Diseases of Newborn Lambs

Watery Mouth

Insufficient colostrum and poor environmental hygiene are the main factors associated with this toxic E.coli gut infection. Affected lambs tend to be 12 to 24 hours old, become recumbent and depressed and develop a swollen belly and a watery mouth. Spectam scour halt can be used as a preventative medicine in all newborn lambs if an outbreak occurs

Navel/Joint Ill

Dipping navels of newborn lambs with iodine based navel dressing highly recommended. Infection can enter via an unhealed navel and cause septicaemia, which may result in swollen joints or even death. This can be treated with penicillin based antibiotics but, as with everything, prevention with good lambing hygiene is better than cure.

THE MOST IMPORTANT PREVENTATIVE MEASURES FOR BOTH THESE CONDTIONS ARE GOOD HYGIENE IN THE LAMBING PENS AND BY ENSURING ADEQUATE COLOSTRUM INTAKE

Hypothermia/Hypoglycaemia in lambs

These two conditions frequently occur together in newborn lambs and are a common cause of mortality in these lambs. Once the status of the patient has been ascertained one of the following three treatment protocols can be instigated:

Temperature 37-39 ºC

1. Dry lamb
2. Stomach tube with colostrum
3. Return to ewe in well bedded pen
4. Monitor lamb for next hour

Temperature less than 37ºC and LESS than 6 hours old

1. Dry lamb
2. Warm to above 37°C
3. Stomach tube with colostrum
4. Return to ewe and monitor lamb every hour.

Temperature less than 37°C and MORE than 6 hours old

1. Depending on degree of collapse, stomach tube colostrums or inject 10ml per kg warm 20% glucose into the abdominal cavity
2. Dry lamb
3. Warm to more than 37°C

Never put a soaking wet lamb under a heat lamp as scalding may result!