Sheep Vaginal Prolapse: Prevention and Welfare

Vaginal prolapse in ewes is a painful and life-threatening condition. Prevention through genetics, nutrition, and management is far preferable to repeated treatment.

Key Facts

Vaginal prolapse affects 1-3% of ewes in affected flocks, with some lines showing much higher rates
It occurs most commonly in the last 4-6 weeks of pregnancy, particularly in ewes carrying multiple lambs
Risk factors include excessive body condition (fatness), multiple births, poor muscle tone, and genetic predisposition
Replacement without surgery is possible but carries high recurrence risk in the same ewe
Ewes that prolapse repeatedly should be culled — re-prolapsing is preventable suffering
Certain breeds (Texel, some Merino lines) show higher genetic predisposition

Welfare Considerations

Vaginal prolapse causes significant pain and distress — exposed tissue becomes contaminated, swollen, and necrotic if left untreated. Ewes suffer from straining, discomfort, and inability to rest normally. Replacement without analgesia causes additional acute pain. High-welfare management requires prompt treatment with appropriate analgesia, culling of repeat offenders, genetic selection against predisposed bloodlines, and nutrition management to avoid excessive body condition. Ignoring prolapse or delaying treatment causes avoidable suffering.

What You Can Do

Farmers should monitor late-pregnancy ewes daily and treat prolapses promptly with analgesia
Record and cull ewes that experience repeated prolapse to reduce herd incidence
Manage ewe body condition during pregnancy to avoid obesity, which increases prolapse risk
Select rams from bloodlines with low incidence of prolapse in their female offspring