Author Topic: Oily lamb - now with pustules!  (Read 6083 times)

Foobar

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • South Wales
Oily lamb - now with pustules!
« on: March 22, 2015, 06:06:21 pm »
I've got a 5-7 day old ewe-lamb that appears to have a wet back end. I thought initially that she'd fallen in the water trough or the stream, but on closer inspection I see that it's not wet but oily.  It's all over her back legs, inside and out.  It smells ... sheepy.


She keeps lifting up one of her rear legs as if it's sore, but she doesn't limp when she walks.  I'm not sure if it's related to the grease, as I often get lambs that get a knock from the other ewes.  There is no heat in the joints. She's also pooing and weeing okay as far as I have seen (they are out in the field).


Any idea what the oiliness is all about?  I was thinking maybe just over production from the glands inside the thigh???
« Last Edit: March 23, 2015, 10:25:39 am by Foobar »

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Oily lamb
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2015, 06:40:18 pm »
Picture ?  you seem to be describing a genital deformity  , the wee is not spraying  backwards ?  does she lift her tail ?  occasionally get a lamb with a deformity and  all the rear is a dark brown/black stain ?

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Oily lamb
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2015, 07:11:34 pm »
Once had one like that - culled it as it would've been a maggot magnet in the summer.

Foobar

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • South Wales
Re: Oily lamb
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2015, 08:12:21 pm »
She is a black Welsh so I can't be sure of staining, but I wiped it with a dairy wipe and it was definitely grease, and clear in colour. She wees normally, squats and lifts tail.

Would like to avoid culling if possible, but will do if it becomes necessary. I was thinking about washing it all off next weekend and seeing how fast it reappears. Maybe it's a one off episode of over production.

ScotsGirl

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • Wiltshire
Re: Oily lamb
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2015, 08:51:55 pm »
Is there any chance she has been lying in something in the paddock? A picture might help as struggling to imagine what it looks like. I had one today when tagging who was really greasy on inside of his legs. Ut more dandruff like than runny.


Your ewe I bought had lovely set of twin ewe lambs yesterday morning. So far they are the only two not to give me hassle!

Foobar

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • South Wales
Re: Oily lamb
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2015, 09:14:14 pm »
I don't think there is anything she could have sat in, and it does smell sheepy. sorry no photo. If you imagine a lamb that's had it's back legs dunked in water then that's what it looks like. But it's not dripping wet, just a slight amount of grease on your hands if you touch it.

Scotsgirl - i'm very happy that you've had at least one problem free lambing this year! My first batch has finished, a reasonable crop with only one that needed pulling - 13 from 8 ewes. The rest are due Easter.

Foobar

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • South Wales
Re: Oily lamb - now with pustules!
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2015, 09:33:38 am »
Checked her again this morning - the greasieness seems not to have got any worse, but I can now seem pustules!!  They are on the inside of both thighs.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2015, 10:25:05 am by Foobar »

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Oily lamb - now with pustules!
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2015, 10:41:54 am »
The pustules look like one of my dairy goats had on her udder when she was very full after first kidding.
Staph aureus cleared with pen strep inj.

MrsJ

  • Joined Jan 2009
Re: Oily lamb - now with pustules!
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2015, 11:43:52 am »
Sorry, I've never seen this before so no suggestions.  Hope you manage to find out what it is.

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Oily lamb - now with pustules!
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2015, 11:48:04 am »
In pigs there is something called "greasy pig" which is caused by a bacteria and is like a dermititis. I don't know if the same can happen with sheep but clearly something is not quite right with your lamb. Perhaps a call to the vet?

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Oily lamb - now with pustules!
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2015, 01:04:57 pm »
googled 'sheep greasy pustules'
 
one of the headings -
Information about contagious pustular dermatitis of sheep in Free online ... Stasis
dermatitis is characterized by scaly, greasy looking skin on the lower legs and

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Oily lamb - now with pustules!
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2015, 01:17:08 pm »
Yes it looks like staph aureus, quite common on dairy goat udders. Although not sure where the oiliness comes into it...

in theory need AB treatment, but anything on skin takes a long time for AB's to reach.

I have (probably completely illegal..) used Bactakil spray on small areas on udders, you maybe could also use a cream with AB's in it?

Foobar

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • South Wales
Re: Oily lamb - now with pustules!
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2015, 01:34:54 pm »
Hmm, interesting.  I can understand a bacterial thing on an udder as that gets bashed about by the kids etc, but seems odd on a new born lamb.
I will give her a jab of Alamycin LA tonight (my pen and strep is a bit ancient!), and I was thinking spray the lesions with Bactocyde, which is what I use on all Orf cases.

Foobar

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • South Wales
Re: Oily lamb - now with pustules!
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2015, 01:42:28 pm »
Ooo, actually I might still have some Alamycin spray too so maybe I will spray it with that instead.


Thanks all for your input :)

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Oily lamb - now with pustules!
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2015, 07:12:22 pm »
 A vet diagnosis would be interesting   

 

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