PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F A Eales

Publications and source records attributed to F A Eales.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

A field study of watery mouth: clinical, epidemiological, biochemical, haematological and bacteriological observations.

More than 500 cases of watery mouth in newborn lambs were recorded in 11 flocks and a detailed examination was performed in more than 200 cases. The condition occurred predominantly in lambs aged 24 to 48 hours. The incidence in a flock varied from 1 per cent to 24 per cent and the mortality in affected lambs varied from 7 per cent to 83 per cent. A bacteraemia was found in 38 per cent of the affected lambs. There were no consistent abnormalities of clinical biochemistry or haematology. Watery mouth was more common in twins and especially in triplets than in single lambs. In twins the highest incidence of watery mouth was recorded in lambs born to ewes in poor body condition. Antibiotic given orally within 15 minutes of birth greatly reduced the incidence of watery mouth.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

A simple system for recording lamb mortality used to improve flock management.

Many commercial sheep farmers do not record either the extent or the causes of their lamb losses but this information is essential if losses are to be reduced in the future. The major causes of death in newborn lambs are reviewed together with the common predisposing factors. The development and practical application of a simple system for recording lamb deaths is described. It is concluded that the application of this type of system, initiated, supervised and interpreted by the farmer's own veterinary surgeon, would indicate how to reduce the losses of lambs and would be a useful component of any flock health scheme.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1986

Plasma hormone concentrations in newborn Scottish blackface lambs during basal and summit metabolism.

The plasma concentrations of adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, thyroxine, tri-iodothyronine, cortisol, insulin and glucose were estimated in lambs aged one to five hours during basal metabolism and then during summit metabolism (the maximum thermogenic response to cold stress). The increase in metabolic rate from basal metabolism to summit metabolism was associated with marked increases in the plasma levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol and glucose and a decrease in the plasma level of insulin. There were no quantitative relationships between summit metabolic rate and the plasma levels of any of the hormones measured. These findings suggest that the marked lamb-to-lamb variation in heat production capacity found here and elsewhere cannot be directly attributed to variation in the activities of the sympathetic nervous system, the thyroid, the adrenal cortex or the pancreas. Concurrent estimations of respiratory quotient suggested that the newborn lamb has a marked dependence on carbohydrate as an energy substrate at high rates of heat production.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Abomasal size and emptying time in healthy lambs and in lambs affected by watery mouth.

Contrast radiography (barium sulphate suspension fed by stomach tube) was used to assess abomasal profile area (a reflection of tone in the abomasal wall) and the rate of abomasal emptying in healthy lambs aged four to 144 hours and in lambs affected by watery mouth. In healthy lambs abomasal profile area increased from 15.1 +/- 0.56 cm2/kg at four hours of age to 23.1 +/- 1.07 cm2/kg at 24 to 48 hours (P less than 0.001). There was no change up to 48 to 72 hours but after this age there was a substantial decrease to 12.8 +/- 0.76 cm2/kg at 120 to 144 hours (P less than 0.001). The rate of abomasal emptying decreased as abomasal profile area increased. Complete emptying of the abomasum was observed within three hours of feeding in the majority of lambs aged four hours (seven out of eight) and 120 to 144 hours (13 out of 16) but only in a minority of lambs aged 24 to 48 hours (one out of 11). In lambs affected by watery mouth (mean age [+/- se] 33 +/- 2.8 hours, n = 34) abomasal profile area was greater and the rate of abomasal emptying was slower than in healthy lambs aged 24 to 48 hours. These findings confirm the previous suspicion that watery mouth is associated with an impairment of gut motility. Abomasal emptying time was prolonged in lambs aged four hours when either ewe or cow colostrum was included with the contrast medium. A similar effect was observed in lambs aged 24 to 48 hours when cow colostrum was included. The castration of lambs aged four hours with rubber rings immediately before the administration of contrast medium had no effect on the rate of abomasal emptying.

Abomasum↗
PubMed1985

Pathological and microbiological findings in 38 lambs with watery mouth.

Thirty-eight lambs with watery mouth were presented alive for necropsy. The most frequently found abnormality was enteritis, in 25 lambs. Bacteria were cultured from the gut contents of all lambs and bacteraemia was detected at high frequency at necropsy, though very much less frequently six hours before. Escherichia coli strains did not possess K99 antigen. It was concluded that absolute starvation and septicaemia were unlikely causes of the disease; that there is support for the hypothesis that reduced gut motility is an important early feature and, that if bacteria are involved in the aetiology, they may have a non-specific role.

Abomasum↗
PubMed1985

Effects of acute hypoxia on heat production capacity in newborn lambs.

Severe hypoxia during birth results in a metabolic acidosis and depressed heat production capacity. The aetiology of the depressed heat production capacity is unknown. To investigate this problem newborn lambs were exposed to a 30 minute period of hypoxia by causing them to breathe room air diluted with nitrogen. Heat production capacity was subsequently estimated as summit metabolic rate. When summit metabolic rate was estimated at the end of the period of hypoxia a depression to 66 per cent of the control value was observed (P less than 0.01) but no depression was observed when the estimation of summit metabolic rate was delayed for 30 minutes. Hypoxia resulted in metabolic acidosis, hyperlactaemia and considerable increases in the plasma concentrations of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Summit metabolic rate was positively correlated with blood pH at the beginning of summit metabolism in lambs which had a pH value of less than 7.05. There were no other relationships between summit metabolic rate and blood composition. These results suggest that the poor heat production capacity found in lambs which have suffered hypoxia during birth may be directly related to acidaemia.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Effectiveness in commercial practice of a new system for detecting and treating hypothermia in newborn lambs.

A new system for the detection and treatment of hypothermia in newborn lambs was evaluated on 30 commercial farms. This system comprised the detection of hypothermia with the aid of an electronic thermometer, the reversal of hypoglycaemia in lambs aged more than five hours by an intraperitoneal injection of glucose solution, warming in air at 40 degrees C and careful management after warming. Of all lambs treated, 69 per cent were alive one week later. The majority of lambs which were treated and lived were subsequently reared on ewes. Treatment was more successful in lambs aged less than five hours (76 per cent) than in older lambs (64 per cent). Higher success rates were recorded when the hypothermia was detected in the temperature range of 37.0 to 39.0 degrees C (83 per cent) than when it was only detected at a temperature of less than 37.0 degrees C (65 per cent). Twins and triplet lambs were more susceptible to hypothermia than singles.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Effects of feeding ewe colostrum, cow colostrum or ewe milk replacer on plasma glucose in newborn lambs.

The plasma concentration of glucose was monitored for six hours in lambs fed either ewe colostrum, cow colostrum or milk replacer by stomach tube at one hour of age. The feeding of ewe colostrum resulted in an elevation of the mean (+/- se) plasma glucose concentration from 2 . 6 +/- 0 . 3 mmol/litre before feeding to 7 . 3 +/- 0 . 92 mmol/litre three hours after feeding and this elevation was maintained. A similar rise was observed in the lambs fed cow colostrum but this was of shorter duration. A marked hyperglycaemia was observed after the feeding of milk replacer with a maximum value of 23 . 4 +/- 1 . 33 mmol/litre three hours after feeding. The practical implications of these results are discussed.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1982

Alphaxalone/alphadolone anaesthesia in the lamb.

Alphaxalone/alphadolone (12 mg/ml) was administered by both the intramuscular and intravenous routes in an investigation of its action in newborn lambs. Useful anaesthesia was produced with an intravenous injection of 6 mg/kg bodyweight and with a divided intramuscular injection of either 9 or 12 mg/kg, one half of the dose being injected into the quadriceps mass of each hind leg. In all cases the recovery period was quiet and of short duration. Transient depressions of heart and respiratory rates were observed during anaesthesia but these were judged to be clinically acceptable. A single intramuscular injection was less effective probably because of slow absorption from the single site. The results suggest that this drug is a suitable injectable anaesthetic agent for the newborn lamb.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1982

Causes of hypothermia in 89 lambs.

The causes of hypothermia in 89 lambs were identified on the basis of history and clinical biochemistry. Excessive heat loss accounted for 24 per cent of the cases, and depressed heat production because of either severe hypoxia during birth, immaturity or starvation accounted for 72 per cent. Exhaustion of energy reserves and hypoglycaemia were marked characteristics of lambs which became hypothermic after 12 hours of age. Most of the lambs were either twins or triplets. The implications of the findings for both the treatment and prevention of hypothermia in newborn lambs are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Resuscitation of hypothermic lambs.

A technique was developed for the resuscitation of hypothermic newborn lambs. This technique consisted of three major components: the administration of glucose solution by intraperitoneal injection to lambs aged six hours or more in order to reverse hypoglycaemia (10 ml/kg of a 20 per cent solution); rewarming the lambs in air at 40 degrees C; and careful attention to the nutrition and husbandry of the lambs after rewarming. The results indicate that careful application of this technique during lambing would considerably reduce the losses from hypothermia.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Effects of colostrum on summit metabolic rate in Scottish blackface lambs at five hours old.

The feeding of colostrum to newborn lambs led to a 17 to 20 per cent increase in summit metabolic rate estimated at five hours of age. This increase would significantly enhance the survival potential of the newborn lamb in the field. Respiratory quotient during summit metabolism and changes in plasma composition suggested that the carbohydrate content of the colostrum was a major contributor to the increase in summit metabolic rate.

Animals↗