[Jacob-list] Polio in sheep

[Susan Nielsen]

Has anyone had success treating polioencephalomyelitis (think I
got that right) with thiamin injections?

We have a lamb who went down over the weekend (of course, holiday
weekend) with sudden onset weakness and lack of coordination in the
hindquarters, general disorientation, stargazing, and attempts to
rest his head on buildings. He stayed alert and hungry, but acted
drunken on his feet. within a few hours, he was unable to stand on
his own.

I did not have injectable B-complex or thiamin on hand, so it was
the next morning before I could get some. By then he was into what
I would call acute condition. We have injected him according to
guidelines in Merck and in the blue book, but he really has not
responded and I told Richard this morning I thought we should put
him down. I think we were too late in getting him treatment, but I
was wondering what results others might have had.

This lamb was a robust 6 weeks old. He was a bottle lamb, however,
and I suspect we may have brought this on with over-rich feeding
in combination with his change-over to grain. I feel rotten about
it.

Opinions?

Also (and this is merely a curiosity question, not a practical one),
in this era of concern about the neurological condition of our meat,
does polio affect the wholesomeness of the meat? I realize this is
not a contagious condition, but I am wondering...

Susan