Reviving newborn lambs with dextrose

Lambs aged 5 hours or more that are suffering from exposure have a greater chance of survival if injected with dextrose BEFORE they are warmed up. They have already used up the store of energy they are born with, and warming when energy stores are exhausted can hasten their death.

An intra-peritoneal injection of 10ml/kg of (preferably warmed but cold is OK) sterile dextrose 20%. Most smallish lambs are around 4kg, so 40ml is required.

1. Using a 60ml syringe and 18g 3/8 needle (as for vaccinating), remove 20ml of Dextrose 40% solution from the flexipack.
2. Into the same syringe, add 20ml sterile/boiled water.
3. Hold the lamb between your legs, with it sitting up (or lying on its side).
4. Spray just in front of the navel with iodine solution (Vetadine)
5. Put the needle through the skin and muscle just in front of the navel (head side), pointing towards the base of the tail. You may feel a popping sensation as the needle enters the abdominal cavity. This should be done with as much hygiene as possible ie end of needle and top of dextrose bag kept clean and sterile, do in a clean environment.
6. Inject the solution.
7. If you see a swelling under the skin then remove the needle and start again – the needle was not in far enough.

THEN warm the lamb.