The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Lilljoho on March 05, 2013, 05:03:08 pm

Title: Is this White Muscle Disease
Post by: Lilljoho on March 05, 2013, 05:03:08 pm

Hi, me again.

I have a feeling that two of my lambs have WMD, but I've never seen it before to confirm.

Lambs are feeding well, between 850-1000ml milk per day but shuffle about like old men.

Their having course of antibiotics as pneuomia was suspected.

Just thinking that something else is going on other than just being weak. Vet has seen one of these lambs and did comment on shuffle, but was sent away with antiobiotics.

Joint ill or WMD?

Thanks for any help

Title: Re: Is this White Muscle Disease
Post by: moony on March 05, 2013, 05:52:39 pm

We had one last year that fed well but walked like an old man and then eventually on its knees which swelled up massively. Never gained weight. That had a strong course of antibiotics from the vets for 10days but unfortunately didnt cure him. In the end he got dispatched. I rightly or wrongly put it down to joint ill.

Title: Re: Is this White Muscle Disease
Post by: Blacksheep on March 05, 2013, 06:21:23 pm

May be worth asking your vet for a couple of doses of vitasel so that you can treat them for wmd, I don't imagine that it would do them any harm if it isn't wmd, but best to double check with your vet, and you can at least see if they respond to treatment.

Title: Re: Is this White Muscle Disease
Post by: shep53 on March 05, 2013, 07:08:28 pm

pneumonia like symptoms can be one of the signs of WMD

Title: Re: Is this White Muscle Disease
Post by: Lilljoho on March 05, 2013, 07:27:25 pm

Thanks for replies, what is treatment for WMD BoSe? He is on antibiotics will that help joint Ill?

Title: Re: Is this White Muscle Disease
Post by: shep53 on March 05, 2013, 08:18:31 pm

quite a few products on sale for treatment , speak to vet . AB will help joint ill

Title: Re: Is this White Muscle Disease
Post by: fsmnutter on March 06, 2013, 08:10:02 am

WMD is a deficiency in selenium/vitamin E.
Speak to your vet, and they will be able to advise on supplementing your ewes and/or other lambs born if it is likely that you have deficiencies (certain areas of the country have deficiencies due to ground being short, so grass, hay, silage etc will all be lacking).
Joint ill is a bacterial infection infecting the whole lamb, and settles out in the joints as blood supply is slower to take it away. Usually the bacteria get in through the navel, so try to make sure the pens are as clean as possible, lambs get plenty iodine or spray to help dry up and disinfect the navels. Sometimes the antibiotic injection/oral dose that lambs often get at birth to help prevent scour/watery mouth will help to keep the navel/joint ill bacteria from multiplying in the blood.
Hope you see some improvement in your little one soon.
Suzanne

Title: Re: Is this White Muscle Disease
Post by: Lilljoho on March 06, 2013, 08:45:47 pm

Lambs so far doing well slow steady improvement. They are all Cade lambs.
We've given them vitesel just incase of wmd