Post by theflyingcow on Mar 7, 2009 16:42:03 GMT -5
I was hoping someone could help with a problem that we've lost two lambs to and now another one is starting to show symptoms...
One of our fall lambs was fine and healthy the first month or so of life and then just started falling off. Looked kinda droopy, ears sagging down and slow to come up to feed. He was standing around hunched up and had a distended belly. This progressively got worse and we put him in a pen with lots of water and would try to feed him grain. He would eat the grain and some hay and drink water if we stood there next to him and dipped his face in it. He would take long drinks. He would pee fine whenever he stood up. I also checked for calcium crystals along his penis.
I took him to the vet (who owns sheep also) and he said he didn't know - and ran a fecal and came back with only a few eggs - not really a problem. Gave him vitamin B shot and some wormer and some LA200 (or thereabouts). I also gave him some pro-bios.
When the lamb (sadly) died we took him back for a post mortem (he was the second to die this way) and the doc said that his rumen was full but his other stomachs and intestines were empty. And again, he didn't know what it was.
I'm noticing today that another lamb (this one our first of the fall lambs) with a little bit distended belly and watery eyes (that was another thing with the others).
My question is: What in the world is going on? Am I going to lose every lamb? The ewes all seem to be fine - I've looked on every website and just can't pinpoint it. Can anyone help???
Thanks,
Renee
One of our fall lambs was fine and healthy the first month or so of life and then just started falling off. Looked kinda droopy, ears sagging down and slow to come up to feed. He was standing around hunched up and had a distended belly. This progressively got worse and we put him in a pen with lots of water and would try to feed him grain. He would eat the grain and some hay and drink water if we stood there next to him and dipped his face in it. He would take long drinks. He would pee fine whenever he stood up. I also checked for calcium crystals along his penis.
I took him to the vet (who owns sheep also) and he said he didn't know - and ran a fecal and came back with only a few eggs - not really a problem. Gave him vitamin B shot and some wormer and some LA200 (or thereabouts). I also gave him some pro-bios.
When the lamb (sadly) died we took him back for a post mortem (he was the second to die this way) and the doc said that his rumen was full but his other stomachs and intestines were empty. And again, he didn't know what it was.
I'm noticing today that another lamb (this one our first of the fall lambs) with a little bit distended belly and watery eyes (that was another thing with the others).
My question is: What in the world is going on? Am I going to lose every lamb? The ewes all seem to be fine - I've looked on every website and just can't pinpoint it. Can anyone help???
Thanks,
Renee