Fetal Monstrosity in a 4-year-Old Udda Ewe: A Case Report

Dystocia in sheep, is difficulty in parturition to the point of needing human intervention. In small ruminants, dystocia contributes to, significant economic loss in terms of perinatal death of dams and fetus, uterine infections, retained placentas, and longer lambing and kidding intervals. A 4 year– old udder ewe was brought into the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (Large Animal Clinic Unit) with edematous hind limbs of the fetus hanging from the vagina. The ewe was not showing any sign of labour. Hence, the need for an emergency caesarean section. The second horn was not easily identified; however, the large mass within the uterus and the uterine horn was successfully delivered. The monster was evaluated by the pathologist as fetal anasarca of 0.94 meters of length from the nuzzle to the tip of the hind limb, weighing 18kg. An x-ray of the monster was also taken, to ascertain the conformation of the skeletal tissue. All the bones were in tacked, only that the joints were abnormally separated, as all the joints were filled with fluid which made them appeared abnormally far apart. In this report the monster was 18kg and about one meter in length. Fetal anasarca is not a commonly reported finding in ewes compared to doe and the large ruminants such as cow and buffalo.