Constipation in lambs and sheep: causes, signs and what to do

When a lamb strains, lifts its tail and passes nothing, or a ewe stops passing droppings, we are facing constipation in lambs and sheep. Sometimes it resolves with something as simple as walking and drinking water; other times it is the sign of a more serious problem, such as an obstruction or a malformation. That is why the most important thing is knowing how to tell them apart.

In this guide we explain how to recognize constipation in lambs and sheep, the most common causes, what you can do in the field and when to call the veterinarian.

What is constipation in sheep?

It is difficulty or inability to pass feces. Producers often say the animal is “blocked” and cannot pass droppings. Under normal conditions, ewes and lambs pass firm but soft pellets several times a day; nursing lambs have pasty, yellowish feces.

It can appear in newborn lambs (for example from retained meconium, the first feces) or in older lambs and adult sheep, usually because of feed or lack of movement.

How to recognize it: warning signs

• Repeated straining to defecate, with the tail raised, without result.
• Very dry, hard and scarce feces, or no feces at all.
• Swollen or hard abdomen, especially in lambs.
• Restlessness, kicking at the belly, lying down and getting up often.
• Loss of appetite, depression and, in lambs, stopping nursing.

Check the tail first. In lambs with diarrhea or in the first days, feces stuck to the wool can block the anus and look like constipation. If so, simply clean with warm water and carefully trim the wool.

Most common causes

In newborn lambs

• Retained meconium: the first feces, dark and sticky, do not come out. It is related to weak lambs or ones that did not get enough colostrum.
• Blocked anus from feces stuck to the wool.
• Anal atresia: a congenital malformation in which the anus has not opened. The lamb is born without an anal opening and, over hours and days, progressive abdominal distension and straining appear. It requires surgical correction by a veterinarian and the outcome depends on how developed the rectum is.

In older lambs and adults

• Inadequate feeding: very dry diets, low in fiber or low in green forage. The FUNDAPAZ booklet notes that it is usually due to the feed the animals are eating.
• Too little water or poor-quality water, dehydration.
• Lack of movement: animals down for several days, in which the intestines become paralyzed.
• Foreign bodies or hard-to-digest material (wool, plastic, sand) and parasites.
• Pain, stress or illnesses that reduce feed intake.

In males, straining to urinate because of a urinary blockage (urolithiasis) can be mistaken for constipation; it is a veterinary emergency.

What to do in the field

• Observe and take the temperature. Check whether it nurses or eats, whether it urinates and whether the abdomen is swollen.
• Clean the anal area with warm water and check that it is open.
• Hydrate and walk the animal. Movement helps intestinal transit. Offer clean water and tender green forage.
• A gentle, warm enema, only in small lambs and with great care. Extension guides and field booklets mention warm water with a little mild soap, given with a needleless syringe or a thin lubricated tube, without pressure, so as not to hurt the bowel. If you have no experience, have your veterinarian do it.
• Home remedies and purgatives: training booklets include traditional preparations (for example, molle tea with oil and white soap), but they remind that store-bought purgatives can be too strong for some animals and make things worse. If you use any, ask first: giving liquids by mouth incorrectly can send the product to the lungs.
• After treatment, walk the animal.

When to call the veterinarian

• A newborn lamb that does not pass feces in the first hours or days, or that does not nurse.
• Swollen abdomen, intense pain or depression.
• No urine, vomiting or regurgitation.
• Suspected anal atresia (the anus cannot be seen).
• An adult that has not passed droppings for more than a day or two, or that does not improve after basic measures.

An obstructive condition can be serious and require medical treatment or surgery, so it is not wise to wait.

How to prevent constipation in sheep

• Colostrum in the first hours of life for all young, and monitoring of those born weak.
• Clean, fresh water always available.
• A balanced diet with fiber (pasture, good-quality hay) and gradual feed changes.
• Checking tails and anuses of lambs in the first weeks, especially if there is diarrhea.
• Preventing animals from staying down for days: help them stand and call for advice if they cannot.
• A health plan with parasite control and daily checks of the flock at lambing.

Record each lamb with OvinApp

A lamb with digestive problems in its first days deserves follow-up. With OvinApp, the free app for managing sheep and goats from your phone, you can record births, each lamb’s identification and health events, schedule newborn checks in the calendar and alerts and keep a treatment history. If a malformation such as anal atresia appears, having the parents on record helps you make management and selection decisions.

Frequently asked questions

How long can a lamb go without passing feces?

A newborn lamb should pass meconium within the first hours and have yellowish milk feces in the following days. If several hours go by with no feces, or there is straining or distension, check it and consult the veterinarian.

Can you give oil to a constipated lamb?

Some veterinary protocols use mineral oil by mouth, but the dose and the way to give it should be defined by the veterinarian, because if the liquid goes into the lung it can cause severe pneumonia.

Can anal atresia be cured?

Treatment is surgical and must be done early. The result depends on the severity of the malformation; when there is a connection with other organs, the outlook is more guarded.

Is constipation the same as an intestinal obstruction?

No. Constipation can be mild and temporary; an obstruction is a blockage that prevents the passage of contents and is an emergency. If there is a lot of pain, a swollen abdomen or vomiting, it is better to consult immediately.

Conclusion

Constipation in lambs and sheep can be solved with simple measures, but it is not always a minor problem. Check the anus and tail, make sure there is water and movement, avoid rough maneuvers and call the veterinarian for a swollen abdomen, pain or no feces in a newborn. This article is for guidance only and does not replace veterinary advice.

Sources

• FUNDAPAZ. Zona Caprina No. 8: Sanidad Animal en el Chaco Salteño (2003), “Estreñimiento” section. https://www.fundapaz.org.ar/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Sanidad.pdf
• University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension. EC61-206 Feeding and Care of Young Lambs Under Farm Conditions. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist/3512
• MSD/Merck Veterinary Manual. Acute Intestinal Obstructions in Large Animals. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/es-us/aparato-digestivo/obstrucciones-intestinales-agudas-en-grandes-animales/obstrucciones-intestinales-agudas-en-grandes-animales
• Revista Científica FCV-LUZ. Atresia anal en ovino. Reporte de caso. https://doi.org/10.52973/rcfcv-e35631
• Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (2017). Atresia anal com fístula retovaginal em ovino: relato de caso. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4162-9379