Outbreak of primary pregnancy toxemia in fat tailed ewes due to ultrasonographic misdiagnosis of pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Four fat-tailed ewes from an indoor flock [n=40] were examined for recumbency and depressive nervous signs. They were from a seemingly nonpregnant group of the flock that had been diagnosed by transabdominal ultrasonography. The ration consisted of mainly wheat straw since their separation from the pregnant group. Detection of pregnancy on abdominal palpation along with depressive nervous signs and laboratory findings of hypoglycemia, ketonuria with severe fatty liver at necropsy followed by relevant histopathological findings confirmed an outbreak of primary pregnancy toxemia. While ultrasonographic pregnancy diagnosis is known as an accurate method, its accuracy could be strongly influenced by technical inexperience and improper implementation of the method. Indecent execution of the technique was considered the key predisposing factor for current outbreak