Bloat In Lambs

The main cause of bloat is thought to be a bacteria sarcina ventriculi. Warm milk entering the stomach creates perfect substrate for fermentation.

From the fermentation of the bacteria excess gas is produced causing the expanding of the stomach.

This aggressive bacteria lives on lactose. This bug is everywhere and is easily picked up by the lambs.

The bloated stomach of the lamb can rupture killing the lamb. The other organs can also be crushed.

Abdominal bloat in young lambs is clinically diagnosed by dissension abdomen especially the right side.

Bloat can also be caused due to a lack of colostrum and over feeding.

 Prevention

You should really try to prevent this terrible loss by good farm management.

Most farmers seem to loose their bummer lambs to bloat when they are 4 weeks old.

Don't feed the lamb too quickly every 10 seconds you should stop and resume feed.

The hole in the teat should not be too big. The strong sucking of the teat encourages the closing of the valve in the stomach which is needed. If a lamb was tube fed at any stage this valve could be damaged extra strong  sucking is needed in this case also.

Never make the bottle with hot water and allow it too cool this will cause digestive problems.

Do not feed warm milk replacer after the first few days of lambs life.

Feed the lamb cold milk replacer. The bacteria multiply at a quicker rate with the warm milk.

Don't feed meal immediately before or after feed.

Add yogurt to the lamb milk replacer. Best to start this when the lamb is 5 days old.

Yogurt contains probiotics that prevent pathogens from growing by providing competition for bad bacteria. Yogurt also contains probiotics which stimulate the growth of good bacteria.

Add the yogurt with the milk replacer leave for 24 hours and serve cold

You can use powder probiotic to give the lamb the necessary enzymes to digest the milk.

Teaspoon of vegetable oil mixed with the feed to stop the milk foaming in the stomach.

Treatment


Early intervention is critical in the treatment of bloat. Early signs are a swollen belly and a miserable looking lamb.

Do not allow the lamb to have access to any feed.

Put a tube in the lambs belly via the nose or mouth. Make sure you don't put it into the lungs. To have the correct length of tubing measure from the head to just in front of the rear legs where they meet the belly. In less severe bloat this will release the gas. Rub the lambs belly while you have the tube in.

Then via a syringe  in mouth give 1 disprin, 1 table spoon of vegetable oil, and half a cc of penicillin to restart the rumen. Get the lamb to walk around and massage the belly.

or

Using syringe squire 3-4 cc of castor oil down the throat. Feed half cc of neomycin sulfrate to restart the rumen. Walk lamb and massage the belly.

or

Put the tube in the belly to try to release the gas, then syringe 40ml of vegetable or mineral oil and half cc of penicillin. Walk and massage lamb.

or

Half a teaspoon of ground ginger with 2 tablespoons of water via the syringe in mouth. Half cc of penicillin. Walk and massage lamb.


or

Relieving the bloat with a needle inserted into abomasum to vent the gas.