[JulieWall]

My matriarch ewe is always on her flippin knees to eat lately. I trimmed up her feet as soon as she had her lambs but the front one that is giving her the trouble was really quite neat. The back ones had grown more but none were so overgrown they would cause lameness really,
I reckoned her knee felt a bit on the warm side so as I had a new bottle I gave her a shot of Alamycin in case it was a joint infection. I also gave her a good strong drench of turmeric to help with any inflammation although I'm not sure how effective it was. A day and a half later she is notably improved, if not better, so I suspect perhaps the antibiotic is doing that.
Now .... has anyone else experienced this with pregnant ewes because this has happened in the past with another ewe and antibiotic sorted it out then too? Is there some known joint condition that causes this in pregnancy?

[MarvinH]

I can't tell from your post but did she start limping after you trimmed?

[Slimjim]

Did you examine their feet for infection as well as trimming? Were they on old straw for lambing? If she's better after the a/b, then I would suspect a foot infection - only because its more likely than a joint problem.

[farmvet]

The hormonal changes which allow the connective tissue in the birth canal & between the pelvic bones to soften as pregnancy progresses have a generalised affect throughout the body.  This makes the animal more prone to injury when they slip etc, but more important affects the supporting mechanism within the hoof.  Clinical signs of sore feet resembling laminitis in horses can occour, especially when the ewe is heavy in lamb until about 2 months after lambing.  Deep solar bruising can develop especially over the process of the pedal bone.  Infections then often develop either around the white line or over this site from weakened compromised horn.  Its a really common problem in dairy cattle but I also see a lot in sheep.  Its had to know the exact prevalence as most lame sheep dont see a vet.

[darkbrowneggs]

What a brilliant reply - I wish you had been around when I kept sheep 

[JulieWall]

Thanks farmvet, that fits the profile as she started limping a few weeks before lambing but I didn't want to start pulling her about as she was so close to term. I keep their feet trimmed every couple of months to keep them in shape and had done all the ewes before their last 4 weeks. I initially assumed it was overgrown hoof because she likes her grub! If I see lameness the first thing I check is their feet.
My shepherd friend's version of what you just said is, ''they do that sometimes but they just seem to come right again on their own''. Great to have a proper explanation
Her limp seems to be settling down now and she is standing on the foot again. The day I gave her the Alamycin her foot didn't feel hot but the knee did, although I haven't had time to feel it again and see if it is the same temp as the other now. I'll have a check tomorrow and see if the foot is tender, although as it's on the mend I doubt I'll discover anything useful.
She has had this before and the other ewe that had it historically was her mother who I sold a while back. I'm wondering now if some ewes just produce more of this hormone and if the tendency is passed on genetically? ........ just out of curiosity, what do you think?

[farmvet]

Hello Juliewall.  I think its more likely to be related to foot & lower limb conformation and the response to the hormones rather than the hormone levels per sec.  That certainly will have a genetic component .  The knee will have secondary damage from her "walking" on them, they often develop pressure sores or hard skin.  Next year try not trimming unless severely overgrown to leave plenty of protection over the sole, otherwise a light application of artifical hoof may help.

Thanks for your nice comment darkbrowneggs!

[JulieWall]

I'm not sure I'd get away with not trimming her, she has those hard thick Texel type hooves which are very hard to cut. They grow curled under her feet if not seen to regularly although being so thick and hard they would probably support her left a bit longer and keep the weight nicely off her pad  I can get a nice clean even line with the hoof shears.
The knees; I hadn't even considered that kneeling on them to eat might have made them sore der ....
so obvious now you mention it. I will check them for hard skin and rub in some lanolin.
Thank you so much for your helpful advice.

[Foobar]

she has those hard thick Texel type hooves which are very hard to cut

...wait until its rains, then the wet ground should soften them and make them easier to cut.

[JulieWall]

I know what you mean, it really does make a difference if I wait until after a few wet days.