The document discusses the critical issues surrounding dystocia in newborn lambs, emphasizing the harmful effects of hypoxia, trauma, and energy deficits such as hypoglycemia and hypothermia. Prevention is key, with advice on monitoring both the mother and lamb for signs of distress, ensuring proper nutrition, and administering care quickly. Interventions include esophageal feeding and administering intraperitoneal fluids for hypothermic lambs, with the ultimate goal of returning healthy lambs to their mothers.

1. THE FIRST 72
HOURS
BY MARA L. MULLINIX DVM

2. DYSTOCIA
• CAN affect the new born in many harmful
ways:
1. HYPOXIA
2. TRAUMA
3. WEAK MOM SYNDROME
4. AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST
Energy deficit= hypoglycemia+hypothermia

3. 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’

4. TRAUMA
OK…..
Lets talk about
trauma!

5. WEAK MOM
SYNDROME
1.
2.
3.
Prolonged labor
Uterine prolapse
Poor nutrition/mineral
imbalance
4.
Mastitis/metritis/pnemonia
etc
5.
Blood loss, other underlying
pathologies

6. 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!

7. 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>>>>>>HYPOGLYCEMIA
AND
HYPOPGLYCEMIA>>>>>>HYPOTHERMIA
AND left unchecked this leads to……..

8. ACUTE DEATH!!!!!

9. Prevention is truly
worth a Pound of
cure!!!

10. 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.

11. PREVENTION
STOP!
LOOK!
LISTEN!

12. 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!

13. 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

14. 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!!

15. 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?

16. Check the Lamb
• Is it laying flat out, Frozen to the ground?
• Is its mouth cold?
• Check its rectal temperature

17. 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.

18. From Nonruminate to
Ruminant

19. 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
measured
You can feel the tube passing
through the esophagus from the
outside
Fill the syringe with 20-25ml./lb of
lamb’s body weight, let flow do not
force!

20. 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

21. INTRAPERITONEAL
INJECTION OF
GLUCOSE

22. Intraperitoneal Dextrose
Dosage chart for mixing IP fluids according to
lambs weight
Lambs wt
5lbs
Total amt. 50% dextrose H2O/fluid
25ml.
10ml
15ml
7lbs
35ml
14ml
21ml
10lbs
50ml
20ml
30ml
15lbs
75ml
30ml
45ml

23. 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!

24. This is the
GOAL!