Contracted tendons in lambs legs - deficiencies?

YorksLass

Member
I've had a few this year that start off looking a bit clubbed but have got steadily worse instead of decontracting with benign neglect like they usually do. Is this linked to selenium deficiency/ white muscle disease does anyone know? Any suggestions? Its mainly the bottom joint so splinting is pretty impossible as its curled so tight. Big healthy lambs apart from that and knuckling round after the ewes.
 

Guleesh

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Isle of Skye
I've had a few this year that start off looking a bit clubbed but have got steadily worse instead of decontracting with benign neglect like they usually do. Is this linked to selenium deficiency/ white muscle disease does anyone know? Any suggestions? Its mainly the bottom joint so splinting is pretty impossible as its curled so tight. Big healthy lambs apart from that and knuckling round after the ewes.

Don't know the cause but suspect a deficiency as usually lambs from weaker ewes, we get the odd one or two most years, I use lolly sticks, running up from the tip of the toes on the front of the legs and just tape them on using insulation tape (stays on well in the rain) Very rare that splints need to stay on more than a day or two, obviously needs to be handled and checked regularly as the tape will quickly get too tight as the lamb is growing. I've found using any type of padding just allows for slack to develop, and the splint comes off.

Have done this successfully many times.
 

YorksLass

Member
Ive mullered some wooden spoon handles into splints and also got some selenium/Vit E/ B complex from the vets - cant do much more than that!

Thankyou for the splint suggestion
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
I’ve never splinted them, and never seen one (yet) that hasn’t come right in time. Maybe I’ve been lucky?

I know someone that is adamant that a jab of Alamycin LA helps to strengthen the tendons in such cases, but I can’t see why it should? :scratchhead:
 

YorksLass

Member
Thankyou @le bon paysan - presumably this could also be addressed by forage/ soil analysis and redress?

@Nithsdale Farmer They were a week old and showing no sign of improvement, instead both lambs were used to knuckling about and therefore no chance of retraining the limbs themselves.

The vit e/ selenium jab from the vet def uncrunched the ankle joint, have been splinting upright since, redoing every other day to ensure not cutting circulation off. Slow but steady improvement - thanks for the combined help all.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Thankyou @le bon paysan - presumably this could also be addressed by forage/ soil analysis and redress?

@Nithsdale Farmer They were a week old and showing no sign of improvement, instead both lambs were used to knuckling about and therefore no chance of retraining the limbs themselves.

The vit e/ selenium jab from the vet def uncrunched the ankle joint, have been splinting upright since, redoing every other day to ensure not cutting circulation off. Slow but steady improvement - thanks for the combined help all.


Ah.
Do you house your ewes?

Never seen that in sheep/lambs - but dad did have an issue like this in calves. Poor/contaminated silage was the fault - vet told us to stop using clamp and go to round bales. That was 30 years ago and never had an issue since 🤷‍♂️
 

le bon paysan

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Limousin, France
Thankyou @le bon paysan - presumably this could also be addressed by forage/ soil analysis and redress?

@Nithsdale Farmer They were a week old and showing no sign of improvement, instead both lambs were used to knuckling about and therefore no chance of retraining the limbs themselves.

The vit e/ selenium jab from the vet def uncrunched the ankle joint, have been splinting upright since, redoing every other day to ensure not cutting circulation off. Slow but steady improvement - thanks for the combined help all.
Yes, forage analysis certainly.
Treating the animal is more targeted than treating the ground.
Here our ground is low in Selenium and Iodine. We use All trace Hi Iodine bolus 8/10 weeks before calving. Sorts our problems. I'm sure there's an equivalent bolus for sheep .
@neilo is your man on sheep.
Edit , googled these,
 
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I’ve never splinted them, and never seen one (yet) that hasn’t come right in time. Maybe I’ve been lucky?

I know someone that is adamant that a jab of Alamycin LA helps to strengthen the tendons in such cases, but I can’t see why it should? :scratchhead:
Our old retired vet was adamant that an overdose of alamycin helps. Effect of the carrier that made it long acting rather than the antibiotic ingredient. Did a couple of calves and they came right quite quickly but, hell,who knows,they might have come anyway🤔
 

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