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Author Topic: HELP-- sudden death of lambs  (Read 13750 times)

omnipeasant

  • Joined May 2012
  • Llangurig , Mid Wales
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #15 on: June 30, 2012, 03:00:17 pm »
Sounds like you are doing everything you can, so unfortunately you won't know until the next one dies and you get the PM done.

Is it possible to move them off theis land if you think it might be the chicken muck connection?

suziequeue

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Llanidloes; Powys
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #16 on: June 30, 2012, 07:00:03 pm »
Cade lambs are notorious for dying.

A competent immune system is a prerequisite for a vaccine to be fully effective so if they hadn't had colostrum or something else caused them to not have a great start in life then maybe the vaccine was less effective.

I mean - you've done EVERYTHING on the preventables list haven't you - worming, vaccinating , feeding etc.

Very very unfortunate. I think with 60% PMs and poo samples definitely the order of the day.

So sorry for all your losses.  :bouquet: :bouquet:
« Last Edit: July 02, 2012, 05:30:41 pm by suziequeue »
We do the best we can with the information we have

When we know better we do better

plt102

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #17 on: July 01, 2012, 04:55:31 pm »
i am so sorry to hear about your lambs. We have just lost our baby boy who was fit and well this morning. please do post if you find anything out about the cause.
 
does anyone know of a good video/tutorial on what to look for in an autopsy. Is it legal to do it ourselves? I am worried about the warm weather/flies etc and I cannot take him to the hunt today or tommorrow as on the road for work.

SteveHants

  • Joined Aug 2011
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #18 on: July 01, 2012, 04:57:18 pm »
From the look of whats usually in our hunt kennels deposit bins, its been left more than a couple of days, so I wouldn't worry.

plt102

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #19 on: July 01, 2012, 05:33:04 pm »
when I read up it looks more and more like pulpy kidney as he was well fed, died suddenly and did not get his mums colostrum very much when he was born. We are going to try to take a look but I think I need a few more beers before I can try.

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #20 on: July 01, 2012, 08:45:04 pm »
The basic anatomy of a sheep is the same as us ,if a sheep could stand  :-J  eg liver right side under ribs /  lungs in the chest cavity / kidney  down below liver , healthy colours are just as you would buy at the butchers  .  Sharp knife  ,gloves , and maybe dab of vick  under nose

Mallows Flock

  • Joined Apr 2012
  • Shepton mallet
    • Somerset Pet Sitting and Dog Walking
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #21 on: July 01, 2012, 10:33:53 pm »
My money is on Coccidia as my cade lambs from a farmer all had this recently and it seems like all your description is exactly the same as what mine had. Vecoxan them immediately...all mine sprang back up after and are growing and fattening back up well. A total turn around! I wish you all the luck. x
From 3 to 30 and still flocking up!

SteveHants

  • Joined Aug 2011
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #22 on: July 02, 2012, 01:28:57 am »
Cocci lambs often scour heavily though and theres no mention of that.....

plt102

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #23 on: July 02, 2012, 08:27:33 am »
Did PM. No sign of abnormal kidneys. There was a big watery growth on his liver about 1 inch long (liver fluke?) Could not see anything untoword apart from a very gassy belly (bloat??). I am taking the liver part and the kidneys to the vet today to see what he says as well as a bit of bowel to look for worms but I couldn't see anything obvious. Will ask about Cocci just in case
 
Thanks for all your advice.. xxx

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #24 on: July 02, 2012, 12:28:54 pm »
Well done :thumbsup:  the watery growth is probably the gall bladder, if the kidney is firm then not pulpy ( mushy when squeezed ) kidney , liver nice purple and smooth  perfect , cocci lambs  - not growing , loosing weight , no bloom on fleece , very dark even blood stained scour, waste away rather than sudden death .   For pneumonia you need to go up into the chest cavity ,there is a membrane across the chest behind this is the lungs these should be salmon pink , if red or liver colour with blood stained fluid in chest cavity then pneumonia.    The gassy belly is normal all dead  things tend to blow up.
« Last Edit: July 02, 2012, 12:42:30 pm by shep53 »

plt102

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #25 on: July 02, 2012, 03:38:27 pm »
Vet gave us virtually no feedback. I gave him the kidneys, a bit of liver and a bit of bowel and asked him to confirm no pulpy kidney and no liver fluke. He said he could not tell without seeing whole animal. He said maybe e coli infection. Could that have been from a not sterile bottle? So now I am still at a loss and had to cut the lamb up for nothing. :-(

wytsend

  • Joined Oct 2010
  • Okehampton
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #26 on: July 02, 2012, 04:39:04 pm »
With this weather I would immediately assume Pasteurella & Cocci.    Pasteurella can strike even if vaccinated........cocci can strike simply because they have been moved.   Both diseases  are triggere by trauma  which in this case could be the move.

SteveHants

  • Joined Aug 2011
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #27 on: July 02, 2012, 04:44:33 pm »
Youd have thought the vet would have been slightly more concerned that 60 out of 100 of your lambs were dead - Id be going spare at that number.  >:(

plt102

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #28 on: July 02, 2012, 04:47:33 pm »
With pastuerela and cocci, is there anything I can give to prevent others getting it apart from the course of heptovac P which they have already started. Ps very sorry to have hijacked this post a bit x

suziequeue

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Llanidloes; Powys
Re: HELP-- sudden death of lambs
« Reply #29 on: July 02, 2012, 05:20:05 pm »
Vet gave us virtually no feedback. I gave him the kidneys, a bit of liver and a bit of bowel and asked him to confirm no pulpy kidney and no liver fluke. He said he could not tell without seeing whole animal. He said maybe e coli infection. Could that have been from a not sterile bottle? So now I am still at a loss and had to cut the lamb up for nothing. :-(
:sofa:

I have to say that if somebody had expected me - in my deputy coroner days - of making any sort of professional assessment based on a few body parts extracted from a PM room - they would have got a roar from me that even Sir Lancelot Spratt would have baulked at.

I think a 60% fatality rate is REALLY serious - even for cade lambs. I would strongly recommend a formal veterinary PM if another lamb dies in similar circumstances.

How much have you involved the vet so far???
« Last Edit: July 02, 2012, 05:31:43 pm by suziequeue »
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