4 Week old lamb suddenly lethargic

Alexz7272

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I'm sorry about your loss. If they have not gotten CD&T vaccination your going to want to make sure you get it soon it is very cheap and you can get it at TSC or other farm stores. i lost a lamb to it not to long ago because i didnt know i was suppose to vaccinate the moms 30 days before lambing. If mom got CDT kids need a booster at 4-6weeks old and another 3-4weeks later...or per label. For the kind we use which is Bar-vac the second shot is 22-28 days after the first.

I picked up that exact one from TSC last evening. I will be administering it to the other four today. Thank you!
 

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Sorry you lost the lamb. Hopefully none of your others will have the same issue.
 

Sheepshape

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Oh, I'm SO sorry....lambs become so sick, so fast.

Do get the others immunised. What does CD&T contain? I'm guessing Clostridial vaccine and Tetanus for two of the components.

Over here there are a few types of sheep vaccine...to be given at about 6 weeks pre-lambing, at 4-6 weeks of life and 6 weeks after that. We probably have more potential sheep diseases as I use Heptavac P Plus (that is 7 different potential pathogens).

It's a good idea to worm lambs at about 6 weeks and give a flukicide if liver fluke is a problem.
 

babsbag

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Sorry about the lamb, they just seem to go down hill so quickly. I hope the rest stay healthy for you.:hugs

@Sheepshape The CDT is tetanus and Clostridium perfringens Types C and D. We also have a Covexin 8 we can use. It covers Cl. chauvoei, Cl. septicum, Cl. novyi Type B, C. haemolyticum (known elsewhere as Cl. novyi Type D), Cl. tetani and Cl. perfringens Types C & D. (and no, I do not have those memorized...I had to look it up.)
 

Sheepshape

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babsbag....looks like the organisms covered are much the same as in Heptavac, though M.haemolytica (which sounds suspiciously like Cl. haemolyticum....just waiting to be shot down here by a bacteriologist!) and P. trehalosi are also mentioned. The Cl.perfringens in mentioned on the data sheet as the beta and epsilon toxoid producing strains.

Wow...wasn't THAT exciting.

From a practical point of view, the vaccines (called Covexin8 in the States and Heptavac here) should prevent Pasteurella pneumonia and lamb dysentery, pulpy kidney,bratty,tetanus, blackleg and Black Disease.

With all that can go wrong with sheep it is a wonder that any reach adulthood. Alexz7272, we all have seemingly healthy lambs die at times. As a prey species, sheep only show illness when it is advanced/is extreme. Even, sadly, when a disease is spotted it can be too little/too late, and not because we were in any way neglectful. I have now come to think...snotty nose...probably pneumonia....especially if the breathing is a bit fast (the animal could just be hot, of course). Even treatment straight away can be ineffective, though, as lamb pneumonia can carry a mortality of 50% even with treatment.
 

babsbag

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I like the practical point of view a lot more than the technical one. I honestly only use the CDT but now that I know that the Covexin 8 covers pneumonia I might change my treatment plan as I vaccinate for pneumonia too.
 

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