White muscle disease of lambs is understood as a severe pathology, which is characterized by a serious disruption of metabolic processes in the body. The disease most often affects the nervous system, heart and skeleton. If signs of illness appear, you should promptly consult a veterinarian. Otherwise, there is a high probability of animal death.
Description and causes of the disease
The development of animals depends on the amount of microelements in the body. With a lack or excess amount of a certain substance, there is a risk of metabolic disorders and the development of various pathologies. Lambs quite often suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. This is due to the rapid growth of animals and improper maintenance. Cubs are highly sensitive to selenium deficiency. It is a truly biotic element, which is contained in small amounts in tissues and organs.
If there is a lack of this substance, white muscle disease occurs in lambs. With this pathology, the liver, skeletal muscles, myocardium and other organs suffer. In affected individuals, the muscles resemble boiled fish or chicken. Most often, the pathology develops in winter or spring. With anomalies of intrauterine development, it appears immediately after birth. In 1 month, up to 15% of animals may be affected. At 2-3 months this parameter often increases to 70%. At other ages, the disease is much less common.
Most often, lambs get sick when grazing on acidic soil or in low-lying rivers. Despite the large volume of selenium, the element combines with iron. This provokes the appearance of insoluble compounds that do not enter the plants.
The level of this substance in grass depends on temperature and humidity. In cold and rainy weather, the volume of the element is significantly reduced. Also, the risk of developing the disease increases with a lack of vitamin E. As a result, animals become weaker, they develop convulsions and other unpleasant symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of the disease
Most often, the disease develops in winter or spring. It can have several flow options.In the acute course of the disease, which is typical for cubs under 1 month of age, a depressed state, insufficient motor activity, decreased appetite, weakened muscle tone, the appearance of tremor, and stagnation are observed.
Lambs with this condition have weak front legs. Therefore, gait is disrupted, animals are forced to rely on the metacarpal or toe joints, and lameness occurs. When the heart and blood vessels are damaged, the pulse increases to 140-200 beats per minute, and arrhythmia develops. In difficult situations, lambs lie with their necks extended. Most of these animals die.
Subacute course is usually observed at 1-3 months. In this case, there is growth retardation, unsteadiness of gait, lameness, and tremor. There is also a weakening of muscle tone, paresis, and the muscles of the pelvic girdle atrophy. Lambs may moan when moving. When the myocardium is damaged, the pulse quickens and arrhythmia develops. There is also a risk of bronchopneumonia and damage to the digestive organs. After 10-20 days, the lamb may die.
The chronic course of the pathology is usually observed at 6-8 months. This results in increased fatigue and stunted growth. In animals, the tone of muscle tissue decreases, lameness and developmental delays are observed. As the disease progresses, atrophy and exhaustion, paresis and paralysis of muscle tissue develop. Problems in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels are often observed, and bronchopneumonia develops.
How is the disease diagnosed in animals?
It is possible to make the correct diagnosis based on the clinical picture. The doctor may also perform laboratory tests.At the first symptoms of the disease and the absence of pronounced manifestations, special attention should be paid to the functioning of the heart. To do this, functional tests are performed and an electrocardiogram is performed.
To perform the study, lambs are forced to run for 15-30 seconds. When they stop, listen to the heart. In the presence of the disease, arrhythmia and tachycardia are present.
Treatment methods for white muscle disease in lambs
It is advisable to treat the disease only in the initial stages of the disease. In advanced cases of myocardial dystrophy or heart block, it is useless to do this. To cope with the pathology, sick animals need to be placed on soft bedding, provided with complete rest and transferred to a dairy diet.
It is also recommended to give lambs high-quality hay, green grass, and oatmeal. They require vitamins A, D and C. However, the most effective method of therapy is the use of preparations with vitamin E and selenium. Typically a 0.1% sodium selenite solution is used. For 1 kilogram of weight you need to use 0.1-0.2 milliliters of the product. It is administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously.
Vitamin E is prescribed 10-20 milligrams three times a day. The drug should be given to animals for 5-7 days. Complex preparations can also be used – for example, “Selevit”. Lambs are also given other beneficial substances. These include cobalt, which is recommended for lambs in an amount of 2-4 milligrams. They also require amino acids - cysteine, methionine. These substances must be given to animals in a dosage of 0.5-1 grams 2-3 times a day.
In addition, lambs require protein hydrolysates.It is recommended to administer these substances intramuscularly at 40-50 milliliters every day. The course of treatment should be 6-8 days. If necessary, symptomatic treatment is carried out. To maintain heart function, 1.5-3 milliliters of Cordiamine, 2-5 milliliters of lily of the valley tincture, and 3-5 milligrams of camphor oil can be used. In case of complications, it is recommended to use antimicrobial agents.
Danger of disease
With white muscle disease, the probability of death of animals is high. If adequate measures are not taken in a timely manner, the pathology can lead to the loss of 60% of the entire livestock.
Preventive actions
To avoid the development of the disease, pregnant females and cubs need to be provided with the correct feeding and housing conditions. The use of vitamins and microelements is of no small importance. Pregnant females 1 month before giving birth and newborn lambs are recommended to be injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously with 1 milliliter of sodium selenite solution with a concentration of 0.1%. “Selevit” and “Selferol” are also used for prevention. Prophylactic doses of these drugs should be 2 times less compared to therapeutic ones. If you include fish oil in the diet of animals, the need for vitamin E increases by 2-3 times.
There is also an oral remedy for the prevention of white muscle disease. For this it is recommended to use “Bentoselen”. This remedy is used in tablet form. For lambs there is a dosage of 0.25 grams of the substance, for ewes - 0.5 grams. To prevent disease in lambs, the drug is given on days 2-3 and days 25-30 of life.
In this case, the dosage should be 30 milligrams per 1 kilogram of weight. Pregnant ewes require 15 milligrams of the substance per 1 kilogram of weight. The product is used 25-30 days before birth. White muscle disease is a serious pathology that often occurs in lambs. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, there is a risk of animal death.
