Poorly lamb

[chris elk]

Got a couple of lambs very wobbly on legs ears down and looking sorry for themselves , any ideas? Worked and min drenched 2 week ago. Would it be b12 deficiency? What's the score with that Vet out job?

 

[chris elk]

Thanks

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

Sounds like Vitamin B12 deficiency had a couple similar this last week or so, jab of B12 put ours right

 

[chris elk]

Where do you get it from? Vets?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Where do you get it from? Vets?

Or the net

 

[johnflimston]

B12 doesn't last long, if that's the problem it's only a fire brigade job, need to sort out the cobalt deficiency.

 

[chris elk]

I can't understand it , got four down at the minute with it , 2 weeks ago they had a mineral drench and wormed which had cobalt and selenium in it. Ive put general purpose licks in with them today too. What else is there to do? Cheers

 

[bovine]

Doesn't particularly sound like B12 to me, but we won't know without some diagnostics. Could be a heap of things.

Cobalt/B12 is water soluble so injections or drenches only have a very short lived effect - in terms of days. They are fine for a fast boost but pretty crap for ongoing supplementation. Really we need to be using boluses or long acting injections so the sheep have enough every day.

There is a heap of other things we need to investigate first.

 

[chris elk]

All my vet said was have you got licks out with them!! [emoji848]

 

[chris elk]

Going to get blood samples taken if there no better tomorrow.

 

[johnflimston]

Going to get blood samples taken if there no better tomorrow.

Have the test which includes pooled iodine, a lot of people having problems with it.
Let us know how you get on.

 

[Qman]

It's fluke, get them drenched with a good fluke wormer and they will recover,,,usually!

 

[chris elk]

Well today was a total cock up ive been working on a job elsewhere today, rang vet and said come out and take bloods please , left the wife in charge. No ag vets available the foreign lass they send out can't get any blood from them!!!! Knew absolutely nothing about sheep , I've got to take them in in the morning! Seriously angry ! Lost one today , can't think it's fluke been drenched 2week ago with benzamole for both ? Not overly wet here either. I'll put a video up of one in a min. In the mean time anyone recommend a decent vet that covers Grantham area Lincs!!

 

[Clinwil]

It does sound like a cobalt B12 problem, and with legal levels being reduced in supplements this can only get more common, I would recommend getting the grass analysed for trace elements because you could have an antagonist "locking-up" cobalt. This would tell you more than bloods at this stage.

 

[chris elk]

How do you combat it , my soil is low in most minerals I did have it tested 2 year ago. I'll have to find it. They've got mineral buckets out with them now , but I'd drenched them 2 week ago with min drench .

 

[Clinwil]

Its the grass you want to look at not the soil, the mineral bucket will have a low level of cobalt (<60mg/kg) because of the new legislation so look at the B12 levels they need to be at least 500mg/kg if the lick contains any? and if we are dealing with an antagonist then the standard trace element drenches wont touch it.

 

[SLA]

We use Uppingham vets, also have a practice in Melton.

 

[chris elk]

Thanks

 

[chris elk]

Responded to the b12 on there feet , do they recover from the blindness?

 

[bovine]

*sigh* B12 deficiency doesn't cause blindness.

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