Improper handling of a suspended-animation lamb can easily lead to death; how can it be prevented and treated?

    Lamb suspended animation, also known as lamb asphyxia, refers to a lamb that, when delivered, has weak or stopped breathing but still has a heartbeat; this is called suspended animation or asphyxia.

Lamb

    (1) Causes of the disease

    1. Improper delivery assistance, delivery at night in severe cold with no one attending, and the lamb being frozen for too long.

    2. During dystocia, the umbilical cord is compressed, or the lamb fetus stays in the birth canal for a long time; there are also cases of breech presentation with delayed assistance, causing compression of the umbilical cord and resulting in circulatory disturbance.

    3. If the ewe has a disease such as anemia or a febrile disease, the oxygen in the blood is insufficient and carbon dioxide accumulates excessively, stimulating the lamb fetus to have an early respiratory reflex, so that amniotic fluid is inhaled into the respiratory tract.

    (2) Symptoms 

    The lamb lies motionless on its side, with eyes closed, tongue hanging out, mouth color purplish, and breathing weak or even stopped; there is mucus or amniotic fluid in the mouth and nasal cavity; auscultation of the lungs reveals moist rales, and body temperature drops. In severe cases, the whole body is limp, reflexes disappear, but a weak heartbeat remains.

    (3) Prevention 

    1. During the lambing season, arrangements should be strict, with dedicated personnel on duty at night, timely delivery assistance, and careful care of newborn lambs.

    2. During delivery, if the lamb fetus stays in the birth canal for a relatively long time, assistance should be given promptly to pull out the fetus.

    3. If the ewe is sick, delivery assistance should be given quickly during lambing to prevent asphyxia due to delay.

   (4) Treatment: Different emergency measures should be taken according to the degree of lamb suspended animation. 

Sheep

    1. If the lamb still has weak breathing, immediately lift it by the hind legs and hang it up, gently pat the chest and abdomen to stimulate the respiratory reflex, prompt the lamb to discharge mucus and amniotic fluid from the mouth, nasal cavity, and trachea, and wipe the lamb's body dry with a clean cloth, then soak it in warm water with the head exposed. After a short stay, take the lamb out, quickly rub the body with a dry cloth, then wrap it in felt or cotton cloth, make the mouth open, wrap the tongue with a soft cloth, and pull the tongue outward once every few seconds to help the lamb restore breathing movements. After the lamb revives, place it in a warm place and feed it artificially.

    2. If breathing is not seen, quickly remove the mucus and amniotic fluid from the mouth and nasal cavity, then perform artificial respiration. At the same time, inject nikethamide, lobeline, or 0.5 ml of camphor water. The lamb can also be placed in warm water at about 37°C with the head exposed, and a small amount of warm water repeatedly sprinkled over the lamb's heart area, then taken out and the whole body rubbed with a dry cloth.

    3. Inject 2 to 3 ml of 10% calcium chloride into the umbilical artery. The treatment principle is: various nerve ending networks are distributed on the lamb's umbilical blood vessels and the skin around the umbilical ring, forming a special reflex zone, so this area can excite the respiratory center that has temporarily lost function.