When Snowflake came back into the clinic, he was very weak and behaving oddly.
The problem
Snowflake’s owners were raising him for their local school ag-day. They brought him into the clinic when he developed a roaring fever, a snotty nose, crackly-sounding lungs, and became dull and lethargic.
The investigation
We treated Snowflake for pneumonia as an out-patient, but I warned his owners if he showed any signs of decline, such as refusing a bottle, he would need hospital treatment.
Pneumonia is a taxing disease for anyone, animal or human, as there’s not enough oxygen getting into the bloodstream. An animal is less likely to eat when it has a fever. As a baby, Snowflake’s waning appetite put him at high risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).
The most likely cause of his pneumonia was aspiration of a liquid (see page 51), probably milk.
The treatment
Snowflake initially received antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to help with the pain and reduce inflammation in the lungs.
But a few hours after he went home, his owners noticed a big decline in his strength, he started developing neurological signs, and they rushed him back to us.
You will often hear farm vets say that if a sick baby animal stops drinking, it’s very difficult to get them back to full health. I’d amend that to say hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and metabolic problems set in, making it difficult to get them back without hospitalisation.
By the time I saw Snowflake again, he was so weak he couldn’t stand. His breathing was fast and shallow, and his fever had gotten worse.
Most concerning was his odd neurological behaviour: strange neck stretches, ‘star gazing’ up at the ceiling, apparent blindness, and poor reflexes.
A malfunctioning brain can be caused by many things. Some of the more common causes include:
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a bacterial infection of the nervous system;
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vitamin deficiency;
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genetic anomaly;
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ingestion of a toxic plant;
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parasites.
However, I was sure Snowflake’s rock bottom blood sugar was to blame, confirmed by a blood test and his clinical signs.
We placed a catheter into a vein to give instant access to the bloodstream. He received intravenous fluids to help with hydration, correct his metabolic disorders, and slowly bring up his blood sugar levels.