[Jacob-list] Seizure-like activity in newborn lambs

[Gary Anderson]

Thank you for your ideas and suggestions for addressing a problem of
seizure-like activity and other symptoms in a set of newborn twins.  I
thought I sent an update several days ago but just realized I did not send
the update to the entire list.  We have not had problems with selenium
deficiency, but based on a suggestion from a Lister I gave each lamb an
injection of Bo-Se from my stash.  I did the same for B-complex vitamins,
based on another suggestion from a Lister.  I was with the ewe during her
last hour of labor and during delivery, both of which were uneventful for an
adult Jacob ewe; thus, I did not surmise the problem was birth-related.  I
sensed two mornings after having been treated with Bo-Se and B-complex
vitamins (but not during middle-of-the-night feedings!) the lambs took more
readily to a bottle, I heard one lamb bleat softly for the first time since
the day they were born, and I judged them to be a bit more feisty (though
still quite low on the feistiness scale).  My cautious opinion was that they
were responding to treatment or to something else.  I gave a second Bo-Se
injection and continued with daily B-complex vitamins.  Two days ago I let
the lambs nurse on their mom (versus milking her and bottle-feeding the
babies).  Yesterday I returned the lambs to Mom, I hope for good.  They
still act a bit funky, but without doubt they are much improved.  The ewe
took back her babies, despite that they were away from her for most of the
past 6 days.  (I think the winning entry was Betty Berlenbach, who suggested
polio due to thiamine deficiency.  Thanks, Betty.)  Thanks again to everyone
who responded.

 

Gary Anderson

Hillside Jacobs

Sparta, MI

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/jacob-list/attachments/20130403/9107018e/attachment.htm>