Respiratory and Metabolic Diseases of Sheep and Goats

Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP)/Maedi- Visna

• Retrovirus- life long infection

Transmission: OPP

• Direct contact

• Fomites

• Feed/water

• Milk/Colostrum**

Clinical Signs: OPP

• “Thin ewe syndrome”

• Progressive pneumonia

• “Hard bag”

• Lameness

• Posterior paresis

Treatment/Prevention: OPP

• NONE

• Most die within a year of first exhibited

Nutritional Myodegeneration (White muscle disease)

• Selenium and/or Vitamin E deficiency

• cardiac and skeletal muscle disease

• Lambs, calves, kids, foals

Clinical signs: White muscle disease

• Cardiac syndrome- sudden death

• Skeletal muscle syndrome: slower onset

  

Treatment/Prevention: White Muscle Disease

• Cardiac syndrome

  • NONE

• Skeletal muscle syndrome

  • Bo-Se

Prevention

• Supplementation

• Periodic blood sampling

• Properly prepared and store hay/grain

• Access to high-quality green forage- Vitamin E

Copper Toxicosis

• Growing lambs most susceptible

• Copper accumulation —> liver damage —> Stress —> Massive amts of Cu released —> Interference w/ RBC membrane proteins —> —> HEMOLYSIS

Clinical Signs: Copper Toxicosis

• Jaundice

• Anemia

• Weakness

• Sudden death

Treatment/Prevention: Copper Toxicosis

• IV fluids

• Oxygen

• Blood transfusion

• Chelator therapy

• Supplement with Molybdenum

Pregnancy Toxemia of Ruminants (Twin lamb disease; Ketosis)

• Thin/Obese ewes

• Carrying multiple fetuses

• Stress precipitates

  • Bad weather

  • Shipping

  • other

• Late gestation

Pregnancy Toxemia- Pathogenesis

Inadequate energy intake in late gestation —> decrease blood glucose level —> Depletion of liver glycogen reserves —> Mobilization of stored fat as NRG sources —> Formation of ketones (toxic byproducts) in bloodstream —> Metabolic acidosis and CNS toxicity

Clinical Signs: Pregnancy Toxemia

Treatment/Prevention: Pregnancy Toxemia

Treatment

• C-section* esp if neurologic, thin or fat

  • Cannot manage fetal demands in late pregnancy

• Glucose PO or IV

  • Propylene glycol

• Change diet slowly

• Grave prognosis in recumbent ewes

Prevention

• Don’t let ewes become fat

• Progressive increase of plane of nutrition during last 1/3 gestation

• Exercise

  

Guinea Pig Pregnancy Toxemia

• Circulatory- Preeclampsia

  • Abnormal vascular changes that lead to ischemia of the uteroplacental unit

• Metabolic- nutritional form

  • Fasting/anorexia