Approach to Group Lamb Health Flashcards
what are important history questions when investigating a farm problem
Age of affected lambs
Potential causes
Seen this before?
Symptoms
When were first cases seen
Treatment and response
Breed
Ewe/ram
Ewe BCS and nutrition during pregnancy
Age group of mothers
Management at lambing
Housing
Supervision
Weather conditions/shelter
Signs in ewes
Abortions
Enteritis
Depression
Deaths
Hygiene of environment
Lamb management after birth
Colostrum
Navel hygiene
Docking/castration
Vaccination of ewes/lambs
Trace element history
what are important record information to get when investigation lamb problems
# of ewes bred
Scanning results
lambs born alive/dead
lambs turned out at … days
lambs ‘marked’ or wormed
# lambs weaned
# lambs sold or kept for breeding
what are peri-partum causes of mortality
dystocia
abortive agents
membranes over nose
what are neonatal causes of mortality
starvation
- mastitis of ewe
- lack of milk
- lack of vigour
- rejection by ewe
neonatal infection
congenital disease
hypothermia
how do you examine the evironment, housing and nutrition
indoor vs outdoor?
bedding?
navel dipping?
colostrum?
what are risk factors that increase neonatal death
Low birth weight
Low serum immunoglobulin
High litter size
Inexperienced/young mothers
Male lambs
Low ewe body condition
Being born late in the season
at what lamb weight does increase mortality occur
<3.5kg and >5.5kg
what are general ways to prevent lamb losses
Ewe nutrition
Good hygiene
- Environment
- Personal
Compact lambing
Adequate labour
Good lighting
Outdoors — shelter
- Hedgerows, bushes, trees, square bales, pallets secured upright
Vaccinations
Stocking rates
- Indoors min 1.1m^2 per ewe
- Pens 3m^2
- Min 1 pen per 8 ewes (natural mating)
Appropriate genetics
when should colostrum be given
within 2 hours
how much colostrum is needed
50ml/kg first feed
2-300ml/kg in first 24 hours
what does good quality colostrum contain and how would you check quality
enough IgG
fat content
viscosity, colour, colostrometer, brix (24%?)
what colostrum replacers can be used
Fresh frozen from another ewe
Frozen from other ewes:
- Can last years
- Do not microwave
- Same farm only
Cow colostrum
Powdered colostrum (variable quality)
what are the issues with cow colostrum
Need 30% more volume (lower fat and IgG content)
Vaccinate cows against clostridial disease
Pool from 4 cows (due to risk fo anemia)
Risk of Johne’s disease and TB transmission
why do orphan lambs have high risk of mortality
Poor colostrum provision
Nutrition very artificial
how do you prevent red gut
Ensure fibre intake
Room temperature milk after 7 days
Continual milk supply or frequent feeds best
Wean early
what is the back story with lamb diseases?
describe how a lamb PM is done and what you would be looking for
how do you tell if the lamb has breathed on PM
Inflated lungs should be pale pink and tissue should float in water
how do you tell if the lamb has walked on PM
If not soft ‘slippers’ still cover the soles
how do you tell if the lamb has sucked on PM
Milk present in the abomasum
Check whether meconium has been passed (beware may have been stomach tubed)
how do you tell if there is evidence of dystocia
Swollen head, edema over hindquarters, meconium staining, fractured ribs, ruptured liver
how do you tell if the brown fat has been metabolized
Metabolized cardiac and renal fat has a purplish appearance
how do you tell if there is evidence of infectious disease
Pneumonia, diarrhea, navel ill, joint ill
how do you tell if there is Is there evidence of goitre on PM
The thyroid lies caudal to the larynx and as a guide should weigh no more than 0.4g/kg bodyweight
how do you tell if there is evidence on congenital abnormality
Cleft palate, atresia ani, entropion, arthrogryposis, cerebellar hypoplasia
what other testing can you perform to investigate an on farm problem (9)
- lamb colostrum intake (serum TP, serum ZST, IgG, GGT)
- bacteriology, culture and sensitivity (PM, diarrhea)
- parasitology
- toxin isolation (clostridium perfringens)
- virus isolation (rota, BVD)
- serology (MV, johnes, BVD)
- histopathology
- ewe dietary analysis
- ewe metabolic profiles
what preventative measures can be applied on farm
Colostrum management
Maternal nutrition
Vaccinations
Hygiene
Naval treatment
Individual lamb treatments
- Glucose, warming box, antibiotics, etc
what are common lamb conditions
Starvation/hypothermia
Watery mouth
Neonatal diarrhea
Neonatal bacteremias
Orf
Umbilical prolapse
Cow colostrum anemia
how long do brown fat reserves last in lambs
approx 5 hours
what are underlying causes of starvation and lamb hypothermia
Mismothering (young, underfed ewe, etc)
Maternal mastitis
Birth trauma
what should you do with a lamb that has a temp <37 thats been hypothermic for over 5 hours
needs energy
if not holding head up –> glucose injection
if holding head up –> feed stomach tube
how do you perform a glucose injection
New needle: 19 gauge, 1 inch
New syringe (50ml)
4ml/kg 50% glucose
- 20ml for a 5kg lamb
6ml/kg hot boiled water
- 30 ml for a 5kg lamb
Mark the spot with antibiotic spray
- 1 inch behind and 1/2 to the side of navel
Insert needle, pointing it toward the tail head
when is watery mouth seen
1-3 day old lambs
what are causes of watery mouth
FPT (triplets, young ewe, birth trauma)
what does watery mouth cause
slow GIT motility and high abomasal pH –> decreased colostrum
enterotoxemia
what are early signs of watery mouth
Cold wet mouth
Reluctance to suck
Dull
what are later signs to watery mouth
Salivation
Distended abdomen with gas and fluid (‘rattle’)
Recumbency
Diarrhea or constipation
how is watery mouth diagnosed
Typical clinical signs
PME suggestive
C&S for antibiotic efficacy
Definitive diagnosis difficult to confirm
how is watery mouth prevented
Ewe nutrition (late pregnancy and early lactation)
- Management at birth
- Management of multiples
- Adequate supplementation when needed
Hygiene (environment and equipment):
- Clean
- Dry
Prophylactic antibiotics
how is watery mouth treated
Oral rehydration fluids, 50ml every 3 hours (with glucose or glucose pre-cursor)
Warm but keep with ewe if possible
NSAIDs (combat endotoxemia)
Oral/parenteral antibiotics
what are the causes of neonatal diarrhea
E. coli K99
Cryptosporidiosis
Salmonellosis
Rotavirus — different strain to calves
Lamb dysentry
Coccidiosis (>3 weeks)
what causes lamb dysentery
Clostridium perfringens type B
what are the two forms of lamb dysentery
Young lambs (1-3 days old)
- Sudden death
- PM hemorrhagic enteritis — jejunum
Older lambs (up to 3 weeks)
- Abdominal pain
- Hemorrhagic diarrhea
- Death
how is lamb dysentery diagnosed
Toxins β and ε in intestinal contents but most need
how is lamb dysentery prevented
Vaccination of ewes pre-lambing
Colostrum — early, quality, quantity
at what age does enterotoxigenic E coli cause scours
<48 hours old
what type of diarrhea does enterotoxigenic E coli cause
secretory, severe, brown
how is enterotoxigenic E coli scours treated
prompt fluids
antibiotics
NSAIDs
how is enterotoxigenic E coli prevented
Hygiene
Colostrum
Isolate sick lambs
at what age does cryptosporidium parvum appear in lambs
<3 weeks old
what type of diarrhea does cryptosporidium parvum cause
Profuse watery diarrhea
how is cryptosporidium parvum treated
Fluid therapy
Halofuginone (Halocur) — not licensed, care esp when dehydrated
how is cryptosporidium parvum prevented
hygiene
difficult to kill
what species of salmonella cause scours
Salmonella typhimurium or S. dublin
what type of diarrhea does salmonella cause
Profuse acidic diarrhea
what does salmonella enterotoxin cause
dull
dyspneic
how is salmonellosis treated
fluid (intense)
antibiotics
NSAIDs
what cause neonatal bacteriemia
opportunistic infections
Immunosuppressed (FPT, concurrent disease)
High environmental contamination
what bacteria can cause neonatal bacteremia
E. Coli
Mannheimia hemolytica
Pasteurella multocida
Trueperella pyrogens
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus dysgalactiae
what are the causes neonatal bacteriemia
Navel ill
Septic polyarthritis
Spinal abscess
Meningitis
Septicemia
Pneumonia
what are infection route of access (3)
- navel ill
- meningitis, septic polyarthritis, septicemia
- spinal abscess
what can cause meningitis, septic polyarthritis, septicemia infection route of access
mouth
upper resp tract
umbilicus
what can cause spinal abscess
infected tail ring
what does mild navel ill appear as
Slight swelling
+/- serosanguinous to purulent discharge
what does severe navel ill cause
Depression
+/- pyrexia
Failure to suckle
Painful swelling +/- discharge
what can navel ill lead to
Hepatic necrobacillosis
Peritonitis
Meningitis
Cystitis
how is navel ill treatd
Systemic antibiotics:
- Penicillin, amoxicillin +/- clavulanic acid, fluorfenicol
- Long course minimum 7 days, ideally 10-14 days
NSAIDs
how is navel ill prevented
Navel treatment
Colostrum
Hygiene
what are causative agents of meningitis
Variety of causative agents, including E. coli or Staphylococcus aureus
at what age can meningitis appear
Most 2-4 weeks old, but any time
what are the signs of meningitis
Failure to suck
Separation from dam
Episcleral congestion
Severe depression
Altered gait >> recumbency
how is meningitis treated
Poor response to treatment (early antibiotics and corticosteroids)
what is the most common causative agent of joint ill
Streptococcus dysgalactiae
how is joint ill diagnosed
clinical signs
culture
how is joint ill treated
10-14 days antibiotics
Anti-inflammatories
how is joint ill prevented
Colostrum + hygiene
what is the causative agent of tick borne fever
anaplasma phagocytophilum
what does tick borne fever cause
Pyrexia and immunosuppression:
- Can be left behind by ewe (hill sheep especially)
- Pre-disposes to other infections ex. septic polyarthritis
Tick pyaemia (+ Staphylococcus aureus)
- 2-10 weeks old
- Lameness, ill thrift
what pathogens can cause septicemia
ubiquitous commensal bacteria
Peracute pasteurellosis:
- Ex. Mannheimia hemolytica, Bibersteinia trehalosis
how does septicemia present
sudden death
what can be seen on PM with septicemia
PM bacteriology, often few signs
Bibersteinia trehalosis
- Esophageal ulceration
- Multiple hemorrhages in carcass
- Liver — focal grey lesions
how is orf treated
Symptomatic
Antibiotics
NSAIDs
Feed
what are congenital conditions
Border disease
Schmallenberg virus
Trace element deficiencies of dams
Toxicities
- Plants/pharmaceutical/other
Hereditary
what is border disease virus
Similar to BVD in cattle:
BVD and BDV can interchange between species
High barren rates
Abortion
Congenital deformaties
Persistently infected lambs
Immunosuppression of transiently infected lambs
what does border disease virus cause
hairy shakers
Low birth weights
Weakness
Limb abnormalities
- Long, fine bones, immobile joints
Narrow head, short mandible, domed skull
Nervous signs
- Tremor, ataxia, hypermetria
Hair vs wool
Abnormally pigmented fleece
what is schmallenberg virus transmitted by
cullicoides
what does schmallenberg virus cause
Hydranencephaly
Arthrogryposis
‘Dummy’ lambs:
- Blindness
- Ataxia
- Recumbency
- An inability to suck
- Sometimes seizures
what does blue tongue virus cause
‘Dummy lambs’
Blindness
Hydranencephaly
what does akabane virus (AUS) cause
arthrogryposis
hydraencephalopathy
what does copper deficiency in ewes cause
Swayback
what are the clinical signs of copper eff in lambs
Stillbirths, recumbency, weakness leading to swaying/stumbling
how is copper deficiency diagnosed
Blood or liver copper
Histopathology of lamb brain/spinal cord
what does selenium deficiency in ewes lead to in lambs
White muscle disease
what are the clinical signs of selenium deficiency in lambs
Stillborn or weak lambs, sudden deaths, lameness/stiffness
how is selenium deficiency diagnosed
Glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), vitamin E, creatinine kinase, PM/histopathology
what are clinical signs of iodine deficiency
Stillborn or weak lambs, poorly fleeced, goitre
how is iodine deficiency diagnosed
Thyroid:body weight ratio, and/or thyroid iodine content
how are the clinical signs of cobalt deficiency in lambs
Reduced lamb vigour/activity
how is cobalt deficiency diagnosed
serum vit B12
liver cobalt
what are hereditary conditions in lambs
Entropion
Atresia ani
Ventricular septal defect
Epidermolysis bulls (redfoot) — Suffolk, Welsh mountain, Scottish blackface
Oral lesions, ears, distal limbs
Dandy walker malformation — Suffolk
Hydrocephalus
Hereditary chondrodysplasia (spider syndrome) — Suffolk, Hampshire
Arthrogryposis — Suffolk
Cerebellar abiotrophy — Charollais
how are lamb umbilical prolapses treated
Keep clean
Broad spectrum antibiotics
NSAIDs
Disinfect
Make hernia slightly bigger if necessary
Carefully replace
Suture
what is cow colostrum anemia neonatal isoerythrolysis
Antibodies to sheep RBCs
Small number of cows affected
Lamb anemia 5-12 days of age
how is neonatal isoerythrolysis diagnosed
History
PCV
PM (bone marrow)
how is neonatal isoerythrolysis prevented
Screening test available for cow colostrum
Prevent by pooling colostrum from >4 cows
