Death, clostridial, notifiable disease (Yr 4) Flashcards
what can cause death of neonatal lambs?
congenital issues
birth trauma (rib fractures…)
starvation, hypothermia
clostridial disease (lamb dysentery, tetanus…)
neonatal infection (watery mouth, septicaemia…)
intestinal torsions
predators
what can cause death in older lambs?
clostridial disease (pulpy kidney, braxy, abomasitis…)
pasteurellosis
urolithiasis (high concentrates)
PGE/parasites
acute fluke
rumen acidosis
plant poisoning
what are the common plant poisonings of sheep?
yew, acorn, laurel, rhododendron
what is the cause of pneumonia pasteurellosis?
Mannheim haemolytica
where is Mannheimia haemolytic found as a normal commensal?
nasopharynx
what are some risk factors of developing pneumonia pasteurellosis?
poor colostrum status
stress - transport, weather acidosis, housing…
what is used to treat pneumonia pasteurellosis?
long acting oxytetracycline or amoxicillin
how can pneumonia pasteurellosis be controlled prophylactically?
vaccination (lambs from three weeks of age, boosters of pre-lambing ewes)
control risk factors
what causes systemic pasteurellosis?
Bierbersteinia trehalosi
where is Bierbersteinia trehalosi found as a normal commensal in the sheep?
upper respiratory tract
what aged lambs get Bierbersteinia trehalosi (systemic pasteurellosis)?
6-10 month old lambs (sudden death)
what are some risk factors for Bierbersteinia trehalosi (systemic pasteurellosis)?
stress - grazing change, weather, disease, handling…
what can be done to treat Bierbersteinia trehalosi (systemic pasteurellosis)?
long acting oxytetracycline
what are the risk factors commonly associated with clostridial disease?
poor hygiene
injury/trauma/wounds
endoparasites
dietary changes
(organisms ubiquitous in environment)
what type of environment in the sheep allows clostridial disease to multiple and produce toxins?
anaerobic
what causes death in clostridial disease?
toxins produced by bacteria
what causes lamb dysentery?
Clostridium perfringens type B
what does Clostridium perfringens type B cause?
lamb dysentery
what is the main clinical sign of lamb dysentery (Clostridium perfringens type B)?
profuse haemorrhagic diarrhoea (plus abdominal pain)
what age sheep are effected by lamb dysentery (Clostridium perfringens type B)?
<3 weeks old
what are the main risk factors for lamb dysentery?
over crowding and poor hygiene
what is the typical post mortem finding of Clostridium perfringens type B?
haemorrhagic enteritis
blood stained peritoneal fluid
how if Clostridium perfringens type B (lamb dysentery) diagnosed?
post mortem (haemorrhagic enteritis)
ELISA for toxins
culture
what causes pulpy kidney disease?
Clostridium perfringens type D
what does Clostridium perfringens type D cause?
pulpy kidney disease
what age sheep is Clostridium perfringens type D (pulpy kidney) seen in?
any age lambs
what is a major risk factor of Clostridium perfringens type D (pulpy kidney)?
high levels of concentrate feeding
(no vaccination or colostrum)
what are the clinical signs that pulpy kidney disease may present with?
ataxia, opisthotonus, sudden death
what are the post mortem findings of Clostridium perfringens type D (pulpy kidney?
changes to kidney (haemorrhage…)
blood stain peritoneal fluid
how is pulpy kidney (Clostridium perfringens type D) diagnosed?
post mortem changes (kidney and peritoneal fluid)
ELISA for toxin
culture
what does Clostridium sordelli cause?
abomasitis and toxaemia
what age sheep is Clostridium sordelli seen in?
4-10 weeks old
what is the main risk factor for Clostridium sordelli?
intensive concentrate reared lambs
what are the possible clinical signs of Clostridium sordelli?
sudden death
bloat/distention of abomasum
what are the findings on post mortem of Clostridium sordelli?
haemorrhagic bloated abomasum
what does Clostridium tetani cause?
tetanus
what are the main risk factors for Clostridium tetani?
contamination at docking and wounds
what are the clinical signs of Clostridium tetani?
stiff hindlimbs
opisthotonus
recumbency
sudden death
what does Clostridium septicum cause?
braxy
when is braxy (Clostridium septicum) seen?
autumn/winter when grazing frosty root crops
what causes blacks disease?
Clostridium novyi type B
what is the primary cause of blacks disease?
fluke infection
what are the findings of blacks disease (Clostridium novyi type B)?
necrotic liver (fluke present)
bloody peritoneal fluid
when are clostridial vaccines given?
start from 3 weeks old
booster 4 weeks before lambing
what are some clostridial vaccines?
heptavac P plus
covexin
bravoxin
what are some notifiable diseases of sheep to be aware of?
anthrax
blue tongue
contagious agalactaie
foot and mouth
scrapie
what causes anthrax?
Bacillus anthracis
what is the typical post-mortem finding of anthrax?
splenomegaly (soft and friable)
what are the clinical signs of foot and mouth?
fever, vesicles, lameness, tongue/dental pad blisters
(highly infectious but not usually fatal)
how is bluetongue transmitted?
Culicoides imicola (mosquito)
what are the clinical signs of bluetongue?
fever, mouth ulcerations, eye/nasal discharge, head/neck swelling, lameness
(high mortality)
what are the clinical signs of contagious agalactia?
mastitis
arthritis
keratoconjunctivits
abortions
(weight loss, pyrexia…)
what causes contagious agalactia?
Mycoplasma agalactiae
what type of disease is scrape?
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (prion disease)
what are the clinical signs of scrapie?
neurological (trembling, excitable, aggressive, ataxia…)
pruritic, wool loss
weight loss
death
