Crossbred ewe and wether lambs were individually stanchioned in environmentally controlled rooms at 20 degrees C. On d 0, lambs were treated with .04 mg of dexamethasone (DEX; n = 10)/kg of BW or given an equal volume of saline vehicle (SAL; n = 10). Treatment was repeated every 48 h for 14 d. Samples of blood were obtained by puncture of the jugular vein on d 0 (before treatment), 2, 4, 7, 10,...

1,001 faecal samples were obtained from 89 sheep (lambs and adult), 184 goats, 190 horses, 178 rabbits, 110 camels, 200 broiler chicken and 50 turkeys housed in farms from different localities in Tunisia. All samples were analysed for Cryptosporidium oocysts by microscopic examination of smears stained by modified Ziehl Neelsen technique. The parasite was detected in ten lambs and adult sheep (...

Stroking by humans is beneficial to the human-animal relationship and improves welfare in many species that express intraspecific allogrooming, but very few studies have looked at species like sheep that do not express such contact except around parturition. This study investigated the way lambs perceive regular human tactile contact using behavioral and physiological responses. Twenty-four lam...

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with persistent metabolic complications, but information is limited for IUGR infants. We determined glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and insulin sensitivity in young lambs with placental insufficiency-induced IUGR. Lambs with hyperthermia-induced IUGR (n = 7) were compared with control lambs (n = 8). GSIS was measured at 8 ± 1 days...

Tick-borne fever (TBF) is caused by the rickettsiae Ehrlichia phagocytophila and is a common disease in sheep in tick (Ixodes ricinus) infested areas in Norway. Earlier investigations have shown that some sheep could remain infected for several months after the primary infection. In this study, the persistence of E. phagocytophila after experimental infection was investigated in 2 age groups of...

Docking by knife or elastrator had no sustained effect on growth of lambs 0 to 8 wk postpartum. However, during the 2 wk period postdocking, growth of lambs was limited or depressed, regardless of whether lambs were docked by knife at 14, 28 or 42 d of age. Blood hematocrit and hemoglobin were decreased (P less than .01) 1 d after docking by knife and 14 d after docking by elastrator. Neither m...

Free fatty acids are the major fuels for the myocardium, but during a higher load carbohydrates are preferred. Previously, we demonstrated that myocardial net lactate uptake was higher in lambs with aortopulmonary shunts than in control lambs. To determine whether this was caused by an increased lactate uptake and oxidation or by a decreased lactate release, we studied myocardial lactate and gl...

Birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), preweaning weight gain (PWG), carcass traits and sensory evaluation of meat of Corriedale (C), Pampinta (P) and their Fl crossbred (P C) lambs were studied from 1991 to 1993 at the Agricultural Experimental Station of Anguil (La Pampa, Argentina). Each year the trial involved an average of 35 C, 43 P and 36 P C. Data were analyzed for year, genotype, sex ...

The present experiments were carried out to investigate the role of endogenously produced NO in modulating renal function during postnatal maturation under physiological conditions. In conscious, chronically instrumented lambs aged approximately 1 (n = 8) and approximately 6 wk (n = 8) of postnatal life, various parameters of glomerular and tubular function were measured for 1 h before and 1 h ...

To compare effects of vibratory and mechanical ventilation on fluid balance in the newborn lung, we measured pulmonary arterial and left atrial pressures, pleural and airway pressures, lung blood flow and lymph flow, and concentrations of protein in lymph and plasma of 19 healthy lambs, 2-4 weeks old, during a 2- to 4-hour period of spontaneous breathing, followed by 4-8 hours of mechanical ven...