White Muscle Disease For Lambs
Occurrence Of The Disease
- Animals feeding in low selenium fields, catch white muscle disease.
- Lack of vitamin E in the ration, causes the disease.
- Selenium is a very important nutrient to take for animals. If they don’t be able to satisfy their selenium requirements, they become ill.
Disease Symptoms
- White muscle disease, usually occurs between 3 and 8 weeks after birth.
- Having difficulties while walking, gibbousness, limping and respiratory disorders are the symptoms of this disease.
- In the advancing period of the disease, lambs have difficulties while standing in balance and they can’t use their legs and bodies at the same time.
- White muscle disease, sometimes occurs inherently. Therefore, newborn lambs can’t get their nutrients and grow healthily. As a result of the negative conditions of them; they die in a few hours because of cardiac insufficiency and respiratory distress.
- Losses in vitamin E while making hay and silage making, are important factors for occurrence of the disease.
Ways For Avoidance Of The Disease
- Vitamin E and selenium combinations should be given to lambs and goats soon after birth.
- Vaccines should be applied a few times every other day for sick animals.
- Antibiotics should be given to the animals with respiratory distress.
- Both selenium and vitamin E are very important to get at the last months of birth in order to avoid white muscle disease.
