Anaemia in housed lambs

Anaemia was detected in housed lambs by clinical and haematological investigation. Conjunctival pallor was used as a clinical test for anaemia and the results indicate that this has high specificity (91 per cent to 95 per cent) and low sensitivity (53 per cent to 55 per cent). The 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 serum iron concentration and low serum iron binding: cobalt levels were within normal ranges and blood copper levels were slightly raised. At present it is unclear whether this is a primary or secondary iron deficiency.