Diseases of the neonatal lamb Flashcards
What are common reasons for death intra-partum?
– Born dead
– ‘Birth stress’ resulting in a hypoxia, failure to suck, hypothermia, hypoglycaemia
– Ruptured liver
– Fractured ribs
– Brain haemorrhage
What are common reasons for death post partum?
- Hypothermia
- Starvation
- Infections
-Watery mouth
-Salmonella
-Cryptosporidia
-Septicaemia
-Meningitis
-Joint ill
-Clostridial Disease
-Pasturellosis - Predation
- Accidents
- Congenital defects
How much colostrum should be given in first feed / + first 24hours?
- First feed = 50ml / kg
- 200ml/kg in 24hours (1litre)
What are risk factors for poor colostrum intake?
- Concurrent diseases - dystocia, lameness, fluke…
- Under-nutrition ewe
- Breeding - mothering, lamb vigour
- Age of ewe
- Multiple lambs
- Lambing environment - stress, mismothering, poor weather
What can be used as colostrum substitutes?
- Ewe colostrum +++
- Goat colostrum
- Cow colostrum - less energy (need more)
- Commercial colostrum
What are risk factors for primary hypothermia?
- Out-door lambing
- Younger ewes
- Wet weather
- Small birth weight
- Failure to feed
How can you prevent hypothermia?
- Lambing period
- Genetics
- Ewe nutrition
- Shelter
- Lamb coats
How do you treat hypothermia?
why would you not administer orally?
- intra peritoneal glucose
oral = regurgitation, inhalational pneumonia + asphyxia
How would you treat a starving lamb?
- if its holding its head = stomach tube
- If not holding its head = IP glucose
What are some enteric diseases in lambs?
- Watery mouth
- Lamb dysentery
- ETEC
- Septicaemia / meningitis - pasteurellosis
- Rotavirus
- Salmonella
- Cryptosporidium parvum
- Drunken lamb syndrome
What are clinical signs of watery mouth?
- 12-72 hours of age
- Dull
- Unwilling to suck
- Normothermic
- ‘watery mouth’ - saliva drooling from the muzzle.
- Profuse lacrimation
- Frequently accompanied by abomasal tympany
What are differential diagnoses for watery mouth?
- Lamb dysentery
- Neonatal scours - E. coli K-99, Rotavirus
- Drunken lamb syndrome - D-lactic acidosis syndrome
How can you treat, prevent and control watery mouth?
- Tx = enteral / parenteral antibiotics, oral rehydration
- Prevention = good quality colostrum, clean dry bedding + disinfected pens
What causes lamb dysentery?
How is it prevented?
- Clostridium perfringens type B
- beta + epsilon toxins
- Vaccinate - heptavac, bravoxin, covexin, ovivac
What are clinical signs of lamb dysentery?
- 1-3 days of age
- Sudden death
- Haemorrhagic diarrhoea
- PM = dark red intestines, pale friable liver + blood stained peritoneal fluid
