Sheep Pregnancy Toxemia: Prevention and Welfare

Pregnancy toxemia (twin lamb disease) is a metabolic crisis in late-pregnant ewes carrying multiple lambs. It causes significant suffering and is largely preventable through good nutrition.

Key Facts

Pregnancy toxemia occurs when energy demands of multiple fetuses exceed ewe feed intake in late gestation
It is most common in fat or thin ewes carrying triplets or quadruplets in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy
Affected ewes show depression, blindness, star-gazing posture, seizures, and coma
Without treatment, death occurs within days — the condition is rapidly fatal
Treatment with propylene glycol, glucose drips, and corticosteroids can reverse early cases
Prevention through body condition scoring and adequate feeding before and during late pregnancy is highly effective

Welfare Considerations

Pregnancy toxemia causes rapidly escalating suffering — from initial lethargy and separation from the flock to neurological signs, blindness, and seizures. Ewes in the terminal stages cannot stand or protect themselves. Treatment is effective if initiated early but requires intensive veterinary intervention. The condition is almost entirely preventable through appropriate nutrition management: maintaining ewes in optimal body condition (score 3.0-3.5), providing supplementary energy in the final 6 weeks of pregnancy, and reducing flock size in ewes carrying three or more lambs.

What You Can Do

Score ewes for body condition at mating and adjust nutrition to achieve optimal condition before lambing
Provide supplementary concentrate feeding in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, especially to ewes with multiples
Scan ewes to identify those carrying multiples and feed them appropriately
Treat any ewe showing early signs of pregnancy toxemia immediately — delay reduces survival chances significantly