Case notes on veterinary investigations in sheep, cattle and other species

2013 Autumn edition of case studies

Autumn 2013 State Report
Written by: Bruce Watt, Tablelands LHPA

Sheep

Acute post drenching mortality in lambs
Written by: Brigit Pitman, District Veterinarian, Hume LHPA
A mob of ewes and lambs were yarded for drenching and weaning. One thousand one hundred lambs were drafted from the ewes and eleven lambs died within 12 hours of drenching ... Read More

Aortic rupture (spontaneous) in Dorper ewes
Written by: Bill Johnson, District Veterinarian, Tablelands LHPA, Goulburn
Spontaneous rupture of a major blood vessel is an uncommon cause of sudden death in grazing livestock. This report describes two sheep in a flock which died suddenly on the same day ... Read More

Crystal assocated cholangiopathy (Yellow Big Head) in lambs grazing Tribulus terrestris
Written by: Greg McCann (Central West LHPA, Dubbo)
A mob of 340 6-8mo cross bred lambs were grazed on a canola stubble paddock in February after receiving 50mm of rain some 6 weeks previously. Two days after introduction, a couple of lambs were noted as hanging back ... Read More

Exertional rhabdomyolysis in ewes
Written by: Elizabeth Braddon, SDV Lachlan LHPA
Many animals such as horses, pigs and various species of wildlife suffer from exertional rhabdomyolysis or capture myopathy ? but it is not normally encountered in sheep. This is a case report in which 10 of 600 ewes died after being harassed by dogs ... Read More

Lameness in sheep associated with Tribulus terresteris
Written by: David Cervera, Luis Miguel Ferrer and Delia Lacasta, Veterinary Faculty of Zaragoza, Spain
Two sheep farms running 2500 sheep in total were affected with lamenes, in one flock 70 of 1000 sheep were affected ... Read More

Photosensitisation and cholangiohepatopathy (Dikoor) in lambs grazing a forage brassica crop contaminated with Panicum gilvum
Written by: Bruce Watt, (Tablelands LHPA Bathurst), Belinda Hackney (formerly of NSW DPI Bathurst), Erika Bunker (State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Menangle)
Brassicas, when grazed, can cause several livestock health problems but are not reported as causing cholangiopathy or hepatopathy. This is a report of a case of crystal-associated cholangiohepatopathy in lambs grazing Winfred forage brassica ... Read More

Rock fern poisoning in sheep and cattle
Written by: Duncan McRae, Katie Kent (SU vet students) and Greg McCann
Rock fern poisoning is capable of causing significant disease in both sheep and cattle.
Signalment: Early weaned dairy calves placed in pasture with no mature animals.
Problem: All calves in the paddock had died ... Read More

Cattle

BJD in Spanish dairy farms: A case report
Written by: Marta Ramis, M?nica Espada and Delia Lacasta, Veterinary Faculty of Zaragoza. Spain
One Holstein cow from a dairy farm near the Veterinary Faculty of Zaragoza was referred to the Ruminant Clinical Services. The farmer advised that the cow was found to have problems with fertility, despite synchronization treatments and artificial insemination. Signs of clinical BJD were observed when the affected cow developed a profuse liquid diarrhoea despite absence of other clinical signs such as pyrexia or inappetance ... Read More

Nicotiana glauca toxicity in cattle
Written by: Tahleah Haddow, Veterinary Student, Charles Sturt University
Dermot McNerney, Veterinary Officer, Western Division NSW DPI
Nicotiana glauca (tree tobacco) is an upright, small, spindly tree with broad, elliptical, bluish-green leaves and pale yellow, tubular flowers. It is an introduced species of Argentina and regarded as an environmental weed ... Read More

Rape blindness (polioencephalomalacia) in cattle
Written by: Jillian Kelly, District Veterinarian, Central West LHPA, Coonamble & Nyngan
Rape blindness is one of a number of possible disease manifestations associated with grazing brassicas.? It has not been diagnosed in recent years in the Central West but is an example of the problems that can be encountered when farmers use alternative feed sources in dry times ... Read More

Rock fern poisoning in sheep and cattle
Written by: Duncan McRae, Katie Kent (SU vet students) and Greg McCann
Rock fern poisoning is capable of causing significant disease in both sheep and cattle.
Signalment: Early weaned dairy calves placed in pasture with no mature animals.
Problem: All calves in the paddock had died ... Read More