Neonatal Lamb Disease 1

Question 1

Economic lost of lamb mortality

Answer 1

Each lamb potentially £100-250

Question 2

What is intra party?

Answer 2

The time period spanning childbirth, from the onset of labor through delivery of the placenta.

Question 3

List post partum infections lamb can get

Answer 3

 Watery mouth
 Salmonella
 Cryptosporidia
 Septicaemia
 Meningitis
 Joint ill
 Clostridial Disease
 Pasturellosis

Question 4

Ewe risk factors for lamb losses

Answer 4

a. Genetics
i. ◦“mothering ability” dystocia risk, milk production
b. Inexperience mothers (ewe lambs)
c. Ewe health
d. Ewe nutrition (too fat too thin)
e. Multiple litters - competition
f. Stress
g. Colostrum quality/ quantity
h. Vaccination status

Question 5

Lamb risk factors for losses

Answer 5

a. Birth weight (ewe nutrition and ewe and lamb genetics)
b. Congenital abnormality
c. Lamb vigour
d. Vaccination status

Question 6

Environmental risk factors for lamb loss

Answer 6

a. Hygiene
i. Pens
ii. Lambing
iii. Equipment (feeding, tagging, castration)
iv. Ewe
v. Navel dipping
b. Shelter
c. Castration tail docking policies
d. Shepherds
i. Number and experience
ii. Hygiene
e. Weather

Question 7

How much colostrum should a lamb receive ?

Answer 7

o 50ml/kg in first 6 hours of birth =
200ml/kg in first 24 hours

If you had a 5kg lamb = 1 litre of colostrum in 24 hrs

Question 8

Give examples of how we can monitor colostrum

Answer 8

1. Radial immunodiffusion (IgG assessed)
2. Serum TP
3. Brix refractometer on milk

Question 9

Threshold of radial immunodiffusion IgG, Serum TP and Brix Refractometer colostrum

Answer 9

radial immunodiffusion IgG = 10-15mg/ml

Serum TP = 5.5 g/dL (2.7 days old) / 55g/L

these 2 = same for calf

Brix Refractometer colostrum 26% Lambs, calves = 22%

Question 10

What are Risk factors for poor colostrum Intake

Answer 10

1. Concurrent Disease (dystocia, lameness)
2. Under nutrition ewe
3. Breeding - mothering, lamb vigour
4. Age of ewe - after 6-7 yrs same vol but density declines
5. Litter size
6. Lambing environment - stress, mis-mothering, shepherding, weather

Question 11

Colostrum Substitutes

Answer 11

EWE best by far
1. Ewe replacement
2. Goat (must be Caprine Artheritis Encephalitis neg)
3. Cow
4. Commercial

Question 12

What can you use to assist milking out a ewe

Answer 12

10-15 iu oxytocin i.m

Question 12

What do you need to be careful of when using goat colostrum?

Answer 12

o but must be CAE (Caprine Artherits Encephalitis) negative flocks
Goats can have johnes too

Question 13

What do you have to be careful of when using cow milk?

Answer 13

o Salmonella
o Johnes
o TB negative
o Vaccinate clostridia
o contains less energy therefore need 30% more (more watery)
o Immunological anaemia not common but can affect a lot of lambs in flock 10-20 days old
o could pastries bu this reduces IgG

Question 14

Conc of commercial colostrum

Answer 14

o None match energy or immunoglobulins of ewe
o Variable quality
o Often good energy and protein but? IgG
o Often dried cow colostrum

Question 15

Feeding orphaned lamb
- 6 hrs
- 24 hrs
- week 1
- weeks 2
Weaning age?
how much space per lamb?

Answer 15

1. 50ml/kg colostrum first 6 hours
2. Total 200ml/kg in 1st 24 hours
3. Week 1 300ml milk (warm) 3-4 times daily
4. Week 2 1-1.25 litres twice daily
5. Hay and creep feed week 1
6. Wean 4-6 weeks at 15kg
7. 0.4m2 per lamb

Question 16

Why do most hypothermias occur in first 6 hrs life?

Answer 16

o Large surface area:volume
o Brown fat reserves can use for 6 hours to generate energy and heat

Question 17

Normal rectal temp lamb

Answer 17

o Rectal temp 39-40oC normal

Question 18

• Risk Factors for Hypothermia

Answer 18

1. Environment
    Bad weather (cold wet windy)
    Early lambing
    Younger ewes
    Small borth weight
    Failure to feed
    Outdoor lambing
    Inadequate shelter
    Mis-mothering
2. Lamb Factors
    ◦Weak
    ◦Premature
    ◦Triplets
    ◦Dystocia
    ◦Infection
    Small
3. Ewe Factors
    ◦Nutrition
   * ◦Colostrum
   * ◦Mothering
   * ◦Brown fat
   * ◦Birth weight
    ◦Mothering ability

Question 19

Treatment of hypothermic lamb - what to remember about warming and hypoglycaemia?

Answer 19

o Don’t warm a warm hypoglycaemic lamb without giving glucose first will have hypoglycaemic fit
o Oral administration of fluids to hypothermic lambs can cause regurgitation and inhalation pneumonia or asphyxia
 That’s why we need to use intraperitoneal (i/p) glucose

 i/p 20% glucose 10ml/kg

Question 20

hypothermic Lamb <37oC severe weak depressed arched back stands close to dam, recumbency
what should you do

Answer 20

 Dry
GIVE glucose BEFORE warm. If warm fist = hypoglycaemic shock
 i/p 20% glucose 10ml/kgat 38 degs
warm lamb
 Colostrum 50ml/kg (if in first 24 hrs)
 Warm to 39oC
 Return to ewe
 Monitor
 Shelter

Question 21

Lamb o 37-39oC moderate weak but can still suckle, hold head up

Answer 21

 ◦Dry
 ◦Feed warmed colostrum
 ◦Check ewes milk status/health
 ◦Return to ewe
 ◦Provide shelter
 ◦Supervise

Question 22

Talk through steps of administering intra-peritoneal glucose injection…

Answer 22

• Warm to glucoseto 38 degrees = better absorption
• Strength -20%
• Volume -10ml/kg
• Temperature -warm
• Use 19g/1” needle
• Hold lamb by front legs.
• Site -just below and to one side of navel.(2cm)
• Warm in box with fan heater under wire mesh.
• When the lamb is conscious and able to suck, feed 150–200ml colostrum

Question 23

40% glucose solution, how do you make it the correct %?

Answer 23

Correct % = 20

adding up equal vol recently boiled water (cooled down to 38 degs) to 40% sol

Question 24

What are common pathogens that cause enteric disease in neonatal lambs?

Answer 24

Escherichia coli
Salmonella spp.
Clostridia spp.,
Strep dysgalactiae

Question 25

Disease caused by environmental pathogens/ opportunistic bacteria

Answer 25

o Watery Mouth - ECOLI - Not seen until we housed
o Diarrhoea
o Joint Ill - Streptococci, particularly Streptococcus dysgalactiae
o Septicaemia/ Meningitis = pasteurellosis = Bibersteinia trehalosi
o Lamb dysentery = Clostridium perfringens type B
o Rrotavirus
o Cryptosporidium parvum
o Drunken lamb syndrome
o ETEC - Enterotoxigenic E. coli

Question 26

How do we go about managing Infectious Disease on farms

Answer 26

1. Biosecurity: preventing disease entry
2. Reduce disease challeng
   a. Management
   i. Hygiene,
   ii. Ventilation
   iii. stocking rates
   b. Test and cull infected animals
   c. Drug treatments:-antibiotics/anthelmintics
3. Improve animals resistance
   a. Vaccinate
   b. Management
   i. Improve nutrition
   ii. Reduce stress
   iii. Reduce concurrent disease
   c. Breeding