# lamb with swollen joints



## jersey girl (Nov 21, 2005)

We have Jacob sheep and have done well with them. We got our first bottle lamb this spring and made some mistakes. The Pyrs are raising him but of course can't nurse his. I had some all animal formula and was feeding him. He got a selenium deficency. Gave him some Bo-Se and he is doing fine with that. I give him a squirt of nutri-drench about every other day now and he eats formula made for lambs.
His knees in front have always been large, but today the one is very swollen and he can't walk on it. It feels like it has liquid in it. Does anyone know what this may be? He is so sweet and we are trying so hard to help him.
Thanks for any advice.
Joanie


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## Somerhill (Dec 13, 2005)

Read up on joint-ill or navel-ill. If this is the case, you'll need to start antibiotics right away. Its been a looooooong time since we had a case, so I'm not sure which drug is best. 

I also found this from the Pipestone Sheep Supplies website.
http://www.pipevet.com/default.htm Look in the archived articles and management tips. This is a quote from an article on Lameness:
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Chlamydia polyarthritis is a major cause of lameness in growing lambs. Lambs will be severely lame on one or more legs. On close inspection the hooves are normal but there is obvious swelling and heat in one or more joints. The joints will be painful when flexed and extended. Lambs will have a moderate fever and will be off feed. Chlamydia is a contagious organism and multiple lambs will be affected. Treatment with tetracycline is effective early in the course of the disease. If treatment is delayed damage to the joint will occur and treatment will not be effective. This results in a chronically lame feeder lamb that fails to thrive.
J. L. Goelz, D.V.M.
International SheepLetter
Vol. 21, No. 8, November 2001
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Best Wishes
Lisa at Somerhill
www.somerhillfarm.com


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

Unfortunately, I have a lot of experience with joint ill/navel ill and septicemia. Start him on penicillin asap, 1 cc for a week and pray. This year, we had 4 lambs and one calf come down with it. The calf is the only one who skipped the navel and went right to swollen hocks and actually a fusion type lameness. Miraculously, after a month, after treatment, even his lameness in the fused leg is going away. Most bizzarre. The swelling has never gone down but maybe you have caught your lamb in time, just don't expect normal legs again becuase whatever is in there solidifies. kirsten


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## jersey girl (Nov 21, 2005)

Thank you for all your help. We have started him on antibiotic and are praying for him. He is such a little sweetie. My next problem with him will be moving him outside. He has come to believe that he is a dog, even letting us know when someone pulls in the driveway. 
You two are a blessing.
Joanie


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## Somerhill (Dec 13, 2005)

Peniccillin is NOT the drug of choice - and 1cc is too small a dose to be effective. (ask your vet, the dosage on the label is no longer effective on today's bacteria) 

Joanie, would you believe it! After you asked the question, I had a 2 week old 30# lamb with a very swollen knee over the weekend. He was also just lying around, acting like he felt badly. Slightly elevated temp. I gave 2cc of Biomycin(similar to LA200, but without the sting) and 1 cc of Banamine for inflamation. By evening , he was back up, chasing the ewe lambs. He is still not quite back to normal, as this is a very cocky, outgoing fellow, but he's on the way. Since Biomycin is long acting, I will give another 2cc tonight, and hopefully that will be enough. The swelling is reduced, but still there.(the dosage on the label is 4.5cc per 100#, and our vet concurs with this) 

Thank you so much for asking that question so I would have the answer fresh in my mind.  
Best Wishes
Lisa at Somerhill
www.somerhillfarm.com


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## jersey girl (Nov 21, 2005)

I started him on antibiotics right away like you all suggested. His legs did not get worse, but the one joint was very swollen and he had a big limp. A week after the antibiotics, the local Chiropractor came over (she worked on his hip when he was little after he was stepped on) She checked out his knee joint and I told her that we stopped the infection but the swelling would not go away. She said bull. Under her advice, the lamb started getting cod liver oil in his meals, and we rubbed lavender oil on his knee daily. She also showed me how to massage the knee. Now, a few weeks later, almost all the swelling is gone and he only has a very slight limp.
Thank you for all your help. He is looking to be a very nice 4 horned ram.
(and yes, he is still living in the house at night, but at least outside with the others during the nice days)


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

My vet recommended 1 cc doses for all my lamb cases and it worked just fine. 

But I may try the cod liver and lavender if I ever need to. But my cases did not noticeably affect the joints, nor cause swelling. In the calf it did but not the lambs. Maybe I caught them all really early by feeling up navels...


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