Perinatal period in lambs and kids Flashcards
Causes of stillbirth
Abortion (infectious, stress, placental insufficiency etc.)
Prolonged dystocia
Dietary insufficiencies - birth of weak lambs (energy, copper, selenium, and iodine
What can dystocia lead to?
Hypoxia and acidosis
Oedema of extremities
Injuries e.g. broken ribs
How long does it take to exhaust brown fat deposits and glycogen deposits
5-6 hours
Clinical signs of hypothermia
Dull, depressed, reluctant to move
Eventually comatose
Rectal temp <39
Treatment for hypothermia
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
Hypoglycaemia
Occurs in lambs from about 12hrs old
Dull, depressed, weak, uncoordinated, progresses to coma and death
Treat the same as hypothermia
Physical trauma
Usually related to maternal trampling or overlying
Young lambs respond very well to external coaptation of limb fractures
Watery mouth
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
E. coli diarrhoea
Enteropathic E. coli
Diarrhoea, dullness, pyrexia
E. coli septicaemia
Enteroinvasive E. coli - can cross gut lining
Dullness, pyrexia, injected or toxic mucous membranes
Treat aggressively with antibiotics, NSAIDs and supportive care
Navel ill/omphalophlebitis
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
Joint ill
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
Drunken lamb/floppy kid syndrome
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
Lamb dysentery
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
Septicaemic pasteurellosis
M. haemolytica
Usually found dead
Pleurisy and pericarditis and diffuse haemorrhages on PM
Oxytet and MSAIDs if suspected
Causes of diarrhoea in lambs under a month (4)
Rotavirus
Crypto
Coccidiosis
Salmonellosis
Entropion
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
Atresia ani
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
Contracted tendons
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
Cleft palate
Failure to suck, failure to thrive, elevated resp rate, elevated heart rate, cardiac murmur
No treatment, euthanise if severe
Copper deficiency
Spinal cord demyelination - swayback
Signs may be present from birth or develop later (delayed swayback)
No treatment
Selenium deficiency
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
Iodine insufficiency
Low levels in diet or goitrogenic plants (brassicas) in diet
Still births, weak lambs, poor vigour, enlarged thyroid gland
Treatment often unrewarding
Iron deficiency
Usually in indoor-reared suckled lambs and kids
Subtle anaemia, reduced growth rate, sometimes detectable pallor
Treat with iron dextran injection
