THE FIRST 72 HOURS

BY MARA L. MULLINIX DVM

DYSTOCIA

• CAN affect the new born in many harmful ways:

1.HYPOXIA2.TRAUMA3.WEAK MOM SYNDROME4.AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST

Energy deficit= hypoglycemia+hypothermia

HYPOXIA Lambs that are affected due to

compression of their umbilicus during a difficult labor, have lungs that are full of

fluid and are unable to exchange oxygen into

the body. So they begin life with “pneumonia’

TRAUMAOK…..

Lets talk about trauma!

WEAK MOM SYNDROME

1. Prolonged labor

2. Uterine prolapse

3. Poor nutrition/mineral imbalance

4. Mastitis/metritis/pnemonia etc

5. Blood loss, other underlying pathologies

ENERGY DEFICIT due to DYSTOCIA

• Hypoglycemia and hyperthermia are combined to cause energy deficiency. When this occurs during and immediately post delivery :

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!

Energy Deficit

When an neonate becomes hypothermic it utilizes the brown fat it has stored,

prematurely!! This stored fat is for the tremendous energy boost needed for the

first few hours of life.

HYPOTHERMIA>>>>>>HYPOGLYCEMIAAND

HYPOPGLYCEMIA>>>>>>HYPOTHERMIA

AND left unchecked this leads to……..

ACUTE DEATH!!!!!

Prevention is truly worth a Pound of cure!!!

Know “NORMAL”

This may seems simple but know what’s normal for your

species, breed, and even line of babies! Baby Goats are different than Suffolk Lambs are different than

Finn Lambs.

STOP!

LOOK!

LISTEN!

PREVENTION

STOP

EVERY TIME YOU WALK INTO THE BARN

•STOP Talking

•Stop Walking

•Stop thinking about everything else!!!

•Stop and Be a SHEPHERD

•Even those with goats!

LOOK

CHILLED LAMBS

•Are hunched up…Do not STRETCH!

•Are Hollowed out

•Are lethargic and show signs of dehydration

•Mothers are agitated, pawing or moving lambs with nose

LISTEN

• Lambs are crying and may sound weak

• Mothers are calling and sometimes banging on gates and sides of pens

• Or …the lamb isn’t making any noise at all!!

Check The Mother

• Is she MEAN? Is she weak? Is she the MOM?

• Check teats and udder, make sure teats available for easy nursing..wool tags?, mastitis? Big udder? Little udder? Big teats or little teats?

• Check colostrum?

• Mother’s experience..how quickly did she dry off the lambs,

• If more than twins.. should one be removed?

Check the Lamb

• Is it laying flat out, Frozen to the ground?

• Is its mouth cold?

• Check its rectal temperature

Always feed with a bottle if appropriate

Nursing or the oral administration of certain chemicals(NaCl and Na Bicarb.) opens the esophageal or reticular-omasal groove which directs colostrum (fluids) into the abomasum. By bypassing the reticulum, omasum and the rumen, which aren’t mature enough too function, you decrease the possibility of the productions of toxins from putrefaction of the liquid in those organs.

From Nonruminate to Ruminant

Esophageal Feeding

First measure from the nose to the point of the elbow. Insert the tube with the syringe (no plunger) in the right side of the lamb’s mouth. Do not pass more of the feeding tube than the length measuredYou can feel the tube passing through the esophagus from the outsideFill the syringe with 20-25ml./lb of lamb’s body weight, let flow do not force!

Intraperitoneal fluids

• If the lamb is more than 5 hours old and its body temperature is less than 98 degrees. INTRAPERITONEAL FLUIDS SHOULD BE GIVEN then warm the lamb

• HANG THE LAMB UPSIDE DOWN

• SCRUB THE NAVEL AREA WITH IODINE

• INJECT ONE INCH BEKLOW AND ONE TO THE LAMBS LEFT SIDE WITH A 20guage 1 inch NEEDLE with DEXTROSE/FLUID MIXTURE

INTRAPERITONEAL INJECTION OF

GLUCOSE

Intraperitoneal Dextrose

Dosage chart for mixing IP fluids according to lambs weight

Lambs wt Total amt. 50% dextrose H2O/fluid 5lbs 25ml. 10ml15ml

7lbs 35ml14ml 21ml

10lbs 50ml 20ml 30ml

15lbs 75ml 30ml 45ml

Normal Temperature is the Goal

• Once the lamb has achieved normal temperature return him and his siblings back to the mother if possible.

• Feed colostrum and milk if necessary but getting the lamb to nurse on the ewe is ideal!

This is the

GOAL!