Emphysematous
abomasitis in one month
old lambs
Hein Snyman BVSc
DVSc Anatomic Pathology Resident
Department of Pathobiology
Ontario Veterinary College
University of Guelph
Signalment
• One month old
lambs (n=3)
• Male
• Rideau Arcott
History
• Novice small scale operation
• Farmer away on the weekend
• Returned to find 3 lambs dead
• Acute death within last 36
hours
• Growing well
Gross findings
• Good body condition
• Fibrinous peritonitis & serosal
petechiae
• Abomasal mucosal haemorrhage,
necrosis and ulceration
• Exuberant autolysis of the kidney
and liver
Gram + Rods
Ancillary diagnostics
• Faecal flotation – NAD
• Bacterial culture:
4 + Clostridium perfringens
3 + Mannheimia haemolytica
• Clostridial Fluorescent
antibody test (FAT)
Clostridium septicum
www.vet.uga.edu
Diagnosis
Mdx - Emphysematous,
necrotizing and suppurative
abomasitis, trans mural,
regionally extensive, acute.
Edx - Clostridial gangrenous
abomasitis/Braxy
Etiology – Clostridium septicum
& C. perfringens
Braxy
•
•
•
•
Highly fatal
Acute to peracute
Treatment rarely successful
NW Europe
• Norway, Denmark, North Germany,
Iceland and the Faroe islands – Bradsot
• UK, Ireland, North America and Australia
Braxy
• Low prevalence
• Cold winters
• Overwintering
on summer
pasture
• Autumn, early to
mid winter
• North America –
early spring
Braxy
• Severe oedema, necrosis and
gangrenous inflammation of the
mucosa of the abomasum
• C. septicum, C. novyi, C.
perfringens type A & C
Braxy
• Good condition
• 6 to 18 months
• Morbidity up to 50 %
• Calves
• Abomasal ulcers
Pathogenesis
• Poorly understood
• Mucosal invasion and proliferation
without any predisposing lesion
• Coarse and frozen vegetation
• Toxin production
• Abomasal canula – Glucose & VFA’s
• Centrifugal emphysematous lesions
Ellis T.M., Rowe J.B. and Lloyd J.M. (1983). Acute abomasitis
due to Clostridium septicum infection in experimental sheep.
Aust. Vet. J. 60, 308-309.
Prevention
• Immunoprophylaxis
• Toxoid/Bacterin
• No vaccination
protocol
• No Clostridial
vaccines
References
•
Coetzer J.A.W., Tustin R.C. Infectious
diseases of livestock, 2nd Edition,
Volume Three, Section Five: Bacterial
diseases, 183 Clostidium septicum
infections, pg. 1869-1873.
•
Ellis T.M., Rowe J.B. and Lloyd J.M.
(1983). Acute abomasitis due to
Clostridium septicum infection in
experimental sheep. Aust. Vet. J. 60,
308-309.
•
Eustis S.L. and Bergeland M.E.
(1981). Suppurative abomasitis
associated with Clostridium septicum
infection. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc.
178, 732-734.
•
Songer JG. (1996). Clostridial enteric
diseases of domestic animals. Clin.
Microbiol. Rev. 9, 216-234.