Anaemia in sheep Flashcards
3 causes of anaemia
- Blood loss
- Haemolysis
- Lack of production
Blood loss
- Normally parasites
- Sometimes major trauma or post-op complications
- Initially, blood count remains normal, before anaemia and hypoproteinaemia are seen
Most common cause of parasitic blood loss
- Haemonchus contortus
Haemonchus contortus
- Called barbers pole worm
- Colonise the abomasum (here they’re not really exposed to the immune system, hence no/little immune response)
- Each one can ingest 0.05ml of blood per day
- Prolific breeders so rapid onset of outbreak
- Widespread in the UK
- Short life cycle (20 days)
- Short pre-patent period (14-15 days)
- High daily egg output (5-15,000/day)
- Needs warmer weather (>10oC)
- Survives well at pasture
- Adapting to changing environment (now fewer inhibited L4 larvae on PME over winter, L3 can complete their life cycle in the host, giving year round challenge in some warmer climates (Australia)).
- Possibly no resistance acquired (unclear on resistance as may just be due to the suppressive nature of treatment regimes)
- No diarrhoea seen
Haemonchus contortus acute infection
- Many larvae ingested in short period
- Animals weak, may collapse if driven
- Marked pallor of mucus membranes
- Hyperpnoea
- Tachycardia
- Still in good body condition (when very acute)
- Sudden death
Haemonchus contortus sub-acute infection
- Bottle-jaw
= submandibular oedema
Haemonchus contortus chronic infection
- Ill thrift
- Poor Body Condition
- Bottle-jaw
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Microcytic anaemia – because the chronic nature depletes iron reserves
Overt blood loss in sheep
Usually major trauma
- Usually injury
– Dog bites
– Running into things
- Can be iatrogenic
– Castration
– Dehorning in cattle
Clinpath of overt blood loss
- Complete blood count remains normal at first, even with massive blood loss
- Later see anaemia and hypoproteinaemia
- Regeneration seen after a couple of days
– Macrocytosis
– Reticulocytosis
– Nucleated RBCs
Babesia
Babesia Venatorum identified in sheep in the UK in 2019
- Does not seem to infect cattle
- Has been found in sheep
Babesia Divergens, more common
- Causes redwater fever
- Seen when ticks are active – May/June
- Urine goes from red to black (as haemoglobin being excreted in the urine)
Ticks in UK
- Ixodes Ricinus is found on sheep and deer
- Ixodes Ovis is made up
- Ixodes hexagonus is found on hedgehogs
- Haemaphysalis punctata found in some specific coastal areas of UK
- Dermacenter reticulatus is a cattle tick
- Ixodes arbaricola is found in tree hole nesting birds
Haemolysis - primary ddx
- a result of toxin ingestion
Haemolysis - secondary ddx
- Parasitism of RBCs
- IV injection of hyper or hypotonic solutions
- Contact with bacterial toxins
- Water intoxication
Ingested toxins causing haemolysis - common toxins
- Sulphur toxins from onions and brassicas
- Nitrates
- Nitrites
- Copper (far more sheep are seen post mortem with copper toxicity than copper deficiency)
Diagnosis of chronic copper toxicity
- Jaundice seen – of sclera and skin (breakdown products of blood settling in these places)
- Urine – black in colour (due to trying to excrete the copper and the breakdown of products of haemolysis - so get lots of haemoglobin in the urine)
- Liver – bronze coloured
- Kidneys – gun-metal appearance (where the copper has settled into the nephrons)