ANEMIA IN HOUSED LAMBS

Anaemia was detected in housed lambs by clinical and haematological in vestigation. Conjunctival pallor was used as a clinical test for anaem ia and the results indicate that this has high specificity (91 per cen t to 95 per cent) and low sensitivity (53 per cent to 55 per cent). Th e haematological results indicated a non-regenerative anaemia with low packed cell volume, red blood cell count and haemoglobin. In a subset of lambs examined biochemically, anaemia was associated with low seru m iron concentration and low serum iron binding: cobalt levels were wi thin normal ranges and blood copper levels were slightly raised. At pr esent it is unclear whether this is a primary or secondary iron defici ency.