The Veterinary Record, Vol 140, Issue 9, 229-231
Copyright © 1997 by British Veterinary Association

Postpartum mummification of a co-twin fetus in a Cameroon dwarf goat doe

¹ Production Animal Clinic, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, 0110 Onderstepoort, Republic of South Africa

An 18-month-old Cameroon dwarf goat doe had chronic, bilateral hindlimb paresis and difficulty in rising two months after the birth of a normal kid. The doe was weak, pyrexic and had a purulent vaginal discharge. A large, firm mass was palpated in the caudodorsal abdomen. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed an ill-defined impenetrable mass which cast acoustic shadows. Radiography identified the mass as a fetus. The doe had a low normal haematocrit and a marked leucocytosis. A caesarian section through the caudal left paralumbar fossa was attempted, but contraction of the uterus had trapped the fetus in the cranial entrance of the pelvic canal preventing the uterus from being exteriorised. Adhesions were found between the uterus and abdominal viscera. The doe's inability to rise was attributed to the chronic pressure exerted on the ischiadic nerve by the fetus. A diagnosis of fetal mummification secondary to obstructive dystocia and fetal death was made. Radiography was a better diagnostic tool than ultrasonography in this case.