Author Topic: Dra-aaa-amatic lambing. (Read 2478 times)

pikilily · « **on:** April 20, 2010, 09:22:17 am »

This was one of the scariest moments of my days!

My last ewe to lamb had developed a small ventral hernia about three weeks before she was due to lamb. So I was keeping a very close eye on her to check that it didnt suddenly get larger.

she seemed to be heading into early labour on Thursday morning so I increased the observation frequency. By the early hours of Friday morning she was clearly moving on and seemed incredibly restless and fractious. Five o'clock Friday morning I noticed a drop of blood but nothing else, within minutes this became several and then a steady drip then a steady flow. There was no sign of the lamb's waterbag or even a lamb.

The only thing i could think of was that the placenta was rupturing. the hard decision was whether to let things take their course or try to intervene to save something. I realised that there was no time to call a vet and wait for him to arrive, so just had to get in and see what was happening and try to get the lambs out. The ewe did seem pretty tight but was bleeding fairly fast. I really didnt want to have to possibly sacrifice the ewe but it was the only way. The first lamb was one shoulder back, but got him sorted and out. the second was breach and with a bit of juggling got him out too. The placenta came away immediately after the second lamb with what seemed like a total gush of blood and fluids.

At this point the ewe just sighed a very heavy sigh....I thought she was a goner and dashed off to clean myself up a bit (I was totally covered in blood) before stripping the colostrum. By the time I got back she was on her feet cleaning the lambs, and they were getting up to suckle. I just couldn't believe my eyes. Yes, she was still bleeding but it seemed to be slowing down.

Over the next few hours the bleeding slowed, and has been no more than one would expect for the few days post-partum. Mother and twins are absolutely fine and I am so happy. I was shaking like a leaf though. What a fighter!!

So that is the story of Dougal and Dylan's birth and how i developed yet more grey hairs.
LOL .....Not bad for a beginner. This is my second year of lambing! Florence and Zebedee arrived earlier without dramas!
Emma T

dixie · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2010, 09:33:13 am »

Well done you! and ewe! This is my second year lambing too, we start any day now, good job you made the decision when you did!

pikilily · « **Reply #2 on:** April 20, 2010, 09:43:33 am »

I hope I made the right decision, and that I havent caused any unnecessary trauma or suffering. I have a little bit of obstetric understanding from my nursing ....that is what swayed me to act, to get in there and get the lambs out.

I think that it was the placenta that was causing the problem cos once it was out the bleeding started to slow down. My vets are 15 miles away - if i had waited for them I think i would have lost the ewe and the lambs.
Emma T

morri2 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 20, 2010, 11:03:16 am »

Wow! What a dramatic event! I was almost holding my breath reading your post. So glad everything went well in the end. Your nursing experience certainly paid off - perhaps you should retrain as a vet !!!! All the best.

egglady · « **Reply #4 on:** April 20, 2010, 12:06:30 pm »

oh emma well done! it's just oyur worst nightmare isnt it?

pikilily · « **Reply #5 on:** April 20, 2010, 01:07:45 pm »

yes, it is what we all dread. Maybe I was just lucky - one would like to think that judgement came into it - it could have so easily gone the other way and I could have lost them all by either not doing anything or perhaps by hastily diving in where I wasnt needed....

I think that the purpose of sharing my experience is not to boast, but perhaps someone may have the same *bloody* experience and, having read this, may just have the nerve to get in an save the lambs even if the ewe doesnt survive. The thing is that if it is the placenta that has detached then you only have seconds or maybe a few minutes to decide.

Others who are more experienced may take exception to this sentiment but we learn from each others experiences and from the discussions here on the forum.
Emma T

Rosemary · « **Reply #6 on:** April 20, 2010, 01:41:14 pm »

Well done, you all. Pity Kate Humble wasn't around !

egglady · « **Reply #7 on:** April 20, 2010, 02:10:31 pm »

hey emma, you are spot on. i have learned so much from this forum, it is amazing. and you are right, it is the sharing of stories like that that really help others. my worries over my square ewe have really been helped by hearing of others with similar shaped ewes and knowing that they (and their lambs) ended up ok!

doganjo · « **Reply #8 on:** April 20, 2010, 02:43:17 pm »

It's slightly different with dogs, but I had a similar experience. Belle started having a dark red discharge and I was fairly certain it was a detached placenta rather than a ruptured one as the blood wasn't fresh. I knew that was a dead uppy, but also knew I'd have 5 more dead pups and maybe a dead Belle if I didn't get a move on. From the time I saw the discharge to the 5 remaining pups coming to life was less than an hour, which included a call to my vet as I was bundling her into the car, 80 mph in safe enough parts of the road, and roping in her boyfriend to help resuscitate the babies. Well worth the anguish for this lovely 6 month old youngster lying beside me now. I couldn't have done it without going to the vet - dogs aren't made big enough to get in there.
Well done, Emma!

bamford6 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 20, 2010, 03:06:07 pm »

very well done I'm on my 3rd yere i haven't done no think like that would iff i had too .i have about 60 lambs at the moment lost 6 this week frost snow sunday and 1 this morning im up the field at 5.45 soon as you see snow frost wind problems .