Review Article: Normal Clinical and Hematological Indices in Newborn Lambs

Abstract

Knowledge about the hematological characteristics of baby sheep holds essential value for both physiological understanding and health issue detection. The neonatal lambs show a high affinity between their hemoglobin and oxygen molecules to support oxygen transport functions at the beginning of their extra-uterine life during the first months. The body accomplishes this adaptation to maximize the use of restricted cardiac reserve during the newborn stages. Newborn lambs have to face challenges in a new environment totally different from that of the uterus. Adaptation to extra-uterine life involves functional changes, with almost every organ and system in the body undergoing a series of metabolic and anatomical modifications. About 10% of the live-born lambs may die during the first days due to different factors, and the percentage of mortality could increase till weaning. The modification and adjustment of the extra-uterine environment according to the needs of newborns in the first week of life can greatly reduce the death rate. However, because of differences in breed, the adaptation response to the new environment by lambs may differ, and evidence does exist that lambs may fail to cope with the modifications associated with independent life because of their inability to maintain homoeothermic and establish breathing. The clinical examination of an individual lamb includes a physical examination after taking the case history problem and recording the environmental changes. The purpose of clinical examination is to arrive at a diagnosis, strategy for treatment, and prevention of the problem. The hematological parameters are helpful to determine the health and nutritional status of animals. Documentation of these valuable indices in the neonatal period is helpful in establishing suitable physiological baseline values for various breeds of sheep.