent possible, the “comfort” of the animal should be determined in terms of whether it is a dominant or submissive animal in the group.
Amount of feeding space, access to shelter for all animals and the opportunity for dominant does to keep timid ones from seeking the buck should be investigated.

Physical Examination

Physical examination should be done to:

Evaluate the current body condition and femininity of the animal.
Determine the age by examining the dentition in order to avoid mistaking under grown infertile adults for young ones.
Determine whether the animal is polled or horned when the potential for the intersex condition is considered. Intersex animals can present with a wide array of clinical features.

Examination of External Genitalia

Includes evaluation of the anogenital distance and whether the clitoris is visible without parting the lips of the vulva.
Vulva should be examined for possible abnormalities such as pox or herpesvirus lesions, tumors, pustular dermatitis, and ectopic mammary tissues.
Includes the palpation of abnormal lumps or swellings in the inguinal region
Vaginal speculum examination or, alternatively, an endoscopic examination to rule out any membranes or adhesions present.
Presence of any discharges from the cervix or vagina should be noted
It should be remembered that the normal caprine vaginal discharge turns from clear mucus early in standing estrus to thick ‖cheesy‖ exudate late in standing estrus. This type of discharge at this time of the estrous cycle is normal and does not require treatment.

Abnormalities

Pathological lesions of reproductive system in sheep and goats are similar in most respects to those in calttle.
Vulvitis, vaginitis, cervicitis, metritis, pyometra, perimetritis, and salphingitis may occcur in sheep and goats as a sequelae to dystocia, embryotomy, difficult parturition, retained placenta, and delayed involution of the uterus.
Tumours of the ovaries and genital tract of the ewe are rare.

Hydrometra

Hydrometra is the accumulation of sterile fluid within the uterus, commonly seen in does. It occurs due to prolonged progesterone influence, leading to uterine distension without fetal development.

Abnormalities Involving Oviduct

Fimbrial Cyst in Ewe: A large fimbrial cyst on the right. These cysts may block the oviduct and prevent the sperm from reaching the ovum/ova. If the blockage is unilateral, the ewe is still capable of conceiving on the contralateral side.
Mesonephric Duct Cyst in Ewe: Remnant of the male duct system (Wolffian duct). These cysts are capable of occluding the oviduct. Not so in this case as the oviduct is not distended with fluid. This cyst may create confusion in an ultrasonogram.
Paraovarian Cyst in Ewe: A bi-lobed parovarian cyst is present in the left mesovarian. These cysts are mesonephric in origin. The left oviduct is distended with fluid due to an obstruction.

Abnormalities involving Cervix, Vagina and Vulva

Prolapsed Cervix in Ewe: Prepartum prolapse of the cervix is not common. Exposure of the cervix and the vaginal mucosa will lead to drying out, contamination, infection, and injury.
Vaginal Prolapse in Ewe: Prepartum vaginal and rectal prolapse. Possible causes include short tail dock and overfull abdomen (multiple fetuses, abdominal fat, low-quality roughage).
Vaginal Prolapse with Evisceration in Ewe: Fatal evisceration through the vaginal wall. Previous vaginal prolapse with weakening/rupture of the dorsal vaginal wall is a possible cause.
Prominent Clitoris in Ewe: The clitoris is grossly and abnormally enlarged, which could be due to the presence of male gonad(s) in an intersex individual or due to the rare occurrence of freemartinism.
Cervical Leiomyoma in Doe: The cervix and the base of the left horn have been opened. A large, firm tumor (leiomyoma) is present in the area of the cervix. The caruncles are prominent, indicating that the doe has been pregnant, although she was infertile for the last three years.
Prolapsed Vagina in Doe: Prolapsed vagina during late gestation when estrogen concentrations are rising and tissues are beginning to relax. Straining has also produced a small rectal prolapse.

Ultrasonography

Trans-abdominal ultrasonography can be used to examine the animal for pregnancy diagnosis, pseudopregnancy (hypo-echoic uterine fluid but no cardinal signs of pregnancy), pyometra, fetal death, fetal maceration or resorption of the pregnancy.

Clipping the hair in the inguinal region prior to the examination permits the best quality images to be obtained. Transrectal imaging with 5 to 7.5 MHz linear probes often allows visualization of the nonpregnant caprine uterus and ovaries, or early cases of the previously mentioned conditions.

The quality of transrectal scanning depends to some extent on the size of the animal and whether the reproductive tract has descended ventrally along the body wall.

Holding animals off feed for 24 hours may improve the image quality in some case.

Laparoscopy, Laparotomy, Necropsy Exam

A definitive diagnosis of infertility sometimes cannot be made without examination and palpation of the reproductive tract. Laparoscopy is less invasive and preferred over laparotomy when the equipment is available.

The gonads may be aberrantly positioned in intersex animals, or various degrees of maldevelopment of the three tubular portions of the reproductive tract may be present.

In animals that have had peritonitis, abdominal surgery, or embryo collections performed, the presence of abdominal abscesses or adhesions involving the reproductive tract may be identified.

Ovarian cysts or reproductive tract tumors may also be diagnosed by these methods.