DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2017.v04i03.005

Pages: 114-118

Small ruminants contribute very significantly to the meat and less importantly to milk production in Nigeria and thus compliment the production from cattle in meeting the huge demand for animal protein source for the huge and affluent population in urban areas and other towns in Nigeria. The productivity of these animals is however, negatively affected by diseases and increasingly other non- infectious reproductive diseases or conditions. Dystocia together with other problems like stillbirth, pregnancy toxaemia, mastitis, orchitis are among the most common reproductive conditions affecting these animals apart from disease and poor nutrition. This paper was designed as a retrospective study on the incidence and causes of dystocia in sheep and goats over a six months period - June, 2015 to November, 2015. A total of 142 cases of dystocia were recorded at the clinic over the period of the review out of which 110 (77.46%) cases were in sheep while 32 (22.54%) occurred in goats. The principal causes of dystocia in both sheep and goats were fetal malpresentation and twinning with 25.45% and 23.62% respectively. Other causes included ringworm, fetal oversize, and monsters and prolapse. Various methods were employed in managing dystocia and included manual traction, caesarian section as well as drugs. It was concluded that dystocia was a major reproductive problem in small ruminants and management of the condition must be improved to save the pregnant animals and their young ones.