Background and Aim: Wattles are skin appendages controlled by a dominant autosomal gene, and their presence varies among different sheep breeds, being associated with production and reproductive traits. Unlike wattle cysts, other congenital wattle defects are not well-documented in sheep.
Materials and Methods: This report presents a rare case of bilateral congenital wattle defect in a one-day-old Mehraban lamb. Physical examination revealed bilateral sac-like structures in the submandibular region, resembling vestigial wattles and lacking normal skin or projections. The presence of similar congenital anomalies in the dam, who suffered from recurrent infections at the wattle sites, suggests a familial pattern. The wattle defects in the lamb were accompanied by severe neurological signs, including seizures and an inability to stand, which may share similarities with genetic neurocutaneous syndromes in human neonates as a potential defect in cutaneous appendages.
Results: A swab sample from the lamb's defect grew Staphylococcus saprophyticus, but there were no clinical signs of infection at the site. Surgical intervention was recommended to prevent future complications, but the severity of the lamb's neurological condition precluded surgery, and the lamb died.
Conclusion: Defective wattles may serve as a visible warning sign for heritable congenital anomalies, but further genetic investigations are essential to confirm or refute this hypothesis and to evaluate the role of wattles in sheep breeding programs.