Urogenital defects in sheep

The urogenital system was involved in 92 (22.9 per cent) of 401 malformed lambs examined over a three year period; genital 69 (six males: one female) and urinary 23 (three males: one female). Ten lambs had both genital and urinary defects. Sixty-eight (73.0 per cent) of the 92 lambs had defects of other organs, the most common being atresia ani, various skeletal and central nervous system defects, and arthrogryposis. The most common external defect of the male genital system was partial to complete cleft of the scrotum and the most common internal defect was cryptorchidism (six unilateral and 12 bilateral). Both penile agenesis and diphallia were observed twice. Defects of the female genital system included two uterine agenesis, four atresia vaginam, and one freemartin. Male pseudohermaphroditism was found in three lambs. The most common external urinary defect was male hypospadias and the most common internal defect was renal agenesis (12 unilateral and one bilateral). Other urinary defects were hydronephrosis (two unilateral and two bilateral), cystic kidneys (four unilateral and two bilateral), one bilateral polycystic kidneys, one patent urachus and six dysgenic kidneys.