Author Topic: Lamb needing a leg splint?? (Read 3437 times)

crobertson · « **on:** March 26, 2018, 08:32:59 pm »

Hi guys, we've had our first purebred Derbyshire Gritstones born today .. clearly not read the breed average lambing percentage of 145% as our smallest girl had triplets!! (one didn't make it but the other two are very cute).

The tup lamb however took a while to get up, once he did he was very wobbly on his back legs with one in particular frequently bending under him. The hock joint / knee seems unstable are very loose, he does walk around well more of a hobble around, weight bares on it and drink from his mum but there is definitely something not quite right with that leg.

We've booked him in to see the vet in the morning but any ideas what it is or may have caused it?? I don't get the impression of a dislocation or broken bone as the lamb does get up and potter round and doesn't seem to be in pain. Any ideas what they will do ? Maybe a splint or something similar to support it ?

I've attached a pic of him and his sister

pharnorth · « **Reply #1 on:** March 26, 2018, 09:07:47 pm »

Wobbly legs seems to be more frequently a problem when they have been cramped in the womb and it may start to sort itself before you get to the Vet. The main thing is to make sure he gets plenty of colostrum tonight as although he is getting to her often they don't stay on long enough or often enough.

zwartbles · « **Reply #2 on:** March 26, 2018, 09:30:46 pm »

This sort of thing. Lax fetlock and knee joints.

crobertson · « **Reply #3 on:** March 26, 2018, 10:05:06 pm »

Thank you for that and yes we are going to ensure he drinks plenty, especially as they are very small. I checked them about half an hour ago and he was up and suckling and did seem to be moving around better. Will check again in about an hour to ensure they're getting another drink and still get him checked out by the vet to make sure theres nothing wrong.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #4 on:** March 26, 2018, 11:18:25 pm »

Hopefully just a bit of loose ligaments and will improve over the next few days. Sunshine always works wonders too

Otherwise, things that occurred to me as I read your post were mineral deficiency (I want to say selenium but I’m not sure that’s the right one), and swayback. I hope it’s not the latter, as that’s a result of copper deficiency during pregnancy, and generally gets worse as the lamb gets heavier.

crobertson · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2018, 08:23:57 am »

Thank you for that - I hadn't considered deficiency, I kept thinking more of the obvious had he been knocked when I was getting the pen ready etc. The girls did have a yellow rockie and crystalyx standard bucket from tupping through to lambing and got a 19% protein ewe nut twice a day for the last month so hopefully it won't be deficiency! And that sounds ideal ..... we just need the sun to make an appearance

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #6 on:** March 27, 2018, 10:01:04 am »

Have a word with your vet - he'll know the most likely deficiencies for your area and be able to suggest a suitable supplement if necessary. I wouldn't breed from that lamb or sell him for breeding, though.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #7 on:** March 27, 2018, 10:24:41 am »

The only way you can get copper into them is ‘needles’ (a time-release capsule, similar to a bolus), a chelated drench or I think an injection.

We found our Swaledales and Swaley Mules needed the needles or drench, but the Texels and Texel crosses didn’t.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #8 on:** March 27, 2018, 12:06:05 pm »

In the past we saw swayback in a handful of lambs each year and got the vet in two years running to bolus the ewes pre-tupping, which actually contributed to the highest number of lambs affected we'd ever seen. I then went back through six generations of lambing data and decided there was a genetic component (not particularly strong and influenced by having a dry Summer pre-tupping). I now drench them with a Wynnstay mineral drench pre-tupping and select rams very carefully.

crobertson · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2018, 01:17:59 pm »

Took him to the vets who seem quite confident its just lax ligaments so his knee joint isn't fully stabilised which seems promising as he is moving around better than yesterday! Said it is quite common for triplets cramped up in a smaller ewe.
He doesn't, however, seem to be feeding off mum, checked her teats again (did so at birth) and one isn't letting down milk and feels hotter to the touch .... a trip back to the vets for some oxytocin and antibiotic - I hope we're not starting how we mean to go on.