Lambs feet fell off!

[Glo]

One of my neighbors lambs hind feet fell off! He is very worried about what caused it and if he should be worried about it spreading to others. Any idea what could have caused it?

[Summerthyme]

There are plants which can cause SEVERE (obviously) restrictions of circulation to the extremities. I'll have to Google it, but for God's sake, tell her to get the rest off the pasture where they are (ESPECIALLY if they haven't been in there long).

OK.... most likely, it's FESCUE POISONING. Here's a link to the Merck Manual.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/212209.htm

Fescue Lameness
(Fescue foot)


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Fescue lameness, which resembles ergot poisoning, is believed to be caused by ergot alkaloids, especially ergovaline, in tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ). It begins with lameness in one or both hindfeet and may progress to necrosis of the distal part of the affected limb(s). The tail and ears also may be affected independently of the lameness. In addition to gangrene of these extremities, animals may show loss of body mass, an arched back, and a rough coat. Outbreaks have been confirmed in cattle and similar lesions have been reported in sheep.
Tall fescue is a cool-season perennial grass adapted to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions; it is used in Australia and New Zealand for stabilizing the banks of watercourses. It is the predominant pasture grass in the transition zone in the eastern and central USA. Fescue lameness has been reported in Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, California, Colorado, and Missouri, as well as in New Zealand, Australia, and Italy.
The causative toxic substance has actions similar to those produced by sclerotia of Claviceps purpurea . However, ergot poisoning (see ) is not the cause of fescue lameness. Ergotism is most prevalent in late summer when the seed heads of grass mature. Fescue lameness is most common in late fall and winter and has been reproduced in cattle by feeding dried fescue free of seed heads and ergot.
Two fungi from toxic pastures have been implicated in fescue lameness. The clavicipitaceous endophyte fungus Acremonium coenophialum can synthesize ergot alkaloids in culture. The ergot alkaloid ergovaline has been detected in toxic fescue and is strongly implicated in some of the fescue toxicosis syndromes. However, the complete etiology of fescue foot remains unresolved.
Some reports indicate an increased incidence of fescue lameness as plants age and after severe droughts. Strains of tall fescue vary in their toxicity (eg, Kentucky-31 is more toxic than Fawn) due to variation in infection level with the fungus and to high variability within a strain. In some Kentucky-31 fescues, infection levels cannot be detected. High nitrogen applications appear to enhance the toxicity. Susceptibility of cattle is subject to individual variation.
Low environmental temperature is thought to exacerbate the lesions of fescue lameness; however, high temperatures increase the severity of a toxic problem known as epidemic hyperthermia or “summer syndrome,” in which a high proportion of a herd of cattle exhibits hypersalivation and hyperthermia. It appears that the toxin is a vasoconstrictor that induces hyperthermia in hot weather and results in cold extremities during cold weather. Another cause of this is poisoning with C purpurea (ergot alkaloids).
Erythema and swelling of the coronary region occur, and cattle are alert but lose weight and may be seen “paddling” or weight-shifting. The back is slightly arched, and knuckling of a hind pastern may be an initial sign. There is progressive lameness, anorexia, depression, and later, dry gangrene of the distal limbs (hindlimbs first). Signs usually develop within 10-21 days after turnout into a fescue-contaminated pasture in fall. A period of frost tends to increase the incidence.
For control, all infected forage should be removed.

Other possibilities would be ergotism (caused by a fungus usually found on Rye grain), or frostbite. Obviously, at this time of year, it's not frostbite.

You rarely only see one case, so if she has ANY animals showing ANY signs of lameness, especially in the hind limbs, she needs a vet NOW.

Summerthyme

[Glo]

Thank you for the info I will get it to her asap. She has a huge hurd and the rest of them are all fine... hope they stay that way.

[Animal Lover]

I'd say FASTER THAN NOW. We had 110 sheep and rotated our pastures to prevent this type of thing happening. Oh my dear Lord. I will pray for these poor animals. AL

[hunybee]

oh man....this is so sad for so many reasons. those poor things. i hope they figure it out

[louise]

I knew it was ergot as soon as I read about the poor things. Some guy named Ed Dames talked about this years ago. Said the body can only ingest so much before you lose a tongue, etc. Humans can get it too! He said after that comes common, watch the milk! I heard about this on Art Bell about five years ago!
Try this site!
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm2402

[Summerthyme]

Well, it's been around a LONG time. Most farmers understand how to manage fescue pastures (thankfully, we're far enough north, it's never been a really good pasture grass for us). What I don't quite understand is how the lamb got THAT bad before anyone noticed... they show signs of worsening lameness for weeks, usually...

Summerthyme

[Hardpan]

Sure seems to be the wrong time of year for fescue problems.

[Summerthyme]

Hardpan... yeah. I'd guess it's in her hay, but who knows? (or it could be something else, and I'm all wet. Long distance "diagnosis" is... well, impossible might be closer than "difficult"! And it's unusual to see it in just one animal)

Summerthyme

[momof23goats]

Hardpan... yeah. I'd guess it's in her hay, but who knows? (or it could be something else, and I'm all wet. Long distance "diagnosis" is... well, impossible might be closer than "difficult"! And it's unusual to see it in just one animal)

Summerthyme
sure is, I agree. sounds more like it froze. BUt I just don't know.

[Spike n Ree]

One of my neighbors lambs hind feet fell off! He is very worried about what caused it and if he should be worried about it spreading to others. Any idea what could have caused it?

Could this be the cause?

http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/hydro/sebacker.htm


Selenium Backgrounder


by Mark F. McCarty, Ph.D.

Ironically, an essential nutrient which probably has greater promise than any other for human cancer prevention, first came to scientific attention as a toxin that was poisoning animals.

When Marco Polo made his legendary trip to China, his party passed through a region in which most of his horses became very ill; in the horses most severely affected, their hooves literally fell off! This was one of the first recorded instances of a disease which is now known as "blind staggers".
Investigations early in the twentieth century established that blind staggers is only encountered in areas where the soil is very rich in the mineral selenium, and in which special plants grow ("indicator plants" of the genus Astragalus) that accumulate selenium from the soil. Blind staggers develops in animals that graze on these selenium-rich indicator plants and is thus a manifestation of selenium toxicity. Selenium poisoning can lead to nausea, garlicky breath, flu-like symptoms, loss of hair, fingernails or hooves, neurological problems, liver damage, and in severe cases respiratory failure and death. In the recent past, selenium earned notoriety as a suspected cause of the poisoning of birds at California's Kesterton Reservoir.

[dilligaf]

wait wait ... was it the actual foot or just the hoof casing part of the feet. If it was the actual foot that is pretty neglectful on their part. A foot just doesnt fall off with no signs of it doing so.

If it is the hoof part then there could be a multitude of different causes

[Summerthyme]

Spike n Ree... not likely. Selenium deficiency is VERY noticable. It causes major problems, and most people can't miss them. (for one, the muscle weakness in "white muscle disease" generally makes it impossible for animals to stand or walk.)

I'd also like a LOT more info on this, as far as exactly what "fell off", how it happened, and if they'd noticed anything beforehand. But even the hoof wall doesn't slough without SERIOUS lameness ahead of time.

Summerthyme

[Hardpan]

Maybe too much selenium supplement. We have had wierd things happen on frosted pastures.

[Animal Lover]

Hardpan... yeah. I'd guess it's in her hay, but who knows? (or it could be something else, and I'm all wet. Long distance "diagnosis" is... well, impossible might be closer than "difficult"! And it's unusual to see it in just one animal)

Summerthyme

Yes, the one animal thing is strange and was my urgent worry. Has the Vet come up with what is happening? Oh, I can't tell you how upsetting this is. They are wonderful animals to have for lots and lots of reasons. AL