WA Livestock Disease Outlook - for vets

Slender iceplant poisoning in sheep

• Slender iceplant can cause acute oxalate poisoning, resulting in calcium deficiency and renal failure when consumed by sheep.
• Poisoning typically occurs from November to April after the plant dies.
• Signs include thick, clear nasal discharge, bloating, weakness, paralysis, collapse and sudden death.

Ante-mortem

• lith heparin bloods

Post-mortem

• fixed kidney
• vitreous humour.

Vitamin E deficiency              

• Usually widespread in weaner sheep during the long, dry summer-autumn period, or in feedlot animals. Sheep may be weak, lame, ill thrift or die suddenly when driven.
• Body stores of vitamin E decline on any dry feed, however the decline can be more rapid on high-grain diets.
• A 2000mg/sheep vitamin E drench can treat deficient sheep for six weeks. Severely affected sheep may require a repeat dose 2–3 weeks later.
• Vitamin E deficiency is rapidly resolved with access to green feed.

Ante-mortem:

• 10mL blood in lithium heparin from five or more sheep
• Representative sample of feed (plastic shopping bag full)

Post-mortem:

• fixed skeletal muscles. Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and vastus intermedius hindlimb thigh muscles should be sampled to cover all differential diagnoses.
• fixed heart (left and right ventricle and interventricular septum)
• fresh liver

Grain poisoning in livestock

• Consumption of large amounts of grain without gradual introduction can result in acidosis (grain poisoning, grain overload).
• The grain releases carbohydrate into the animal’s rumen and this rapidly ferments. Bacteria in the rumen produce lactic acid resulting in acidosis.
• Signs in affected animals include bloating, staggering gait, lameness, diarrhoea, depressed appearance, lying down, dehydration and thirst and death.

Post mortem:

• fixed rumen
• rumen contents (fluid and contents) at least 50g