Lamb post mortem

[2YardOfLard]

I've had a couple of lambs die suddenly. Put the first one down to "there's always one" but this morning I opened up a second one.
I'm no expert (understatement!) but I reckoned I might tell red gut, pulpy kidney & pneumonia from each other so worth having a look.
The guts looked pale, grey & unremarkable. The kidneys were fairly solid. The lungs are deep red & solid but I don't know how long it was dead - ok last evening; dead when I went round them this morning. Would that be changes after death, or would healthy lungs still be pale?

Got some photos on my phone will try to upload in a minute.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Clostridial can be hard to tell on pm especially this time of year when it’s so hot and they go off so quick.
Solid red lungs can be pneumonia it can also be from blood pooling at the lowest part from where it’s been lying dead. You can normally tell. Lungs should be salmon pink and soft.
Have you done a fec? Worms would be high on the list at the moment.

 

[Farmer Fin]

I see you are from the Hebrides. There is a fair bit of nematodirus being reported at the moment in north Scotland.

 

[2YardOfLard]

I see you are from the Hebrides. There is a fair bit of nematodirus being reported at the moment in north Scotland.

Yes - that's been a worry here this year so we dosed them a week ago (oramec) & moved to clean pasture that's only had cows on for over 18months. That was when the first one died. I thought due to the change to richer grass.
It hasn't been warm here - cold and wet!

 

[2YardOfLard]

photos

 

[2YardOfLard]

I should confess. We usually vaccinate the lambs with Ovivac but they weren't done this year (family illness). The ewes are all fully vacced. The lambs in this batch are about 10-12 weeks. Whatever we do - vaccinate or not, we always seem to lose one really big "healthy" lamb at about this age.

My vet is about 90% small animal/horses. He's very helpful at getting me what I say I need but not so hot on advice.

Can you see nematodes in guts or are they too small to see?

If it might be pneumonia does anyone think it would be worth giving the remainder antibiotics ? - or would the stress kill more than the jabs save?

 

[Highland Mule]

How are ticks out your way? I had a bad year from tick borne fever a few years ago with similar symptoms - alive one day and dead the next.

 

[2YardOfLard]

We've always a few ticks but I wouldn't say its worse than usual. The dogs & cats come back with them from the rough areas & woods but the parks are well grazed & we don't normally get many on the lambs.

 

[Highland Mule]

Only takes one, if it's carrying the virus. I give them Spot on at birth these days, which stopped my problems.

 

[ladycrofter]

Only takes one, if it's carrying the virus. I give them Spot on at birth these days, which stopped my problems.

Just discussing this, we find find ticks on lambs only hours old. Wjere do you put it on the lamb and how much? Does the ewe lick it off?

 

[Highland Mule]

Just discussing this, we find find ticks on lambs only hours old. Wjere do you put it on the lamb and how much? Does the ewe lick it off?

Dip the ewes just before tupping for a start, then put spot on between lamb’s front shoulders as soon as I can and certainly before turnout/ movement from lambing shed. Same time I do all “5Ts” - Tags, Testicles, Tails, Tick (treatment) and (Stockholm) Tar. Never see a problem with ewes licking.

 

[ladycrofter]

Thanks, how much do you put on? We were thinking 1ml

 

[Highland Mule]

Thanks, how much do you put on? We were thinking 1ml

Looking at my medicine book, 2.5ml per lamb I think. I use a kids Calpol syringe of the type without any rubber seal/ piston. They seem to work best without falling apart.

 

[shearerlad]

Looking at my medicine book, 2.5ml per lamb I think. I use a kids Calpol syringe of the type without any rubber seal/ piston. They seem to work best without falling apart.

I’ve started using a cheap 10ml oral dosing gun for spot on. Works really well and easy to change from cows to lambs dose