A prospective on farm cohort study investigating the epidemiology and pathophysiology of drunken lamb syndrome

Abstract

Drunken lamb syndrome (DLS) is a fatal disease of unknown aetiology affecting young lambs. In 2011, a prospective on farm cohort study was carried out to investigate the epidemiology and pathophysiology of DLS. Ten cases from a cohort of 1635 crossbred and pure Welsh Mountain lambs were identified as having DLS on the basis of characteristic clinical signs. Renal histopathology demonstrated nephrosis in all 10 cases. Some cases also demonstrated concurrent intestinal pathology. The cases were significantly smaller than the cohort, nine out of the 10 were twins, and they all demonstrated a severe metabolic acidosis characterised by elevated D-lactate. This study demonstrates that D-lactate--probably initiated by the overgrowth of intestinal microorganisms--appears to be the cause of the metabolic acidosis seen in cases of DLS, and to be responsible for the clinical signs seen. It is unclear as to the significance of the nephrosis lesions, and the name 'Lamb Nephrosis' may be misleading. Treatment may be possible using solutions of sodium bicarbonate.

Serum D‐lactate concentrations in dogs with parvoviral enteritis

“…8 Similar findings of D-lactic acidosis have been reported in young ruminants as well as cats with gastrointestinal disease. [11][12][13][14][15] Increased D-lactate concentrations could be present in CPV dogs considering the destruction of the protective intestinal epithelium, resultant maldigestion, risk of bacterial translocation, and the ability for systemic absorption of increased D-lactate via MCT1 transporters in the colon.…”

Successful correction of D‐lactic acid neurotoxicity (drunken lamb syndrome) by bolus administration of oral sodium bicarbonate

“…In this study, we introduced a novel case definition of LDLAS based on developments in our understanding of DLS (Angell and others 2013). Of the 23 lambs presented by the farmers with clinical signs suggestive of DLS, five lambs did not fit the revised case definition since they had no evidence of metabolic acidosis and were thus excluded.…”

“…In our previous paper (Angell and others 2013), we described the clinical, epidemiological, histopathological and biochemical picture of 10 lambs with drunken lamb syndrome (DLS). All 10 cases in that study presented with marked ataxia tending to recumbency.…”

Rickets diagnosed in pregnant hoggs

“…Recent work by Angell and others (2013) suggested that nephrosis is a consequence of D-lactate acidosis, possibly of intestinal microbial origin.…”