Abstract

Out of 193 clinical cases of dystocia in awassi ewes were treated, 27 (13.9%) ewes were suffered from dystocia due to fetal congenital defects. Various forms of congenital defects were observed including arthrogryposis 25.9%, brachygnathia and anasarca 18.5% for each, hydrocephalus 11.2% ascitis and dicephalus 7.4% for each, cyclopia, conjoined twins and schistosoma refluxes 3.7 % for each. The defects were occurred more frequently in male lambs (74.1 %) than in female lambs (25.9 %). Prenatal losses were reported in 96.2% of the cases.
Dystocia cases caused by congenital defect were treated by caesarian section (74.1%), manual correction and traction (14.8 %) or by fetatomy (11.1 %). The results indicates increasing the morbidity rate of fetal congenital defects in Mosul at this period, and showed that caesarean section was the best and safest method for the treatment of dystocia caused by congenital defects.