Post by rosalind on Apr 26, 2016 20:54:02 GMT -5
We lost our first lamb ever this morning. He was born 3-29-16 and his twin continues to be the picture of health. We guessed at first frothy bloat (oil drench seemed to help that), then maybe worms (but symptoms didn't seem to match what we read online), then once dead we wondered twisted stomach or eating something that punctured his insides?
Symptoms: Evening of 24th, had foam coming out his mouth and a full belly (looked more like really full rather than bloating). Acted uncomfortable and was just standing around not wanting to walk or lay down, didn't look like he could go to the bathroom. Tried dosing with baking soda/water, no improvement, then dosed with oil, which stopped the frothing. Also gave warm water enema since it seemed he couldn't go.
Next day, continued to watch, the bloaty look went away, but all he would do is drink water and stand or lay around. He would walk around his mom, but we never saw him nursing. I was gone to work. He seemed a little spunkier, but not a lot. PM gave him probiotics and banamine. I went to bed with a bad headache, when I woke up about 6:30AM this morning, he was curled up dead. Had been gone quite a while, the body was hard.
Background: We put the ewes & lambs out on a new pasture (primarily grass, with a vine maple bush in the middle) on the 23rd and 24th for about 1 hour each time in the afternoon after being on hay all day. All the sheep have access to unlimited grass or alfalfa hay (we alternate throughout the day), loose salt/sheep minerals, and fresh water. They have a permanent paddock where there's a little grass growing, but mostly is a place for everyone to move around. They do nibble a little grass/moss (it's a shaded area not good for regular pasture). We have not dewormed anyone, but our sheep were dewormed in the fall and have been fed in a manger all winter, we do not feed on the ground at all. No one else looks sick, everyone else seems to be perfectly normal. We keep watching his sister close, but she looks just fine.
Any ideas what happened to him? If it was a fluke, oh well, but if we did something wrong, I'd like to know for future reference!
Symptoms: Evening of 24th, had foam coming out his mouth and a full belly (looked more like really full rather than bloating). Acted uncomfortable and was just standing around not wanting to walk or lay down, didn't look like he could go to the bathroom. Tried dosing with baking soda/water, no improvement, then dosed with oil, which stopped the frothing. Also gave warm water enema since it seemed he couldn't go.
Next day, continued to watch, the bloaty look went away, but all he would do is drink water and stand or lay around. He would walk around his mom, but we never saw him nursing. I was gone to work. He seemed a little spunkier, but not a lot. PM gave him probiotics and banamine. I went to bed with a bad headache, when I woke up about 6:30AM this morning, he was curled up dead. Had been gone quite a while, the body was hard.
Background: We put the ewes & lambs out on a new pasture (primarily grass, with a vine maple bush in the middle) on the 23rd and 24th for about 1 hour each time in the afternoon after being on hay all day. All the sheep have access to unlimited grass or alfalfa hay (we alternate throughout the day), loose salt/sheep minerals, and fresh water. They have a permanent paddock where there's a little grass growing, but mostly is a place for everyone to move around. They do nibble a little grass/moss (it's a shaded area not good for regular pasture). We have not dewormed anyone, but our sheep were dewormed in the fall and have been fed in a manger all winter, we do not feed on the ground at all. No one else looks sick, everyone else seems to be perfectly normal. We keep watching his sister close, but she looks just fine.
Any ideas what happened to him? If it was a fluke, oh well, but if we did something wrong, I'd like to know for future reference!