Author Topic: Phantom pregnancy? (Read 2411 times)

moprabbit · « **on:** August 24, 2019, 03:52:58 pm »

One of my ewes, who is 9 years old and never had lambs developed a big lump in her udder some time ago. The vet was puzzled as she wondered if it could be mastitis but it wasn't showing any of the typical. symptoms of mastitis. Treated her with antibiotics and gradually the lump went down, although there is a slight lump just at the top of the udder. That side her udder is producing a small amount of pinkish liquid. However, the other side has been producing milk. The vet can only now think it may be phantom pregnancy. I've been stripping her out every day, then every other day and now I'm going onto every 2 days to try to dry her out. She's had 2 courses of antibiotics to treat any infection on the other side. Just wondered if anyone has ever had anything similar or could give me any advice on how to dry her up. Thank you.

twizzel · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2019, 05:36:23 pm »

Never had one have a phantom pregnancy but to dry her up stop stripping milk out, cut her food down (shut her in a pen on hay if you can). Her udder will fill up and then slacken off over the course of 7-10 days.

Buttermilk · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2019, 07:44:45 pm »

Has she been grazing clover? The high oestrogen content can cause them to have enlarged udders.

moprabbit · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2019, 10:32:25 pm »

Thank you both for your replies. Twizzel, she's only on grass on a fairly restricted area. I can't pen her up but will keep her on small grass area. Just don't want her getting mastitis and I think that's why the vet suggested stripping her out. So she should be ok if I don't strip her out and leave her for 7 to 10 days?

Buttermilk, yes she has been eating clover. Could that cause her to produce milk?

Thanks for

twizzel · « **Reply #4 on:** August 25, 2019, 08:56:31 am »

Hopefully she should be ok but you can never be sure. I had a ewe get mastitis whilst in the shed on clean straw this week. Sometimes they are prone to it or just bad luck. Once I’ve taken lambs away from ewes I never let them back to suck out which is essentially what stripping out manually is. It can also stop the test from sealing up naturally and allow infection in. With our cows we might let them back with the calves once after a few days but that’s about it, but they seem less prone to mastitis than the sheep.