[Jacob-list] Help!

[stonecroft235 at juno.com]

My ewe, Chloe, who has been on again/off again with labor has today
presented with a prolapsed vagina.  I called my vet and explained to him
that I am a novice regarding prolapsed vaginas.  His first response was
that he only makes calls on Sundays for desperate situations and
apparently having your vagina falling out is not desperate - he then
proceeded to explain to me how to stuff it back inside.   Well, with the
help of my husband who help up the tail of poor Chloe as she stood on the
stand, and my daughter who is in nursing school - I proceeded into the
unknown territory of sheep gynecology.  Following his instructions and
after cutting off all the dingleberries around her rear, thoroughly
cleaning up the red grapefruit protruding from under her tail and
iodining it,  I was able to return everything to it's proper place.  (My
daughter's boyfriend was disgusted by the whole thing, choosing instead
to suddenly have an intense fascination with our baby goats!)  My vet had
recommended that I purchase a prolapse harness to use on her until she
lambs.  My concern is this - she has visibly been in labor on three
different occasions that I have observed - the last being this a.m. when
she was restless, pawing the ground, pushing, etc.  However, the
contractions have stopped again.  Is this normal?  Or, is she not really
having contractions and is she pushing because she feels the prolapsed
vagina, rather than actually being in labor?  I guess I am wondering if
something else is wrong.  I did probe internally and there is nothing in
the birth canal, things are softened up in there and it seems to me she
should be having babies......and everyone else around here has already
lambed.   Any advice would be appreciated.....what should I be looking
for?  What kind of experiences have the rest of you had with the prolapse
harnesses with regard to vaginal prolapse.  She is eating normally, not
having a fever, she does have milk.  Incidentally, Gary, we have the same
sheep stand as you that we use for shearing - it worked like a charm for
our gynecological endeavors!!  

As an aside - this particular sheep happens to be the ewe I consider to
be our most beautiful Jacob - this is her 3rd time lambing and she has
never produced a female yet - and with this situation it would appear she
is not a good candidate for further breeding..........guess that's
Murphy's law of shepherding!!!!   :-(

Thanks for the help.

Sue Martin
Stonecroft

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