Final Lecture 8

Question 1

What is a major cause of reduced fertility in rams?

What types are there?

Answer 1

Epididymitis

Lamb and ram

Question 2

What causes lamb epididymitis?

Clinical signs?

Answer 2

Opportunistic bacteria like actinobacillus seminis or histophilus somni

Enlarged, painful scrotum

Question 3

How to diagnose lamb epididymitis?
Treatment?
Prevention?

Answer 3

Diagnosis- scrotal palpation, leukocytes in semen

Treatment- cull :(

Prevention- separate ram lambs from adults, periodic scrotal exams, tetracyclines in feed

Question 4

What causes ram epididymitis

How is it transmitted?

Answer 4

Brucella ovis

Transmitted orally, venereally, semen and urine

Question 5

What does ram epididymitis cause

Answer 5

Decreased fertility but still fertile

Question 6

How to diagnose ram epididymitis

Answer 6

Palpation- 30-45 days post infection, unilateral swollen, tender, hot testes

Semen- detached heads, WBCs

Serum elisa

Semen culture

Question 7

How to control ram epididymitits

Answer 7

Reportable disease in some states
Cull and replace affected animals

There is a vx but it is not affected

Question 8

What is balanoposthitis

Answer 8

Inflammation of glans penis caused by corynebacterium renale, high protein diet, high urinary urea content

*more common in sheep than goats

Question 9

How to treat/prevent balanoposthitis

Answer 9

Debridement, antibiotic ointment, clean bedding

Prevent by feeding lower protein content

Question 10

False pregnancy of goats

Answer 10

Accumulation of uterine fluid; etiology not quite known

Question 11

Clinical signs of false pregnancy of goats

Answer 11

Absence of cyclicity
Abdominal enlargement
NO signs of illness

Question 12

How to diagnose false pregnancy in goats

Answer 12

Elevated P4 with no pregnancy
Negative bioPRYN/estrone sulfate
No fetus/placentomes on US

Question 13

How to treat false pregnancy in goats

Answer 13

May spontaneously resolve
Prostaglandins
Oxytocin

Question 14

What are some periparturient problems in small ruminants

Answer 14

Pregnancy toxemia
Vaginal prolapse
Hypocalcemia
Ringwomb
Dystocia
Retained placenta

Question 15

What causes pregnancy toxemia

Answer 15

Inadequate nutrition during late gestation resulting in NEB

Start using fat as an energy source —> impaired liver function and ketone bodies

Question 16

Clinical signs on pregnancy toxemia

Answer 16

No appetite
Depression/lethargy
Muscular imbalance
Grinding of teeth
Sweet/foul smelling breath
Death

Question 17

How to diagnose pregnancy toxemia

Answer 17

History and clinical signs

Lab- hypoglycemia, ketonuria, acidosis, dehydration, liver failure

Question 18

How to treat pregnancy toxemia

Answer 18

PO propylene glycol
IV glucose/dextrose
Insulin
B vitamins
Induction of labor or C section

*prevent with good nutrition

Question 19

Describe vaginal prolapse

Answer 19

Happens late gestation, caused by rising estrogens, high likelihood of recurrence, cull affected animals

Question 20

How to treat vaginal prolapse

Answer 20

Caudal epidural anesthesia
Clean and reduce prolapse
Antibiotics and tetanus prophylaxis
Retention (ewe saver, Buhner suture, prolapse pin)

Question 21

When do hypocalcemia occur?

Answer 21

Late gestation, heavy lactation, forced exercise

Question 22

Clinical signs of hypocalcemia?

Treatment?

Answer 22

Recumbency and dyspnea

Treat with calcium IV slowly

Question 23

What is ringwomb

Answer 23

Failure of cervical dilation- cause unknown

Question 24

Clinical signs of ring womb

Answer 24

Dystocia

Question 25

Management of ring womb

Answer 25

C section

Cull affected females

Question 26

When to intervene during dystocia

Answer 26

30-30-30 rule

Wait 30 minutes once kidding started, then check female. If all ok, wait another 30 minutes before assisting. If one kid comes, wait 30 minutes for next kid.

Question 27

What are the most common positional causes for dystocia

Answer 27

Lateral flexion of head

Carpal or elbow flexion

Question 28

How long should you wait for fetal membranes before you think they might be retained

Answer 28

12-18 hours or more

Question 29

How to treat RFM

Answer 29

Usually not necessary

If systemically ill, use antibiotics and prostaglandins

Question 30

When there is an abortion, what should you send to the lab

Answer 30

History, maternal serum and whole blood, entire fetus if possible.

if can’t send entire fetus, then send fresh and formalin preserved samples of fetal organs, placenta, fetal heart blood, fetal abomasal contents (because it is a sterile source of amniotic fluid)

Question 31

How to diagnose toxoplasmosis

Answer 31

Gross examination of placenta- white necrotic foci in cotyledons but intercodyledonary space is normal

Question 32

How to prevent toxoplasmosis

Answer 32

Avoid the cats! Oocytes live in feline feces

Question 33

What causes enzootic abortion of ewes

Answer 33

Chlamydophila abortus

Question 34

How to diagnose enzootic abortion of ewes

Answer 34

Placenta- cotyledons and intercodyledonary space are thick and necrotic
Fetus- petechiae, congested livers with focal necrosis, enlarged lymph nodes

Culture for definitive diagnosis

Question 35

What is another organism that causes abortions, stillbirths, weak lambs, and premature births

Answer 35

Campylobacter jejuni and fetus

Question 36

What are some viral organisms that cause abortion in small ruminants and what are some other symptoms they cause

Answer 36

Bluetongue virus- hydranencephaly
Border disease (Sheep)- hairy fleece, cerebellar hypoplasia, hydranencephaly
Cache valley virus (sheep)- hydranencephaly, arthrogryposis, hypoplastic cerebellum and muscles
Akabane virus (goats and sheep)- arthrogryposis

Question 37

What does veratrum calfornicum plant cause

Answer 37

Cyclopia
Hypoplasia of metacarpals and metatarsals
Long gestation
Cleft palate

Question 38

What does locoweed, lupine, and sudan cause

Answer 38

Arthrogryposis