On-farm management of vaginal prolapse in ewes: A cross-sectional survey of UK sheep farmers.

BACKGROUND

Vaginal prolapse affects lambing ewes, usually before parturition. Prevalence is variable but may reach 10% in severely affected flocks. The prolapse is usually managed on-farm without veterinary intervention. Welfare concerns were highlighted around 20 years ago around specific management practices, but these have not been re-examined since. The aim of this study was to explore how farmers manage vaginal prolapses in their lambing ewes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online study was circulated among UK sheep farmers between 11 June and 1 August 2025, collecting information regarding the lambing season 2024‒2025.

RESULTS

A total of 127 responses were obtained. The median flock size was 200 (interquartile range [IQR] 50‒554). The median prevalence of vaginal prolapse was 1.7% (IQR 0.7%‒3.6%, range 0%‒20.1%). Only 13 (10.2%) reported calling in a veterinary surgeon for treatment of vaginal prolapse. Most respondents reported they always or usually washed the prolapse before replacement (81/93, 87.1%), gave non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (65/93, 69.9%), used a retention harness (74/93, 79.6%) and gave antimicrobials (58/93, 62.44). Six (6.5%) respondents admitted suturing the vulva without local anaesthetic.

LIMITATIONS: Responses may have been affected by social desirability bias.

CONCLUSION

While vaginal prolapse is well managed on many farms, education around antimicrobial use, pain relief and retention methods should be provided by veterinarians to improve animal welfare and antimicrobial stewardship.