Veterinary case
A lamb refuses to suckle: an abnormal gum
⚠️ This information is provided for awareness only and does not replace an examination by a veterinarian.
🤖 Summary produced automatically from the scientific publication cited at the bottom of the page.
A newborn lamb refused to suckle because of a strange dark-red overgrowth on its gums.
What happened?
On an intensive Assaf dairy farm, a male lamb was born and from the first hours refused to suckle and appeared weak. He quickly lost strength and then developed diarrhea. He died at 2 days of age and his body was sent to a veterinary university service for a post-mortem examination.
What did the vet find?
At necropsy, the veterinarian found that the lamb's gums, upper and lower, were swollen, lumpy, and dark red in color, partly or completely covering the teeth. Only the toothless areas were spared. The intestines were also distended with gas and fluid, a sign of intestinal inflammation. Microscopic analysis showed that the gum swelling was caused by an abnormal proliferation of small blood vessels present since birth, a congenital malformation rather than a tumor or a viral infection.
What did the vet do?
ℹ️ Treatment given to THIS animal, decided by its veterinarian. It is not a prescription: never apply it without veterinary advice.
There was no treatment that could have saved the animal, since the lamb died before any diagnosis could be made during life, and the problem was only understood after the necropsy.
What happened next?
The lamb could not suckle properly because of the gum swelling, which deprived him of essential colostrum. He died at 2 days of age from intestinal inflammation linked to this lack of colostrum.
Advice for the farmer
If a newborn refuses to suckle right after birth, check its mouth quickly, as even a rare problem can prevent it from getting vital colostrum in the first hours.
Source
- Source
- PubMed Central
- Title
- Case Report: Congenital gingival angiomatosis in a newborn lamb.
- Authors
- Zapico D, Pérez V, Criado M, Mendívil P, Silva M, Benavides J, Ferreras MC, Espinosa J.
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.3389/fvets.2025.1702299
- Licence
- CC BY
