TETANUS IN LAMBS

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 4942, 16 September 1914, Page 2

TETANUS IN LAMBS

PREVENTIVE MEASURES.

As the season for docking lambs is ' at hand, a few remarks by one of the I foremost veterinary authorities upon I tetanus and the way the lambs are usually affected by the bacillus of the disease will be read with interest: The first symptom noticed in lambs is a stiffness in walking. The hindquarters are usually affected first, but very soon afterwards the tetanic spasm extends forwards until all four legs are affected. The head is also raised and the ears cocked; but before these symptoms are noticed the lamb usually lies down, and makes no attempt to rise again. When the animal is down, the position assumed is very characteristic. The legs are stretched out like the supports of a trestle, and the head is bent back towards the body. It will also be noticed that the breathing is much quickened, and attempts to open the mouth will show the jaws tightly closed. The animal has a tucked up appearance, due to the contraction of the abdominal muscles. When the lamb is handled the tetanic spasms are increased in severity, while the breathing gets much quicker. The animal remains quite conscious, and even when unable to rise may live for days. The results of a post mortem examination of a case of tetanus are usually nil. There are no characteristic anatomical changes, and the examination of the carcase of an animal dead of tetanus is of very little use, except to a trained pathologist. As an aid to diagnosis, it is useful to get any wound found in the carcase submitted to a bacteriological examination, to demonstrate the presence of the bacillus. The tetanus bacillus does not leave the wound in which it finds a lodgment, but destroys the animal attacked through the poison it manufactures there. Treatment of this disease is impracticable. Prevention is the great thing to aim at. In order to prevent mortality caused by tetanus, it is necessary to prevent wound infection, in tailing and cutting. It is certain that In most instances the contagion is present in the sheep yards, and is consequently extremely difficult to get rid of. With the knowledge that various micro-or-ganisms may remain alive for years in the soil, it becomes imperative to protct lambs from this source of infection. When marking small flocks, it is best to use temporary yards made of movable hurdles, situated in a fresh paddock. It is essential to adopt some means of preventing the germs of disease from gaining entrance into the flesh cuts made in the scrotum ami tail. As the yards although the main, are not the only source of infection, it is recommended that wounds of the scrotum and tail be either smeared with tar or dressed with carbolised j oil (1 part of carbolic acid to 12 parts of oil) before the lamb is re- ' leased after the operation. This is 1 most important. Knives used for docking and tailing should be boiled, and not allowed to come in contact with the ground during use. Dead lambs, if not destroyer!, form fresh centres of infection by absorption of tbe micro-organism by the earth. All carcases should therefore ho destroyed by burning. Finally, if mea*sures are not taken to prevent these diseases, the Josses, in addition to occurring annually, will show -a tendency to increase in extent by reason of the increased soil eonta mi nation.