[steve_pr]

We have a couple of this years lambs who were small to start with but were then growing on OK. Now however, they are losing condition fast and losing muscle. One barely seems to have the strength in her front legs and prefers to kneel down to eat. Both are eating, not scouring, have been wormed, flaked act. with no obvious signs of anything (no lameness in the legs, just lack of muscle).


I suspect we are going to lose them (or have to have them PTS) but they don't appear to be in any pain or discomfort, just lack of strength.  Can't find anything in the books so looking for suggestions!

[Ladygrey]

Just an idea, Johnes disease??

[shep53]

Look into  white muscle disease lack of selenium/ vit e  or pine , cobolt deficiency

[twizzel]

I know someone who had a lamb with a sway back, preferred to eat kneeling down, it's apparently due to the ewe having a copper deficiency when pregnant and it manifests itself with the lamb having a sway back.

[Tim W]

Johnes usually manifests in older animals

1st thought is minerals in conjunction with parasites/cocci

A blood test will only reveal so much and then the accuracies are not always great---so if they are clear of worms/cocci/fluke (FEC dung sample to confirm) then vit B jab could be a good start?

Its a hard road to recovery once they start to go down hill

[Marches Farmer]

I agree - deficiency most likely candidate.  You'll notice mild swayback in lambs once they go out on the field but the name gives it away - their back ends will sway from side to side and the rear end will fall over.  It gets worse as they grow heavier.

[steve_pr]

Looks like it is Cobalt deficiency!  Getting a detailed Trace element survey on the grass and treating with high cobalt mineral licks in the meantime.  Wikll report later as to the outcome when things settle down again.

[Tim W]

Licks are often not the best option to start with---vit B jab ensures all animals get the treatment

[steve_pr]

Doing Vit B12 injection as well!  Early signs are encouraging, but I guess it will take some time for the muscle to come back.

[ScotsGirl]

I would be calling the vet. I had a suffolk lamb last year who turned out to have septic arthritis due to an undetected infection in early days. She wasted on one side but we put her in freezer. Yours definitely sounds like something worse.    You can resolve

[Tim W]

Cobalt deficiencies also mean that the immune system and particularly the gut is working on low power---this means that the animals are more susceptible to worms/cocci , so keep doing FEC on a regular basis. I have been caught out like this