Pregnancy toxaemia (twin lamb disease) is a painful metabolic crisis in ewes carrying multiple lambs. Prevention through nutritional management is far better than treatment.
Pregnancy toxaemia causes profound suffering including neurological signs, complete loss of appetite and inability to stand. The condition is almost entirely preventable through regular body condition scoring, ultrasound scanning to identify multiple pregnancies, and appropriate nutritional supplementation. Producer education on flock nutritional management is one of the highest-impact sheep welfare interventions.