Lambs & Kids (Levy)

Question 1

true or false: majority of lamb and kid deaths are due to management issues compared to infectious causes

Answer 1

true

Question 2

what do lambs die of?

Answer 2

abortion/weak lambs at birth
hypothermia
starvation/hypoglycemia
septicemia
penumonia
diarrhea
predation
issues with parturition

Question 3

what infectious causes lead to stillbirth/abortion/weak born lambs?

Answer 3

toxoplasma, chlamydia abortus, campylobacter fetus (vibrio)

Question 4

it is late winter and you are presented with a ewe that had a stillborn lamb. her placenta looks like this. how can you confirm your top diagnosis and how can this be treated?

Answer 4

this is focal cotyledonary necrosis which is a hallmark of toxoplasma

could do histo: H&E stain

treatment: decoquinate

Question 5

you are called out to a sheep farm. there have been a few ewes who have aborted 2 weeks before they were supposed to have their lambs, and one ewe just gave birth to a lamb that is weak and has a fever. based on your top differential, how should this be diagnosed and treated?

Answer 5

chlamydophila abortus

diagnosis is based on serology: IFA, CF, AGID

treatment: tetracycline, there is also a vaccine

Question 6

you are called out to a sheep farm in spring with a few cases of abortion. A few ewes have also given birth to weak and/or dead lambs. When you open up the dead lambs you see this. based on your top dx, how should this be diagnosed and treated?

Answer 6

campylobacter fetus (vibrio)

dx: giema stain or PCR

tx: tetracycline

there is a bacterin vaccine

Question 7

why is it important to have an abortion protocol for sheep?

Answer 7

the etiologies are zoonotic!!!

Question 8

you recently treated a vibrio outbreak in a sheep herd. How are you going to educate the producer about abortion protocols?

Answer 8

separate any sick animals from the rest of the flock, wear a disposable glove when handling dead fetus and placenta, but it in a thick garbage bag tie the top and refridgerate DO NOT FREEZE! If pregnant do not come in contact with animals.

develop an intervention number: example if there’s more than 3 abortions then submit testing to the lab to find out what it is

Question 9

what are the 2 causes of death in lambs regarding issues at parturition?

Answer 9

dystocia and mismothering

Question 10

what are some risk factors for mismothering lambs?

Answer 10

lambs in group housing, when ewes are not able to lick off the lamb, lamb stealing by other ewes, etc

Question 11

the #1 cause of death for lambs and kids in the first 48 hours of life is

Answer 11

hypothermia

Question 12

list some risk factors for hypothermia in lambs/kids

Answer 12

lack of fleece (certain breeds), born wet, large surface area to volume, twins/triplets, lack of shelter, a thin doe/ewe, dam not licking off the lamb/kid (primiparous or systemic illness of dam)

Question 13

you’re brought out to a sheep farm to help with lambing and you notice some of the lambs are cold. how you will you help them?

Answer 13

feed warm colostrum, provide external sources of heat, dextrose 10ml/kg of 20% IV

Question 14

you have a sheep farmer worried about his lambs starving after birth because he heard a nearby sheep farm had a number of lambs die from this. He wants to know why lambs would starve and wants to know how he can prevent this. you say…

Answer 14

it can be caused by: plugged teats in ewe, mastitis/hard udder/OPP, poor bonding, congenital defects, large litters, poor production

Question 15

what is the best way to treat starvation/hypoglycemia?

Answer 15

early recognition, warming, glucose/dextrose (given either IP or via stomach tube)

Question 16

colostrum is essential for lambs & kids because it is a source of what 5 things?

Answer 16

Immunoglobulins
Energy (heat, glucose)
Laxative
macro/micro nutrients
fat soluble vitamins

Question 17

adequate transfer of passive immunity is 2 events which are

Answer 17

delivery of sufficient QUANTITY of GOOD QUALITY colostrum

adequate absorption of antibodies into blood

Question 18

what issues could cause poor colostrum QUALITY and QUANTITY?

Answer 18

quality: young, sick, undernourished, poorly vaccinated dam

availbility: prepartum leakage, nursing by another lamb

ingestion: weak neonat, competition with siblings

absorption: weakness, sickness, hypothermia, dehydration, etc

Question 19

your uncle calls you and asks, “hey kid I just had a lamb born on my farm but the ewe unfourtuantely died shortly after birth. How much colostrum should I give the lamb to save its life?” you say

Answer 19

50-75 ml/kg, 3 times first day, more if the lamb is housed outside in the cold

Question 20

your uncle calls back and says “hey kid how do I know if my colostrum quality is good?” you say

Answer 20

we want IgG to be more than 12 g/L

Question 21

true or false: you can use cow colostrum to supplement lambs and kids

Answer 21

true!

Question 22

best way to store colostrum so you have extra in case you need to supplement?

Answer 22

frozen in 2-3 ox cubes

Question 23

since a lot of diseases can be spread via colostrum, what are some ways to sterilize the colostrum to decrease disease risk?

Answer 23

pasturization: high temp for just a few seconds, not the best bc of denaturation of immunoglobulins

heat treatment: lower temp like 56 or 57 C for 60 mins, kills viruses and doesn’t denature IgGs

Question 24

signs of acute septicemia in lambs/kids include

Answer 24

acute collapse, abnormal temp (fever or too cold), congested mucus membranes, diarrhea, swollen joints

Question 25

what is omphalophlebitis and what would it look like? why is it a problem?

Answer 25

infection of the umbillical vein: fever, lethargy, anorexia

can cause septicemia, peritonitis, UTIs, and arthritis

Question 26

you are presented with a newborn lamb with an inflammed, swollen, red, and painful umbillical stump. you suspect omphalophlebitis. what treatment can you offer? How will you educate this owner on prevention?

Answer 26

antibitoics and supportive therapy

prevention: sanitation, dipping of navel, adequate colostrum management

Question 27

in most areas of Canada, _____ must become an integral component of sheep management systems

Answer 27

managing predation

Question 28

what is spider lamb syndrome?

Answer 28

hereditary chondrodysplasia: deformity of the legs and vertebral column by 4-6 weeks of age

common in the black face sheep

Question 29

you are called out to the farm because a 4 wk old lamb looks like this. what is this? what will you tell the producer to look out for to identify these lambs sooner? What other advice will you give?

Answer 29

spider lamb syndrome: arthrogryposis, scoliosis, hyphosis, facial deformities, sometimes other defects

clues at birth: long legs, roman nose

this is an autosomal recessive mutation so stop breeding these animals

Question 30

which virus is an important cause of ovine/caprine pregnancy failure and neonatal malformations?

Answer 30

cache valley virus, transmitted by mosquitos

Question 31

you get a call from a goat farmer and he says that a 8 day old kid has become acutely paralyzed, but was normal at birth. the owner is panicking and asks what this is and what to do. you say…

Answer 31

this is floppy kid syndrome, aka metabolic acidosis without signs of dehydration. it is transient and reversbile, and there is no proven cause, thought to be maybe clostridium but many people think it has to deal with sel/vit E deficiency, enterotoxemia, sepsis, etc. the kids usually have low bicarb and high lactate with a low pH

treatment: oral bicarb and possibly antacids. only give IV fluids if severe!

Question 32

pneumonia in lambs/kids is usually caused by what bacteria?

Answer 32

manhemia haemolytica or pasturella occasionally

Question 33

a lamb presents with tachypnea, fever, expiratory effort, and crackles and wheezes on lung auscultation. you suspect pneumonia. what treatment will you give?

Answer 33

ceftiofur or tetracycline

Question 34

briefly list the causes of scours in lambs/kids

Answer 34

nutritional, E coli, rotavirus, salmonella, cryptosporidium, coccidia (super common in lambs)

Question 35

what causes nutritional diarrhea?

Answer 35

heavy milker, singleton or death of a twin, changing from milk to replacer, error in prep of milk replacer

Question 36

infectious diarrhea in lambs and kids often presents as _______ and is treated with..

Answer 36

wet fleece/tail, sometimes lethargy, sunkn eyes, etc.

tx is just oral fluids or IV if severe

Question 37

true or false: there is no scours vaccine labelled for small ruminants

Answer 37

true

Question 38

enterotoxemia of lambs and kids is also called…

Answer 38

pulpy kidney disease

Question 39

you go examine a lamb with diarrhea containing mucus and blood, abdominal pain, paddling, and shock signs. based on your top differential, what is the pathogenesis? what would you expect to see on necropsy?

Answer 39

enterotoxemia/pulpy kidney disease caused by clostridium type D

it is normally present in the intestines, but changes in diet cause proliferation. EPSILON toxin is released and gets into the blood causing edema and vascular damage to the brain, kidney, heart, and lungs.

necropsy: pericardial fluid, petecial hemorrhages on serosal surfaces, soft pulpy kidneys

Question 40

how can enterotoxemia be treated in lambs and kids?

Answer 40

flunixin IV or SC meloxicam for pain relief, antitoxin IV, tetracycline in feed.

can vaccinate for prevention, or just avoid abrupt changes in diet

Question 41

schmallenberg virus has 2 clinical forms which are

Answer 41

adults: fever, drop in milk, sometimes diarrhea

abortions, mummifications, newborns with malformations

Question 42

true or false: schmallenberg is transmitted by insects

Answer 42

true

Question 43

true or false: scmallenberg virus is now present in canada

Answer 43

false, it is only in europe as of right now