The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: debbietownhead on October 26, 2012, 11:12:47 am

Title: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: debbietownhead on October 26, 2012, 11:12:47 am
On going for a walk last night I found one of my neighbours blackface hogs lying on its side "paddling".
We got the truck, phoned the neighbour and brough it home.  I have given it a general antibiotic jab, a rehydration drink, however although it is alive it is not on its feet and not looking great.
Neighbour has not come for it yet and will not call the vet.  Any ideas?  There is no temperature and my own thoughts are a possible septocaemia?  Suffice to say that it is in isolation from our own animals.
Any thoughts?
Debbie
 
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: Bullseye on October 26, 2012, 11:48:20 am
Sounds like you've done the best you can, what a horrible situation to be in. I'd encourage them to call the vet or put it out of it's mysery if it continues to deteriorate- if they refuse to do anything it's a welfare issue for someone with authority to deal with. Wouldn't do anything too hasty withought discussing it further with the owner though...
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: Fowgill Farm on October 26, 2012, 11:55:12 am
Unfortunately we have a similar neighbour and i'm forever going into the field and finding pregnant ewes who've got stuck on their backs in a dip in our udulating land, i think being upside down paddling like hell causes a toxicity of some kind, not sure if it can be cured. When i call our neighbour to tell him he eventually about ten hours later after another agressive threatening phone call from me comes and collects the poor creature in the tractor bucket, is suspect she's shunted off to die a lingering death in a dank and dark corner as hes a not get the vet type as well >:(
sure one of the sheepy peeps will be along soon, but sounds like you've done all you can. :fc:
mandy :pig:
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: Lostlambs on October 26, 2012, 01:38:23 pm
Don't know if this will help but one of mine last year I found stuck on her back and got her up on her brisket with hay bales holding her upright in a laying position on her belly gave her some bloat-ease(a kind of peptobismol for sheep and cattle) took awhile but brought up some gas and she started working the stomach again. I've been told on their back or side the rumen backs up and they will bloat up and can do them in. I treated it like bloat and got her back. 
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: SteveHants on October 26, 2012, 04:12:18 pm
Sounds like you have done what the vet would have told you to, except for bringing it onto your holding. I get edgy lending a healthy ram, there is no way id bring someone elses disease onto my land.
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: SallyintNorth on October 26, 2012, 04:24:35 pm
Propping her up on her brisket is a good idea, let the rumen have some space to work.

It could be one of a gazillion things, the only other thing I'd give one of mine is a B-Vit jab, as some of the gazillions benefit from that as well as the a/bs.  I assume she's got hay within reach, nd some water.

I think there would be a temperature if it was septicaemia, so hopefully it's one of the things that the a/bs will hit.

Bless you for taking care of her.  What a good neighbour.  :bouquet:
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: jaykay on October 26, 2012, 04:33:40 pm
Quote
I've been told on their back or side the rumen backs up and they will bloat up and can do them in. I treated it like bloat and got her back. 
That's my understanding too, whatever it was that laid them out in the first place.

Some good ideas given already. Good for you for trying to help her  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: Anke on October 26, 2012, 05:49:24 pm
Can she see - if she has got CCN only a dose of Vit B (as was suggested before) will help her... but if she is paddling already it may well be too late.
Not sure how you can resolve this situation with your neighbour though... I have to admit I would be well annoyed if someone took my sheep out of my field before giving me a chance to look at it myself I have to say... In legal terms you have stolen the animal from his land if you took her before calling him.......
 
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: kja on October 26, 2012, 07:39:39 pm
do you have any pro - rumen ? get the rumen going and will relive bloat.
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: debbietownhead on October 26, 2012, 08:50:31 pm
Pro  rumen has been given.  My neighbour was phoned at the time and still has not attended.  Having phoned him numerous times in the past he tends to come to pick up the carcass eventually. 
 
As for bringing the animal onto my holding, it has actually been taken to a building adjacent to us which is approved by animal health as a quarantine area as it is far enough from our own animals.    As for stealing it............well as I have a second job which involves a unifom so that is not a problem!!!!!!!!!
 
Suspect that this is CCN so hope that the vitamins may work.  The fact that she is still alive means that there is still hope.  No doubt that if she pulls through then she will be returned to her owner.
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: SallyintNorth on October 27, 2012, 08:03:08 am
Not sure how you can resolve this situation with your neighbour though... I have to admit I would be well annoyed if someone took my sheep out of my field before giving me a chance to look at it myself I have to say...

We would be too, Anke - but we're not the sort of farmer whose neighbour would feel impelled to behave this way, and neither are you.  That's the point; dtw has been there before and knows what would[not] happen.  I used to have a neighbour like that and it's very distressing, knowing that the animal you see suffering will die unattended where she lies unless you do something.
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: Tiva Diva on October 27, 2012, 09:58:44 am
If I had a neighbour like that I'd be on to the local Animal Health department. Sounds like you've done what you can for the poor old Blackie - hope it makes it!
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on October 27, 2012, 11:18:09 am
If I had a neighbour like that I'd be on to the local Animal Health department. Sounds like you've done what you can for the poor old Blackie - hope it makes it!
this. and since neighbour is breaking the law by failing to provide medical care for sick animals he's unlikely to be able to claim 'theft'. I would be reporting him if its a frequent thing - he's neither got the excuse of ignorance or being new to sheep keeping.
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: jaykay on October 27, 2012, 12:58:50 pm
There's no 'intent to permanently deprive' here, so it's not theft anyway.
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: debbietownhead on October 28, 2012, 09:27:16 pm
Well, 48 hrs on she is still alive.  I did make contact with neighbours to ask if they had a multi vit jab to be told "sorry cant help you there" (they seem to have missed the point that we are helping them) but have told me that we can keep her if she survives!!!!!!!
So off to vet and got a multi vit jab and more pro rumen. 
Husband at this point got quite excited on the saturday night when he said that there was "rectal recognition" ( no wonder the sheep wants to die!), I did point out that he meant RETINAL recognition.
Vet just shook his head at the tale of this girl but then as he says he sees this all too often.
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: shetlandpaul on October 28, 2012, 09:37:32 pm
wow and he offered you the animal so generous. i would suggest not excepting it and why on earth are you paying for its care. contact the rspca/sspca and get them to take it away not your responsabilty to be the mug landed with the bill.
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: Tudful Tamworths on October 29, 2012, 12:29:10 am
Well done on all your efforts for this animal. Hard to believe the owners think so little of it, but I suppose that's what happens when you do things on a much bigger scale. Keep up the good work, and I hope that, if you keep her, she turns into a really good, productive ewe for you x
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: SallyintNorth on October 29, 2012, 02:43:22 am
Well done on all your efforts for this animal. Hard to believe the owners think so little of it, but I suppose that's what happens when you do things on a much bigger scale.

No, Liz, it's not.

Owners capable of neglecting their charges are a type of person not a scale of operation. 
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: Foobar on October 29, 2012, 09:36:54 am
Owners capable of neglecting their charges are a type of person not a scale of operation.


Agree.  And by taking on the animal, even if it is free (or free-ish), just reaffirms to the original owner that this sort of behaviour is acceptable, and that he/she doesn't need to take responsibility.


I commend you for your efforts of course, but I fear that this should have been reported.
Title: Re: urgent medical advice required for Blackface hog
Post by: SteveHants on October 29, 2012, 01:02:24 pm
Well done on all your efforts for this animal. Hard to believe the owners think so little of it, but I suppose that's what happens when you do things on a much bigger scale.

No, Liz, it's not.

Owners capable of neglecting their charges are a type of person not a scale of operation.


Quite. At the end of the day, even if you are short of cash, a bullet costs 40p.