Diseases of the neonatal lamb 1 Flashcards
Define neonatal period
The period immediately after birth
1-2 weeks
Define the perinatal period
The period around parturition
When are neonatal losses most likley to occur?
At lambing
Intra-partum defines which period?
0-24hrs after birth
Name some intra-partum problems affecting lambs
- Born dead
- ‘Birth stress’ resulting in a failure to suck, hypothermia etc.
- Anoxia/hypoxia
- Ruptured liver
- Fractured ribs
- Brain haemorrhage
Name some post-partum problems affecting lambs
- Hypothermia
- Starvation
- Infections
- Predation
- Congenital defects
Name some post-partum infections of lambs
- Watery mouth
- Salmonella
- Cryptosporidia
- Septicaemia
- Joint ill
- Clostridial disease
- Pasturella
Name some ewe risk factors for lamb losses
- Genetics
- Mothering ability: dystocia, milk porduction
- Ewe health
- Ewe nutrition
- Number of lambs
- Stress
- Vaccination
- Colostrum
Name some lamb risk factors for lamb losses
- Birth weight
- Congenital abnormalities
- Lamb vigour
- Vaccination
Name some environmental factors for lamb losses
- Hygiene
- Equipment: tagging, feeding, castration
- Naval dipping
- Shelter
- Weather
How much colostrum should be given in
1. first feed
2. over 24hrs
- 50ml/kg
- 200ml/kg
How can success/failure of passive transfer be assessed?
IgG
Serum total protein
What are some risk factors for poor colostrum intake?
- Concurrent disease: dystocia, lameness, fluke
- Breeding
- Age of ewe
- Multiple births
- Environment: stress, weather, mis-mothering
What can be used to assist milking single ewes for colostrum?
10-15iu oxytocin IM
Describe goat colostrum as a substitute for lambs
- Good antibody spectrum
- Similar energy content
- Must be CAE negative flocks
What does CAE stand for?
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis - viral disease of goats
Describe cow colostrum as a substitute for lambs
- Johnes and TB -ve
- Less energy so need 30% more
- immunological anaemia can occur but not common
What are some risk factors for primary hypothermia?
- Outdoor lambing
- Younger ewes
- Wet weather
- Small birth weight
- Failure to feed
How can primary hypothermia be prevented?
- Genetics
- Ewe nutrition
- Field shelter
- Identify at risk lambs and give special attention
- Lamb coats
How should you treat a lamb with primary hypothermia?
- Don’t warm a hypoglycaemic lamb without giving glucose first: will have hypoglycaemic fit
- Oral fluids to hypothermic lambs can cause regurgitation and inhalation pneumonia or asphyxia
- Use i/p glucose
Describe the clinical signs of watery mouth
- Dull
- Unwilling to suck
- Normothermic
- ‘watery mouth’ - saliva drooling from the muzzle.
- Profuse lacrimation
- Frequently accompanied by abomasal tympany
- Scouring unusual: constipation/retained meconium often present
Watery mouth most commonly affects lambs at what age?
12-72 hours old
Describe the prognosis of watery mouth
- Death within 24hrs
- High mortality
What may be seen on the PM of a lamb with watery mouth?
- Few abnormalities recorded
- Abomasum distended with gas, saliva and clots of milk
- Inflammatory changes throughout the GIT
Name three differentials for watery mouth
- Lamb dysentery
- Neonatal scours
- Drunken lamb syndrome
Describe the pathogenesis of watery mouth
- Endotoxaemia: possibly due to the death of large numbers of gram -ve bacteria
- Terminal hypoglycaemia, lactic acidemia and leucopenia
- Delayed abomasal emptying
Targeted oral antibiotics for prevention of watery mouth may be appropriate if…?
- lambs are born into groups where there have been recent clinical cases
- triplet or low birth weight lambs born into a challenging environment or at the end of the lambing period
When are antibiotics not appropriate in watery mouth disease?
- Whole flock treatment
- Unlicensed products
How can watery mouth be prevented?
- Promoting adequate volumes of good quality colostrum: stomach tube if necessary
- Clean dry bedding
- Cleaning and disinfection
What is the pathogenic cause of lamb dysentery?
Clostridium perfringens type B toxins
Lambs are affected by lamb dysentery at what age?
1-3 days old
What are the signs of lamb dysentery?
- Sudden death
- Haemorrhagic diarrhoea
What will be seen on the PM of a lamb with dysentry?
- Dark red intestines
- Blood stained peritoneal fluid
- Pale friable liver
How can lamb dysentery be prevented?
- Vaccination of ewes
- Good passive transfer of maternally derived antibodies
Name two species of salmonella that infect lambs
S.tymphimurium
S.dublin
Describe the pathogenesis of salmonella spp
- Bacteraemia and endotoxaemia
- Intestinal inflammation
- Reduced absorption
- Increased secretion
What are the clinical signs of a salmonella infection in lambs?
- Weakness
- profuse watery diarrhoea
- Blood stained faeces
- Dehydration
- Death
Name 2 zoonotic infections of lambs
Salmonella
Cryptosporidium
Describe the pathogenesis of cryptosporidium
Villous atrophy in the distal SI
- Malabsorption, secondary fermentation and diarrhoea
How is cryptosporidium in lambs treated?
Supportive oral fluid therapy
Drunken lamb syndrome is also known as?
- Lamb nephrosis
- Lamb D-lactic acidosis syndrome
What are the clinical signs of drunken lamb syndrome?
- Ataxia
- Stop sucking
- Recumbent
- Depressed
- High mortality (100%)
At what age do clinical signs of drunken lamb syndrome present?
7-10 days and 1-2mo
What would be seen on the clinical biochemistry of a lamb with drunken lamb syndrome?
Increased - urea, creatinine, chloride, potassium and D-lactate
Decreased - bicarbonate
How can drunken lamb syndrome be treated?
400ml of warm tap water
35 g of sodium bicarbonate
50ml given as a single oral bolus
