Flock Ewe!

 It's sheep season.  I'm not a huge fan of sheep, because a sick sheep is a dead sheep, which does not leave a vet feeling good at the end of the day.  In addition to general maladies of sheep, they are reproductive nightmares.  Seriously, I feel as though I've done almost nothing for 3 weeks other than treat pregnancy toxemia and put sheep lady bits back where they belong. 

Toxemia happens in late pregnancy when the ewe decides to stop eating, sending her body into a super negative energy balance.  Treatment involves IV dextrose/fluids, calcium supplementation, and force feeding.  Oh, and lots of cursing (under your breath while working on the sheep, in the truck as you drive away, after the owner calls late at night with another question, ect ect) because none of those things are easily/quickly accomplished.

As if that wasn't enough, the ewes also have a fun little trick where they push the walls of their vagina outside their body.  Like this: 

 www.vetnex.com

To fix that, I have to put on a prolapse harness that puts pressure on their rear end to keep all the lady bits inside the ewe, where they are supposed to be.  Like this: 

www.valleyvet.com

Assuming all these hurdles have been successfully navigated, the ewe will eventually deliver lambs.  Maybe on her own.  Maybe with a bit of help. Or maybe she's one of those delightful genetic disasters that require a C-section. But I digress.  After delivery, there is one more thing she can do to ruin someone's day/night.  She can prolapse her whole uterus. Just like this:

www.corriedhu.co.uk

 After she does that, someone has to put it back into the sheep.  Turns out that I'm someone. Then her lambs grow up, become sheep, and make more sheep.  It's a freakin' circle of hell... I mean, life.  Circle of life. 


*I'm aware that not everyone may find the title as funny as I do, but I've been giggling since I thought it up 3 days ago