Treating hypothermia in newborn lambs
To treat hypothermia successfully in lambs it’s important to take the correct steps, which vary depending on the lamb’s age and temperature. A digital thermometer is inexpensive and can be used to help guide decision-making.
Our hypothermia decision tool asks a series of questions which will give you a quick answer as to which treatment is best. It works on a mobile, so save the link to your phone for use in the field or shed.
For very cold, older lambs, the best treatment may be an intra-peritoneal (IP) injection. Giving an IP injection can be daunting, but is a simple method to prevent deaths. In the video below, we demonstrate giving the injection into the abdomen of a lamb. The video also contains instructions on making up the correct glucose solution.

If you need advice with this or any other topic, phone our advice line on 0300 323 0161, email advice@fas.scot or explore this website in more detail.
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