- 1-3 day old lambs

- lethargy, profuse salivation and abdominal distension

- morbidity rates up to 24%

- poor treatment response

- intensive indoor lambing flocks of prolific ewes

- second and subsequent weeks of lambing

- triplets are three times more likely to be affected

- abomasal pH of newborn lambs is neutral

- rapid multiplication of E.coli acquired soon after birth during teat searching

- endotoxin release from cell walls of lysed gram-negative bacteria

- early colostrum intake prevents watery mouth

- second bacteraemia

- clinical signs 

- depression, anorexia and hypothermia, rapidly progressing to recumbancy and collapse

- mouth cold and angles of lips wet due to drooling

-dehydrated with abdominal distension

- rectal temperature may be normal but extremities are cold

- ocular mucous membranes are congested and scleral blood vessels dilated

- PM findings- gas filled, congestion of various viscera

intravenous flunixin meglumine

- oral dextrose-electrolyte solutions

- IV or intraosseous fluids

- enemas

- systemic antibiotics

- good nutrition of the pregnant ewe

- management of abortion and dystocia

- adequate supervision to ensure all lambs suckle or receive 50 kg of colostrum or substitutes by stomach tube within their first hour. 

- maintenance of a clean lambing environment

- prophylactic use of oral aminoglycoside antibiotics or amoxycillin within 15 minutes of birth. 

- rotavirus

- coronavirus

- enterotoxigenic E. coli

- salmonellosis

- lamb dysenterty

- crypto

- adherence pili enable attachment to the intestinal mucosa

- a stable toxin is produced which causes severe watery, brown- colored diarrhea

- disease uncommon and only affects lambs less than 48 hours old. 

- most lambs die unless prompt fluid therapy is administered

- strict hygeine

- ensure adequate colostrum status

- immediate isolation of sick lambs

- vaccine containing killed K99 E.coli, admin at the same time as clostridial vaccination

polyarthritis

- navel ill

- endocarditis

- meningitis

- polyarthritis may occur in lambs as young as 5 days old and is characterised by

- sudden onset lameness

- pain, heath and fluctuating swelling of several limb joints

- poor suckling behaviour and ill-thrift

clinical signs: PM exam- joints contain pus, thick and congested synovial membranes, erosion of articular surfaces

TREATMENT: of advanced cases is seldom succesful and euthanasia is frequently indicated. 

- intradermal innoculation of staph bacteria by feedin ticks either derived from the skin surface or from the tick mouthparts and saliva

- bacteraemie and joint ill

- posterior paresis due to spinal abscesses

- abscesses in other internal organs

- potentiated by immunosuppressive effects of tick borne fever

- results from bacteraemia or infection of the umbilical vessels and urachus from a contaminated environment

clinical signs: 

- a hunched back stance , poor body condition and hollow flanks

- a moist swollen and painful navel, which sometimes exudes purulent material

- swelling may continue internally to the bladder or liver, detected by pain on palpation

- concurrent systemic infection may also be noted

- antibiotic and anti inflamm treatment response is dependent on the extent and duration of infection and colostral antibody status 

- usually affects 2-4 weeks old lambs

- clinical signs: 

- isolation from the dam and failure to suckle

- episcleral congestion

- lack of a suck reflex

- weakness, altered gait and depression leading to stupor

- hyperaesthesia to auditory and tactile stimuli

- opistotonus during the agonal stages

clinical signs: 

- lumbo-sacral cerebro-spinal fluid

- increase in protein concentration

- neutrophillic pleocytosis

treatment response to corticosteroids and antibiotics is poor 

- navel infection with fusobacterium necrophorum

- white spot abscesses in the liver

- secondary spread to joints and lungs

- poor environmental hygeine and poor passive immunity

prevention of non-specific bacteraemias

- ensure good maternal nutriton, control of abortion and prevention of dystocia

- skilled assitants at lambing

- provide good access to lambing pens and good lighting

- compact lambing period

- strict hygeine

- optimum stocking rate

- dip all lambs navels in strong iodine solution at birth

- adequate colostrum

- 

- excess colostrum from other ewes

- cow colostrum- 20% less energy

- may not protect against some sheep diseases

- cow colostrum anaemia

- Powdered colostrum substitutes

- convenient, expensive 

- congenital goitre

- pot bellied lambs with scant wool usually die soon after birth

- less severly affected lambs die from starvation/hypothermia

- effect on ewe reproductive performance 

- freq. associated with the feeding of brassica crops during late pregnancy 

- palpation of the thyroid gland of newborn lambs

- histological exam of the thyroid gland

- thyroid:bodyweight ratio of newborn lamb >0.4 kg

- thyroid hormone concentrations

- pasture iodine concentrations

- controlled supplementation trials 

- oral admin of 280mg potassium iodide

- pretupping

- during mid pregnancy

- 4 weeks before lambing

cutaneous application of iodine based preparations

- injections of iodised oil- ewes every 2 years

- sustained release of ruminal boluses

- provide effective iodine supplementation

- supplementation with other elements may be wasteful 

- severe copper deficiency of mid to late pregnant ewes

- still births

 - small and weak lambs with fine head tremors

- incoordinate, fine boned and dull coated lambs with pelvic limb weakness

- clinical signs induced by handling

- susceptible to other infections

- swayback

- osteoporosis and bone fractures

- steely wool

- wool discoloration

- increased disease susceptibility 

- ill thrift

- stillbirths

- weak lambs which fail to feed

 - sometimes delayed in onset

- difficulty sucking

- sudden onset semi-paralysis

- death from respiratory failure or starvation

- ill thrifty survivors

- prevented by selenium supplementation of dams before lambing 

- complementary role of VIt E> 

- clinical signs 

- PM findings- necrotic lesions in the myocardium, symmetrical myonecrosis of the hindlimbs

histo path

- creatine kinase concentrations > 500

Treatment: subcutaneous injections of selenium and vitamin E

- may need to be repeated at weekly intervals

- risk of selenium toxicity