Author Topic: Watch out for Pasteurella in Lambs (Read 3066 times)

Marches Farmer · « **on:** November 04, 2016, 09:10:59 am »

Weather's been all over the place here - frost, fog, warm days, very heavy dews. Found two super lambs recumbent and showing signs of pasteurella yesterday. Had been fine on Wednesday, are up-to-date with jabs, fluked, wormed, Bluetongued, etc. Housed and given antibiotics immediately but not hopeful of recovery. Never ceases to amaze me how quickly the septicaemia can overtake them but then it's not in a sheep's nature to give a polite cough and say that, actually, it's not feeling too well today.

You have been warned!

TheSmilingSheep · « **Reply #1 on:** November 04, 2016, 09:25:23 am »

I very much value your warning MF - what should we be looking out for, short of the polite cough...? It's often clear if a sheep's a bit off colour - alone, or just looking out of sorts - but is there anything specific which might trigger suspicion of pasteurella?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #2 on:** November 04, 2016, 10:17:10 am »

Alas, the first sign is generally sudden death. The clostridial disease organisms are everywhere in soil and Ovivac P Plus et al cover only the most common. Once they have one they're always fatal, apart from Big Head in rams that've been fighting if they're treated very promptly. Bibersteinia trehalosi is the most common in 4 to 10 month old lambs, which these were (note the use of the past tense). These were just lying in the field and didn't get up when I went close to them. When I was bending over one of them I could hear her hesitate at the end of an in breath, as if she was gathering the strength to breathe out again, but the other sounded OK. That one had a trickle of blood coming from its nose when I found it dead just now. Both had clearly been fitting before death (lying on the side with the legs straight out and arcs clear of bedding under the legs, showing they'd been "galloping" on the spot).

Nothing to be done about it, but if I had a lamb I considered particularly vulnerable I'd consider putting her in the shed for a while.

TheSmilingSheep · « **Reply #3 on:** November 04, 2016, 10:54:03 am »

I'm so sorry that you lost them both - it's (obviously) the thing I dread most.... Will keep out a very watchful eye, and thank you for your advice...

TracyC · « **Reply #4 on:** November 04, 2016, 01:58:07 pm »

So sorry to hear this, I've literally just posted about mine being off colour. Thanks for the warning. Is it contagious to other animals including sheep, horses, poultry? Thanks

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #5 on:** November 04, 2016, 03:25:03 pm »

The clostridial diseases are soil-borne, so pretty well everywhere on a farm or smallholding. Most that sheep get are sheep specific, except for tetanus, which I'm sure you're familiar with.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #6 on:** November 12, 2016, 04:02:00 pm »

Heard from a neighbour that knew of two farmers each with a "tump" (pile) of lambs waiting to be picked up by the knackerman. Jumping around in the field just fine, dead a couple of hours later. Vet of one advised giving a third Ovivac vaccination at the beginning of October. Whatever strain of pasteurella it is it's very fast-acting.

Liz Kershaw · « **Reply #7 on:** November 12, 2016, 04:47:07 pm »

It's been very bad round here (E Herefordshire) - the farmer behind us lost quite a few lambs about a month ago, and was told by the vet that another local farmer had lost 40, and there were many more losses around. I have revaccinated mine as although I have to pay for 25 doses to use 3, it's better than losing one of my flock. I'm not sure how it's passed on but if it's birds/wild animals then there's no point taking chances.