Perinatal period in lambs and kids

Question 1

Causes of stillbirth

Answer 1

Abortion (infectious, stress, placental insufficiency etc.)
Prolonged dystocia
Dietary insufficiencies - birth of weak lambs (energy, copper, selenium, and iodine

Question 2

What can dystocia lead to?

Answer 2

Hypoxia and acidosis
Oedema of extremities
Injuries e.g. broken ribs

Question 3

How long does it take to exhaust brown fat deposits and glycogen deposits

Answer 3

5-6 hours

Question 4

Clinical signs of hypothermia

Answer 4

Dull, depressed, reluctant to move
Eventually comatose
Rectal temp <39

Question 5

Treatment for hypothermia

Answer 5

Depends on lamb age and degree of hypothermia
Dry if wet
Heat lamp/warming box
If mild: Stomach tube with colostrum, return to mother in dry, warm pen
If severe and less than 6hrs old: warm to 37, stomach tube colostrum, return to mother
If severe and more than 6hrs old: If can hold head up stomach tube colostrum, if not then intraperitoneal injection of glucose, warm to 37 and return to mother

Question 6

Hypoglycaemia

Answer 6

Occurs in lambs from about 12hrs old
Dull, depressed, weak, uncoordinated, progresses to coma and death
Treat the same as hypothermia

Question 7

Physical trauma

Answer 7

Usually related to maternal trampling or overlying
Young lambs respond very well to external coaptation of limb fractures

Question 8

Watery mouth

Answer 8

Non-enteropathic E. coli
Dullness, depression, decreased suck reflex, salivation, gassy abdominal distension, GI tract stasis, dehydration, become hypothermic
High environmental load or FPT
Rattle when shaken due to gas and fluid in abomasum
Increased TP, alkalotic
Treat with oral and parenteral antibiotics usually spectinomycin, NSAIDs, oral rehydration, enema, keep warm

Question 9

E. coli diarrhoea

Answer 9

Enteropathic E. coli
Diarrhoea, dullness, pyrexia

Question 10

E. coli septicaemia

Answer 10

Enteroinvasive E. coli - can cross gut lining
Dullness, pyrexia, injected or toxic mucous membranes
Treat aggressively with antibiotics, NSAIDs and supportive care

Question 11

Navel ill/omphalophlebitis

Answer 11

Infection may extend to the liver or abdominal cavity
Dull, hunched, swollen navel, pain, maybe abdominal distension etc.
Treat with broad spectrum antibiotics, if generalised peritonitis then euthanise

Question 12

Joint ill

Answer 12

May affect one or many joints, 80% are Strep. dysgalactiae
Will be one single lamb, with swollen joints, low head carriage, etc.
Treat with single injection of corticosteroid with 7-10 day course of procaine penicillin, if doesn’t respond to that to a course of potentiated amoxicillin and NSAID treatment. If still failure euthanise

Question 13

Drunken lamb/floppy kid syndrome

Answer 13

Commonly 1-2 week old
Metabolic acidosis of unknown origin
Incoordination, ataxia, carpal flexion, forelimb weakness, recumbency, difficulty feeding, death
Treat with oral or IV sodium bicarbonate solution

Question 14

Lamb dysentery

Answer 14

Clostridium perfringens type B
Commonly large, well grown lambs that are feeding well
May just be found dead or in some cases bloody dysentery occurs
Older lambs may show signs of pulpy kidney
Hopeless prognosis
High milk intake seems to predispose
Ensure all ewes vaccinated with clostridial vaccine

Question 15

Septicaemic pasteurellosis

Answer 15

M. haemolytica
Usually found dead
Pleurisy and pericarditis and diffuse haemorrhages on PM
Oxytet and MSAIDs if suspected

Question 16

Causes of diarrhoea in lambs under a month (4)

Answer 16

Rotavirus
Crypto
Coccidiosis
Salmonellosis

Question 17

Entropion

Answer 17

Mild cases: roll the lids out with thumb
More severe: Michel clips, or the injection of procaine penicillin between the two layers of the eyelid, or surgical correction by removing an ellipse of skin and the suturing of the lesion closed

Question 18

Atresia ani

Answer 18

Progressive abdominal distension
Epidural anaesthesia, cruciform incision in perineal area, ensure it doesn’t heal over by getting farmer to insert thermometer several times a day

Question 19

Contracted tendons

Answer 19

Most common in front legs - fetlock and carpal flexion
Differentiate from arthrogryphosis by manipulation of the leg
If walking in dorsal surface of foot, splint or euthanise

Question 20

Cleft palate

Answer 20

Failure to suck, failure to thrive, elevated resp rate, elevated heart rate, cardiac murmur
No treatment, euthanise if severe

Question 21

Copper deficiency

Answer 21

Spinal cord demyelination - swayback
Signs may be present from birth or develop later (delayed swayback)
No treatment

Question 22

Selenium deficiency

Answer 22

Cumulative oxidative damage to muscular tissue
Weakness, tire easily, stiff gait, dyspnoea, elevated heart rate, heart murmur will develop
Pale muscle, calcium deposits on PM

Question 23

Iodine insufficiency

Answer 23

Low levels in diet or goitrogenic plants (brassicas) in diet
Still births, weak lambs, poor vigour, enlarged thyroid gland
Treatment often unrewarding

Question 24

Iron deficiency

Answer 24

Usually in indoor-reared suckled lambs and kids
Subtle anaemia, reduced growth rate, sometimes detectable pallor
Treat with iron dextran injection

Question 25

How much colostrum should lambs/kids receive in the first hour of life?
How much in the first 24hrs?

Answer 25

50ml/kg BW
200ml/kg BW

Question 26

Sticky kid disease

Answer 26

Mainly seen in Golden Guernseys
Elevated sebumen production - do not dry after birth
Difficult to rear successfully so best culled