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

Four fat-tailed ewes from an indoor flock (n=40) were examined for recumbency and depressive nervoussigns. They were from a seemingly nonpregnant group of the flock that had been diagnosed bytransabdominal ultrasonography. The ration consisted of mainly wheat straw since their separation from thepregnant group. Detection of pregnancy on abdominal palpation along with depressive nervous signs andlaboratory findings of hypoglycemia, ketonuria with severe fatty liver at necropsy followed by relevanthistopathological findings confirmed an outbreak of primary pregnancy toxemia. While ultrasonographicpregnancy diagnosis is known as an accurate method, its accuracy could be strongly influenced by technicalinexperience and improper implementation of the method. Indecent execution of the technique wasconsidered the key predisposing factor for current outbreak.