Termination Of Goat Pregnancy with Lutalyse

By Deb Haines

Pregnancy is maintained by a structure on the ovary known as a CL (corpus luteum ), not same thing as the abscess problem. Lutalyse is a hormone (prostaglandin) that disrupts the CL, lysing it, so that the ovary no longer produces the hormone (progesterone) that maintains pregnancy.

Lutalyse is a brand name for Prostaglandin. This drug must be acquired from a veterinarian.
This drug can be used as a tool to abort a doe that was bred, to cause a goat that is in the middle of her cycle to come back into heat, or to induce a goat to give birth at the end of her pregnancy.

Note….. There is the option that you can wait at least 30 days after the accidental breeding to see if doe returns to heat before taking the route of Lutalyse.

*** Questions and Answers ***
1) What is the Lutalyse dose? Lutylase is what is use for an abortifactant … can use it 2 days in a row .. 2cc per goat IM In many goats, it takes 2 doses to complete the disruption of the CL. One might do it, but have known quite a few people that have only used one dose, and get surprised by kids being born that didn’t get aborted. That can be a real issue with a really young, small doe with a single big kid (or any other dystocia causing problem).

2) Can Lute be effective if given SQ? Hormones need to be given IM.

3) I was told to use Lutalyse, Oxytocin, and Dexamethasone to abort accidental breeding and bring doe back into heat. As to why not the other two? Well, Dex can be helpful sometimes in inducing labor, but not always, and is typically used in late term pregnancy (near term) to help with fetal lung development (not needed during an abortion). The oxytocin is used for smooth muscle contracture and milk let down. The milk let down is obviously not needed now, and since the lutalyse can take a few days to work in terminating the pregnancy, and the oxytocin is gone within about 30 minutes after the injection, it isn’t something one would necessarily recommend. we don’t use oxytocin to induce labor, since it doesn’t dilate the cervix. we use it post-partum to help with placenta passage and milk let down if needed. Keep in mind that different species do respond to these hormones in different ways, so what may be used in one (humans are induced with oxytocin), is not necessarily used the same in another.

4) Where is the best place to give the injection IM ? The 2 ml per dose for a goat. Best if given IM. The muscles along the sides of the neck in front of the shoulder blades. Less chance of hitting a nerve and causing lameness, plus easier to restrain the goat to do it.

5) I was told pregnant women should not handle Lutalyse, Is this true ?
Pregnant women or even think could be pregnant SHOULD NOT handle Lutalyse without gloves. Avoid at all if possible

Keep in mind…. Lutylase is concentration dependent so it does not last in system very long. A second round at 10 days can be done, but not all do it. The smaller breeds may take more than just 2 days in a row – sometimes 3 – especially if further along.

A goat pregnancy is CL dependent and Lutylase destroys the CL, so it works at all stages BUT there has to be a decent CL started .. hence the “no earlier than 11 days” admonition.

A 30 day bred should be resorbed and you would see nothing.

Please, always establish a relationship with your local veterinarian .