Sudden death in farm animals

Question 1

How do you define the problem of ‘sudden death’?

Answer 1

Is it REALLY sudden death?

Found dead OR ‘true’ sudden deaths (rare)

Question 2

What emergency action should be taken with sudden death?

Answer 2

Move animals off pasture immediately until Dx
Inspect environment
Walk perimeter of field and look in ditches
Poisonous plants
Changes - ditching, cutting down plants/trees etc
Piles of hedge/plant cuttings that may have been thrown over fence
Burnt out cars (batteries are a source of lead)
Check feed (e.g. frothy bloat outbreak)

Question 3

What should you find out on a history of sudden death? 4

Answer 3

Number/groups/fields/ages affected
Progression of signs
Vaccination and worming hisory
Management (recent Tx, changes in field/feed, unusual weather events?)

Distance then individual examination, PME

Question 4

How much does it cost to PME an adult cow?

Answer 4

£328.05

balance versus cost of disposal, ante-mortem diagnostic tests, other animals dying, loss of production

Question 5

What are the broad causes of sudden death in farm animals?

Answer 5

INFECTIOUS - septicaemia, toxaemia, anaemia
TOXICITY
METABOLIC DISEASE
NUTRITIONAL
OTHER - climate, trauma, ditching (–>tuber exposure)

Question 6

Outline infectious causes of sudden death

Answer 6

Common, usually bacterial
Often in environment, or commensals
Predisposed by management factors (good nutrition and clostridial diseases, stocking density and salmonellosis, flooding and leptospriosis)

CHECK VACCINATION PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED

Question 7

Outline a common clostridial vaccination protocol

Answer 7

EWE: sensitiser, booster 4-6 weeks later. Booster 4-6 weeks pre-lamb to maximise colostral Abs.

YOUNG LAMB: MAb lasts up to 12 weeks (weaning), clostridial vaccines are effective in face of MAb.

WEANED LAMB: decide whether or not to vaccinate, depends on length of time to slaughter, need doses 4-6 weeks apart for full protection

Question 8

When might you see sudden death due to anaemia due to an infectious origin?
How do you diagnose this?

Answer 8

CAUSE: acute fascioliosis, haemonchosis

Dx = history, pale MM, PME more useful (than FEC or bloods)

Question 9

Name 3 poisonous plants

Answer 9

Yew and oleander and water hemlock (Dead Men’s Finger’s; Oenanthe corcata; tubers are toxic)

Question 10

How do you diagnose plant toxicity?

Answer 10

History (access, all deaths in same field etc)
Search field
PME - leaves in rumen, other signs too

Question 11

What minerals might cause toxicity if levels are too high?

Answer 11

Selenium and copper. How?
Iatrogenic
Animals fed wrong type of food
Error at feed manufacturer

Deaths usually v rapid

Question 12

How do you diagnose mineral toxicity>

Answer 12

History of supplementation or feed change
Se: blood Se levels
Cu: Cu levels, PME

Question 13

Name a metabolic disturbance causing sudden death in FAs

Answer 13

Hypomagnesaemia
VLA data suggest in 2008, 52% diagnoses were hypomagnesaemia

Also hypocalcaemia and ketosis

Question 14

What can thiamine (vit B1) deficiency cause in calves?

Answer 14

CCN = cerebrocortical necrosis

Question 15

What can nutritional imbalance cause?

Answer 15

Change in GIT function (acidosis, bloat, gut torsion)
Deficiency of essential nutrient (intrinsic due to change in microflora e.g. CCN. Extrinsice due to water deprivation–> salt poisoning –> brain oedema)

Question 16

How can climate cause sudden death?

Answer 16

Lightning -rare

Hypothermia -reasonably common, esp young lambs and sheep after shearing.