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Author Topic: Dehydrated Lamb  (Read 22401 times)

FriesianLambs

  • Joined Feb 2015
Dehydrated Lamb
« on: March 30, 2015, 07:22:08 pm »
Yesterday I took home 2 lambs(yep still at it) from the same farmer the mini came from.

They're scouring  :'( and the feaces smell foul, almost like death(I'm thinking bacterial infection, maybe E.Coli). Gave them both penicillin (containing Benzylpenicillin procaine and Benzylpenicillin benzathine) and started tube feeding. The smaller one is coming around, but the weaker bigger lamb is still struggling.

She was very dehydrated, but the milk is helping. As she's still weak, I started to think. I don't have any oral fluids, but I do have a sterile bottle of 0.9% saline solution. Would it be an idea to administer that subcutaneous?

FriesianLambs

  • Joined Feb 2015
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2015, 08:06:07 pm »
One more hygienic question. What do I do with the bedding?

My mother, who has no experience with sheep what-so-ever, said to destroy it as to contain and get rid of the infection(even though the infection didn't start here).


Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2015, 08:14:49 pm »
I'm no expert but  your Mum's suggestion to burn or bag up the bedding sounds good.  Least chance to spread infection the better.

Can you make up some glucose / salt rehydration solution.  It would be more easily absorbed than milk.
I think there was a thread with a recipe a few days ago if not I'll search out a book with one in. can't remember it of hand.

FriesianLambs

  • Joined Feb 2015
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2015, 08:17:53 pm »
Well, I've got a bottle of saline solution from a vet. Couldn't that do the trick?


Welshcob

  • Joined Jul 2012
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2015, 09:24:25 pm »
Your vet could put the lamb on IV fluids and meds. You could try the subcut fluids but not sure how much would help, the don't absorb so well. The oral route is much more efficient if IV not possible.
If you can't take the lamb to the vets or don't want to, you need to make sure she drinks lots and lots, both milk and rehydrating solution, every two hours, alternating the two (again, vets have Life Aid sachets to dissolve in water or make up really weak milk with powder and add extra sugar to). If she won't take the bottle any more for being too weak you must stomach tube her.

Now you started the antibiotics make sure you carry on at least 3 days and that you are dosing correctly for the lamb's weight or there is a risk of promoting antibiotic resistance. If it was E. coli though the lamb would already have died of septicaemia so it is likely to be something else.
It would be helpful if the vets had a look at the scour of this lamb. It is possible they might have coccidiosis for which there is a specific drench to treat.
Good luck

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2015, 11:18:32 pm »
How's the lambs doing.  Just saline isn't really very good it needs a balanced fluid with glucose as well.

Here's the recipe I've used before.
From 'A manual of lambing techniques' by Winter and Hill

Use a 5ml medicine spoon for measuring.
Take 1 level 5ml spoonful of salt (this is about 10g).  remove a little to give you 9g and add to one litre of boiled water.  This gives you a stock saline solution.
When needed take 50ml saline solution, warm to blood heat and add one heaped 5ml spoonful of glucose powder ( about 5g)
feed with a bottle or tube.  repeat hourly until lamb looks brighter.

If it's not improved within a few hours consult your vet.

Hellybee

  • Joined Feb 2010
    • www.blaengwawrponies.co.uk
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2015, 04:38:34 am »
Ask the vet about a little syringe of orojet or spec tam scour halt.   Add a few ml rehydion to milk.   

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2015, 09:56:11 am »
Personally I always stop milk completely for at least 24 hours, usually 48 hours, when they are scouring badly and give them an electrolyte fluid in its place.  Either PSF (Pfizer Scour Formula) or Rehydion.  Both are for cattle but can be used for lambs.  With Rehydion it is a gel, you mix the amount you want into warm water, do this as close to the point and moment of administration as possible.  You can also continue with Rehydion as you gradually reintroduce milk; if you use PSF then you feed either milk (weak at first) or PSF at each feed. 

And make sure there is plenty of fresh water available for them to drink themselves too, of course.

Yes, clean out the bedding and make sure the pen/box is clean before introducing any other lambs.  Burning is safest, but certainly don't incorporate it into muck for spreading while it's fresh.

Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

FriesianLambs

  • Joined Feb 2015
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2015, 02:20:19 pm »
Both are still alive. I did start the fluid treatment and she was responding slightly. I found some electrolytes in my 'apothecary' cupboard and added that to their milk. The smaller one has found her voice and is calling. I just checked on them and the weaker made a little grunt and looked like she wanted to get up  :fc:.

Thank you for the advices, unfortunately many of the stuff you mention is not available here. I have to make due with less, but I always do my best.


FriesianLambs

  • Joined Feb 2015
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2015, 08:00:55 pm »
Her sides are starting to bulge a bit(poor thing looked so emaciated, like I put nothing in) and the faeces don't smell like death anymore. The small one is trying to jump out of the 'ICU' when I go in with the milk and tubes. Maybe a bottle soon.

Keep them crossed :fc:

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2015, 08:59:33 pm »
Well done. :fc:

Where are you?  Surely most places have salt, glucose and water.

For future reference it's best to give just electrolyte solution in small amounts while they're poorly and introduce milk gradually.
The digestive system needs to rest and have time to recover.

FriesianLambs

  • Joined Feb 2015
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2015, 02:41:01 pm »
Oh wauw...I am absolute gob smacked. The farmer where I got these lambs generously donated their old bucket of powder milk.....Not only is it not the milk I like to use, but it expired 6 years ago..... :o

He had said he had been bottle feeding the dehydrated lamb before I took her, so it's no wonder.
They are kind people, really.

Both girls are alive and I got a small bleat from 'dehydrated' (not naming before she's out of the danger zone) this morning and she looked right at me and Spot(the small one) did a shake after her feed. Skin is getting the 'spring' back.

Dogwalker, I live in the Netherlands and yes, we do have sanitation :excited: Just kidding.

Hellybee

  • Joined Feb 2010
    • www.blaengwawrponies.co.uk
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2015, 03:06:04 pm »
Are they stretching when they get up from naps, a good sign of a rested sated lamb x


My Nan was a one for keeping things waaaay past they're use date, I'm surprised how I never contracted owt when I was little, i suppose it comes from the old school, oh that ll come in useful some day....personally we never keep milk until next lambing, always fresh bag, perhaps it has upset her, the nutritionist in it would ve long gone, hope she continues to improve x

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #13 on: April 01, 2015, 05:02:35 pm »
Sorry, I didn't mean to be getting at you.   :wave:
I'm not a sheep expert but I do know about nursing sick babies.

FriesianLambs

  • Joined Feb 2015
Re: Dehydrated Lamb
« Reply #14 on: April 01, 2015, 08:35:19 pm »
Dogwalker, all is good  :thumbsup:

Hellybee, they do stretch. 'Dehydrated' is lying most of the time and when I pick her up from her pen, her tail stretches and she does a little lip curl, Spot is just stretching.

'D' got up on her own, last feeding and did a bit of search action, ever so slightly. She leans against my hand when I give her a scratch around the jaw and ears. Also a bit more noise.

Spot just lies in her pen, looking at me as I feed 'D' and when I put 'D' back in her pen, Spot gets up and bleats. All excited she'll be fed.


 

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