{"id":6977,"date":"2015-10-20T15:20:01","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T14:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/?page_id=6977"},"modified":"2016-04-18T14:10:32","modified_gmt":"2016-04-18T13:10:32","slug":"watery-mouth-disease","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/disease-management\/sheep-diseases\/watery-mouth-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Watery Mouth Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignright\">\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/disease-management\/sheep-diseases\/watery-mouth-disease\/?pfstyle=wp\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"pfTrackEvent(&#039;Watery Mouth Disease&#039;); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pf-button-img\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/printfriendly-pdf-email-button-notext.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\" style=\"width: 110px;height: 30px;\"  \/>\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div><\/p>\n<h2>Sheep Diseases<\/h2><div id=\"gticontainer\"><div class=\"gti_clear\"><\/div><div id=\"gti_letterindex\"><ul><li><a href=\"#gti_all\">All<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_A\" href=\"#\">A<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_B\" href=\"#\">B<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_C\" href=\"#\">C<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_E\" href=\"#\">E<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_F\" href=\"#\">F<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_G\" href=\"#\">G<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_H\" href=\"#\">H<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_J\" href=\"#\">J<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_K\" href=\"#\">K<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_L\" href=\"#\">L<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_M\" href=\"#\">M<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_N\" href=\"#\">N<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_O\" href=\"#\">O<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_P\" href=\"#\">P<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_R\" href=\"#\">R<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_S\" href=\"#\">S<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_T\" href=\"#\">T<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_W\" href=\"#\">W<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"gti_clear\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tagindex\"><div id='gti_div_A'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_A'>A<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/acidosis-ruminal\/\">Acidosis - Ruminal<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/adenomatosis-pulmonary\/\">Adenomatosis - Pulmonary<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/arthritis-in-sheep\/\">Arthritis in Sheep<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_B'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_B'>B<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/barbers-pole-worm\/\">Barbers Pole Worm<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/sheep-blowfly-strike\/\">Blowfly Strike<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/border-disease\/\">Border Disease<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_C'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_C'>C<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/campylobacteriosis-2\/\">Campylobacteriosis<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/ccn\/\">CCN<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/cerebrocortical-necrosis\/\">Cerebrocortical necrosis<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/chlamydial-abortion\/\">Chlamydial Abortion<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/circling-disease\/\">Circling Disease<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/cobalt-deficiency-in-sheep\/\">Cobalt Deficiency<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/coccidiosis-in-lambs\/\">Coccidiosis<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/coenurosis\/\">Coenurosis<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/contagious-ecthyma\/\">Contagious Ecthyma<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/contagious-pustular-dermatitis\/\">Contagious Pustular Dermatitis<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/contagious-respiratory-tumours\/\">Contagious Respiratory Tumours<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/copper-poisoning\/\">Copper Poisoning<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/cryptosporidiosis-in-lambs\/\">Cryptosporidiosis<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_E'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_E'>E<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/e-coli-infection-in-lambs\/\">E. coli infection in lambs<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/eimeria-in-sheep\/\">Eimeria in sheep<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/encephalitis-listerial\/\">Encephalitis - Listerial<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/endoparasites-in-sheep\/\">Endoparasites in Sheep<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/enzootic-abortion-in-ewes\/\">Enzootic Abortion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_F'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_F'>F<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/fasciola-hepatica-in-sheep\/\">Fasciola<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/fly-strike\/\">Fly Strike<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/foot-abcess\/\">Foot Abcess<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/foot-rot\/\">Foot Rot<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_G'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_G'>G<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/granuloma\/\">Granuloma<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/grass-staggers-in-sheep\/\">Grass Staggers in sheep<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_H'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_H'>H<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/haemonchus\/\">Haemonchus contortus<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/hairy-shaker-lambs\/\">Hairy-shaker lambs<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/hypomagnesaemia-in-sheep\/\">Hypomagnesemia in Sheep<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_J'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_J'>J<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/jaagsiekte\/\">Jaagsiekte<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/joint-ill-sheep\/\">Joint-ill<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_K'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_K'>K<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/ketosis\/\">Ketosis<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_L'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_L'>L<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/listeriosis-in-sheep\/\">Listeriosis<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/liver-fluke-sheep\/\">Liver Fluke<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/louping-ill\/\">Louping-ill<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_M'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_M'>M<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/magnesium-deficiency-2\/\">Magnesium Deficiency<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/mange-psoroptic\/\">Mange - Psoroptic<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/myiasis\/\">Myiasis<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_N'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_N'>N<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/nematodirus\/\">Nematodirus battus<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_O'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_O'>O<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/orf\/\">Orf<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_P'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_P'>P<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/parasitic-gastroenteritis\/\">Parasitic Gastroenteritis<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/pen\/\">PEN<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/polioencephalomalacia\/\">Polioencephalomalacia<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/pregnancy-toxaemia-in-sheep\/\">Pregnancy Toxemia<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/pulmonary-adenomatosis\/\">Pulmonary Adenomatosis<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_R'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_R'>R<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/roundworm\/\">roundworm<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/roundworms-in-sheep\/\">Roundworms in Sheep<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/ruminal-acidosis\/\">Ruminal Acidosis<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_S'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_S'>S<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/scab\/\">Scab<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/scald\/\">Scald<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/sheep-scab\/\">Sheep Scab<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/shelly-hoof\/\">Shelly Hoof<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/suppurative-polyarthritis\/\">Suppurative Polyarthritis<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_T'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_T'>T<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/taenia-multiceps\/\">Taenia multiceps<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/teladorsagia-circumcincta\/\">Teladorsagia circumcincta<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/thiamine-deficiency\/\">Thiamine Deficiency<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/toxaemia\/\">Toxemia, Pregnancy<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/toxoplasmosis\/\">Toxoplasmosis<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/trichostrongylus\/\">Trichostrongylus<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_W'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_W'>W<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/watery-mouth-disease\/\">Watery Mouth Disease<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/white-line-separation\/\">White Line Separation<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/white-liver-disease\/\">White Liver Disease<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/sheep-diseases\/\/worms-in-sheep\/\">Worms in Sheep<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<h4>Watery Mouth Disease<\/h4>\n<p><em><strong>Also known as: E. coli infection in lambs<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Watery mouth disease (WMD)\u00a0is an important bacterial disease of neonatal lambs, especially in an intensive indoor situation. It is most common in lambs between 6 and 48 hours old and can cause severe losses, with <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"Proportion of animals with the particular disease\">morbidity<\/a><\/span> sometimes reaching 24% and <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"Usually expressed as a rate, it is the number of deaths in a given population\">mortality<\/a><\/span> of those affected as high as 83% (<a href=\"#ref\">Eales et al., 1986<\/a>).<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"responsive\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7017\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/WMD-factors.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7017\" class=\"wp-image-7017\" src=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/WMD-factors-e1445419591718.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the factors which causes Watery Mouth Disease\" width=\"400\" height=\"223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/WMD-factors-e1445419591718.jpg 451w, https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/WMD-factors-e1445419591718-300x167.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7017\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Illustration of the factors which cause Watery Mouth Disease<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span>A combination of factors is responsible for the development of watery mouth. Lambs that have <strong>not <\/strong>received sufficient amounts of colostrum are most vulnerable to the disease. These lambs are infected during the first hours of life when they ingest large numbers of <em>Escherichia coli<\/em> (<em>E. coli<\/em>) from the ewe&#8217;s fleece as they seek the udder, or if their bedding is soiled. The bacteria pass from the abomasum into the intestines. In older lambs, the bacteria are destroyed by acid in the stomach, but in newborn lambs there is no acid (pH=7). In the intestines, the bacteria multiply rapidly, and <strong>only when they die<\/strong> do they release <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"A toxin present inside a bacterial cell that is released when it disintegrates.\">endotoxin<\/a><\/span>. A small quantity of <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"A toxin present inside a bacterial cell that is released when it disintegrates.\">endotoxin<\/a><\/span> does not cause a problem, but if large quantities are produced, movement of the gut is depressed (<a href=\"#ref\">Eales <em>et al<\/em>., 1985<\/a>; <a href=\"#ref\">Gilmour <em>et al<\/em>., 1985<\/a>), which leads to further bacterial multiplication and more <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"A toxin present inside a bacterial cell that is released when it disintegrates.\">endotoxin<\/a><\/span> is produced. If the amount of <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"A toxin present inside a bacterial cell that is released when it disintegrates.\">endotoxins<\/a><\/span> produced exceeds the capacity of the liver to destroy it, endotoxemia occurs, producing the clinical signs of watery mouth (<a href=\"#ref\">Hodgson <em>et al<\/em>., 1989<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>The initial clinical signs of watery mouth are those of a dull lamb, which within hours shows the characteristic excess salivation. The lamb will become progressively more dull, refuse to feed, collapse and salivate more profusely. Abdominal tympany (swollen gut, full of air, <strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201crattle belly\u201d<\/span><\/strong>), and diarrhea is often observed. The affected lamb will die within hours.<\/p>\n<p>Watery mouth is most common in intensively farmed flocks either indoor flocks or high stocking rates at pasture (<a href=\"#ref\">Henderson, 2007<\/a>). Doubles or triplets from lean <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"First time to give birth\">primiparous<\/a><\/span> ewes are at greatest risk, as this is related to poor early colostrum intake (<a href=\"#ref\">Eales <em>et al<\/em>., 1986<\/a>; <a href=\"#ref\">Henderson, 2007<\/a>), as well as\u00a0<strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lambs born to housed flocks later in the lambing period, when build up of bacteria in the environment is at its highest<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"hr hr3\" style='margin:20px 0px 20px 0px !important;'><\/div>\n<div class=\"two_third\">\n<h4>Control and Prevention of Watery Mouth<\/h4>\n<p>Lambs are unlikely to become infected with watery mouth disease if they ingest plenty of colostrum during the first 6 hours of life and if they are prevented from ingesting significant numbers of bacteria.<\/p>\n<p>Colostrum production is influenced by ewe nutrition. Farmers should aim for healthy ewes in good condition prior to lambing, paying particular attention to those carrying multiples or those in poorer condition (<a href=\"#ref\">Eales <em>et al.<\/em>, 1986<\/a>). Close attention at lambing time should be given to lambs at risk. These lambs may have to be supplemented with colostrum. It can be useful to store colostrum from ewes having singles and producing plenty. Commercial colostrum can be used in emergencies\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as a supplement, but not as a substitute. \u00a0There is no substitute for true colostrum; if ewe colostrum isn\u2019t available then cow or goat colostrum is better than artificial alternatives.\u00a0For more information on sheep nutrition, please click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/health-welfare\/sheep\/sheep-nutrition\/\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Some management measures can be taken to prevent the intake of large numbers of <em>E. coli.<\/em> lambing pens should be cleaned out regularly and well bedded with clean dry straw. Winter shearing and dagging of the ewes prior to housing may also reduce the challenge. The application of rubber rings for castration and tail docking\u00a0should not be carried out during the first day, as this may discourage lambs from sucking vital colostrum (<a href=\"#ref\">Henderson, 2007<\/a>).<\/p>\n<div class=\"hr hr3\" style='margin:00px 0px 00px 0px !important;'><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"one_third last\">\n<span class=\"responsive\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6846\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Lamb-and-ewe-asleep.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6846\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6846\" src=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Lamb-and-ewe-asleep-300x214.jpg\" alt=\"Lamb and ewe asleep\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Lamb-and-ewe-asleep-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Lamb-and-ewe-asleep.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6846\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>When lambs are first born they must have a sufficient amount of colostrum to avoid watery mouth disease and other conditions such as hypothermia and starvation. Watery mouth disease is a combination of insufficient colostrum intake, and ingestion of bacteria from the environment.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<h4>Treating Watery Mouth<\/h4>\n<p>Treatment of watery mouth can be very successful, provided it is detected and treated early and continued until the lamb is fit. The aims of treatment are:<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>1. To prevent starvation and remedy dehydration<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><span class=\"responsive\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6978\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/ewe-and-lamb.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6978\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6978\" src=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/ewe-and-lamb-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"ewe and lamb\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/ewe-and-lamb-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/ewe-and-lamb.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6978\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Ewe management is crucial in preventing watery mouth. A healthy ewe should lamb and mother well and produce enough colostrum for her offspring whereas undernourished ewes can often exhibit poor maternal care and produce less colostrum and milk.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Feeds by stomach tube of glucose\/electrolyte solution, three times a day. This prevents starvation, relieves dehydration and stimulates gut movement &#8211; <strong>Do not feed colostrum or milk <\/strong>as they will be unable to digest the food. O<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nce body temperature is returned to normal (39 degrees Celsius) and abdominal distension is reduced, then normal feeding can resume.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>2. To stimulate movement of the gut &#8211; increased movement of the gut reduces the production of endotoxin<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Give the lamb an enema to remove the meconium and stimulate gut movement\u00a0using 20 ml soapy water injected about 5 cm into the rectum. This will also help evacuate bacteria and <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"A toxin present inside a bacterial cell that is released when it disintegrates.\">endotoxins<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>3. To control bacterial infection that invades the body from the gut<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The use of parenteral antibiotics is sometimes advised, however farmers should be aware that this is likely to increase circulating <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"A toxin present inside a bacterial cell that is released when it disintegrates.\">endotoxins<\/a><\/span> initially as they are released from dead bacteria<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Affected lambs are often hypothermic and this must not be overlooked,\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">they should be warmed in a warming box or under an infrared heat lamp (J. Childs, personal communication).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once a number of cases of watery mouth have occurred in an indoor lambing flock, then at-risk lambs can be given an oral antibiotic preparation of spectinomycin at birth. (<a href=\"#ref\">Hodgson <em>et al<\/em> 1999<\/a>)<\/span><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>(Adapted from (<a href=\"#ref\">Henderson, 2007<\/a>; <a href=\"#ref\">Scott and Gessert, 1996<\/a>))<\/p>\n<p>Frequently monitor any affected lambs and leave them with the ewe unless they are very sick. Continue this treatment until all symptoms have gone and the lamb is sucking well from the ewe.<\/p>\n<div class=\"hr hr3\" style='margin:20px 0px 20px 0px !important;'><\/div>\n<h4>Watery Mouth and Welfare<\/h4>\n<p>Watery mouth is a painful and distressing condition. A high incidence of lambs suffering from watery mouth on any farm is unacceptable, and action needs to be taken immediately to address the problem. Watery Mouth is after all, largely a preventable disease<\/p>\n<div class=\"hr hr3\" style='margin:20px 0px 20px 0px !important;'><\/div>\n<h4>Good Practice Based on Current Knowledge<\/h4>\n<p>If the incidence of watery mouth on the farm is high, measures should be taken as part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/veterinary-questions\/animal-health-planning\/\">Flock Health Plan<\/a> to reduce the incidence. Stockmanship, hygiene and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/health-welfare\/sheep\/sheep-nutrition\/\" target=\"_blank\">ewe nutrition<\/a> may all require special attention in order to reduce watery mouth on the farm.<\/p>\n<p><strong>To prevent Watery Mouth in lambs<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ensure ewes are healthy and in good body condition in the pre-lambing period to enable them to produce sufficient colostrum<\/li>\n<li>Lamb outdoors if possible<\/li>\n<li>Make sure the lambs get adequate colostrum during the first 6 hours after birth\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(50ml\/kg in the first 2hrs, 10% of body weight in the first 24hrs)<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Give close attention to lambs at risk (e.g. multiples and lambs from ewes in poor condition)<\/li>\n<li>Do not carry out castration and tail docking (which is not permitted under AWA-welfare standards) using rubber rings during the first day of life<\/li>\n<li>Clean lambing pens between ewes and provide plenty of dry fresh bedding<\/li>\n<li>Dag ewes before lambing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>In an outbreak of Watery Mouth<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Feed a glucose\/electrolyte solution three times daily by stomach tube to the lambs<\/li>\n<li>Do not feed colostrum or milk by stomach tube as the lamb will be unable to digest it (once body temperature is returned to normal (39 degrees Celcius) and abdominal distension is reduced, then normal feeding can resume.)<\/li>\n<li>Consider giving the lamb a soapy water enema to stimulate gut movement<\/li>\n<li>Corticosteroids may help to alleviate or prevent the development of shock in severe cases<\/li>\n<li>Continue treatment until all symptoms have gone and the lamb is sucking well from the ewe<\/li>\n<li>Leave the lamb with the ewe unless it is very sick. This will enable the lamb to commence sucking once recovered<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a id=\"ref\"><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"toggle\">\n<div class=\"toggle-title active\">Watery Mouth Disease References<span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"toggle-inner\">\n<div id=\"zotpress-addae3a30075893be275040d5e2bf0bb\" class=\"zp-Zotpress zp-Zotpress-Bib wp-block-group\">\n\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_API_USER_ID\" style=\"display: none;\">254757<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_ITEM_KEY\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_COLLECTION_ID\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_TAG_ID\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_AUTHOR\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_YEAR\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n        <span class=\"ZP_ITEMTYPE\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n        <span class=\"ZP_ITEM_TYPE\" style=\"display: none;\">items<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_INCLUSIVE\" style=\"display: none;\">1<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_STYLE\" style=\"display: none;\">apa<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_LIMIT\" style=\"display: none;\">0<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_SORTBY\" style=\"display: none;\">author<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_ORDER\" style=\"display: none;\">asc<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_TITLE\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_SHOWIMAGE\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_SHOWTAGS\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_DOWNLOADABLE\" style=\"display: none;\">1<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_NOTES\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_ABSTRACT\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_CITEABLE\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_TARGET\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_URLWRAP\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_FORCENUM\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n        <span class=\"ZP_HIGHLIGHT\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n        <span class=\"ZP_POSTID\" style=\"display: none;\">6977<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZOTPRESS_PLUGIN_URL\" style=\"display:none;\">https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/zotpress\/<\/span>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"zp-List loading\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"zp-SEO-Content\">\n\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .zp-zp-SEO-Content -->\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .zp-List -->\n\t<\/div><!--.zp-Zotpress-->\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6557,"parent":1605,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-fullwidth.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6977"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6977"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11554,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6977\/revisions\/11554"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1605"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}