Causes: As in cattle, draughts in folds, overfeeding. Symptoms: fever,
inappetence, weakness of hind parts, diarrhœa, tenesmus, false
membranes, blood in stools, tympany. Treatment: change diet of dam,
exercise, Glauber salts, potassium iodide, bismuth, flaxseed, elm
bark, mallow, gum, carminatives, bitters, antiseptics.
_Causes._ The same causes are claimed as for cattle. Clavel attributed
it to too rich milk, and exposure to cold draughts, in folded lambs.
_Symptoms._ To the general symptoms of fever are added refusal of the
teat, weakness or paresis of the hind limbs, looseness of the bowels and
the ejection of false membranes with an unusual amount of straining. The
dejections may be watery and mixed with blood. In some cases defecation
is suppressed, the intestines being blocked by the membranes, and then
acute indigestion and fatal tympany may follow.
The pathological anatomy and lesions resemble those seen in the ox.
_Treatment._ Change the diet of the ewe, and allow more outdoor
exercise. Give the lamb Glauber salts (½ to 1 oz.) with potassium iodide
(10 grs.), and bismuth (1 dr.). Decoctions of flaxseed, or solutions of
elm bark, mallow or gum arabic are desirable, and infusions of aromatic
plants or oils of peppermint, anise, or fennel may be added with quinia.
As in the other animals such antiseptics as salol, naphthol, naphthalin,
boric acid, or salicylate of soda may be administered.