The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Ladygrey on April 17, 2013, 06:45:13 pm

Title: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Ladygrey on April 17, 2013, 06:45:13 pm
Hi there  :wave:

My ram was limping this afternoon so I managed to catch him and checked his feet and dug some stones and mud out of his front right.

Whilst I was doing this I noticed his balls! (hard not to really  :o )

The underneath of them, well basicly the bottom of the sack...if you get what I mean, resembles a brain!!
they didnt look like this a few weeks ago!

I have tried searching for problems online and found nothing  ??? is it something worth telling the vet  :thinking:

has anyone else had similar problems? and what was it caused by? (RAM WISE)  :innocent:

Hopefully this doesnt mean he looses his plot, as I really want some more shetland ewes from him this year

many thanks

Jess
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Fosterlambfarm on April 17, 2013, 07:53:29 pm
id give the vet a call. looks like a bad infection
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Bramblecot on April 17, 2013, 08:50:31 pm
No idea - but interested in the result.  Lots of viewing of ram-b's!!! ::) ::)
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Fleecewife on April 17, 2013, 10:03:12 pm
Looks like a tumour.  Definitely a vet job to diagnose though.
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: kaz on April 17, 2013, 10:29:23 pm
Looks nasty. Vet job most definitely. Keep us posted. :fc:
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Azzdodd on April 18, 2013, 10:55:28 pm
Had a ram lamb with something similar had to be PTS cause and infection spread in his blood vet said then can get it easily like thorn then sat in mud infection set it
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: sabrina on April 18, 2013, 11:48:28 pm
Never seen anything like it, job for a vet. Poor ram.
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: sh3ph3rd on April 19, 2013, 08:04:58 am
Agree with the 'ask a vet' consensus. Could be symptomatic of something wrong within his general body, as well as his balls.

Do you have pine tar where you are? It's also sold as Stockholm tar. Mainly used for horses but works on everything basically. Golden staph sores, ulcers, cysts, gangrene, accidental amputations, dog-maul wounds, glass and splinters, deeper infections, mites, mange, basically I haven't found anything it hasn't helped in humans or animals in the way of sores and infections. It's a powerful, instant painkiller and disinfectant. Minimizes or prevents scarring wonderfully.

It's hard to know what's wrong without having a clue as to what ram's balls look like minus wool, though.  ;D
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Ladygrey on April 19, 2013, 02:29:24 pm
Thankyou everyone :)  :thumbsup:

Will get the vet to have a look when he comes round to castrate the piglets

No I havnt heard of pine tar?! it sounds a bit like camrosa cream? or I may be wrong
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: suziequeue on April 19, 2013, 05:33:49 pm
Mmmm - doesn't look malignant..... looks like - for a ram - his brains are in the usual place!!
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Clarebelle on April 20, 2013, 09:38:43 am
Mmmm - doesn't look malignant..... looks like - for a ram - his brains are in the usual place!!

 :roflanim:
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Ladygrey on April 20, 2013, 09:44:48 am
HAHA  :excited:  :roflanim:

thats so funny
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: suziequeue on April 20, 2013, 10:08:27 am
But it is VERY sexist  :stir:


Apologies rams  :D :hug:
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: sh3ph3rd on April 21, 2013, 11:57:00 am
Quote
it sounds a bit like camrosa cream?

I've no idea what that is. As far as I know pine tar/stockholm tar is made from boiling the sap of a species of pine tree over and over and over again until all that is left is the tar. The stuff's miraculous, defies logic or reason. Generally used on horses so saddleries might have some. It's not dangerous to health like normal tars, not that you'd let any animal eat it in quantity, of course.

Hope your ram does well. Forgot to ask before: is he one of those really 'low-hanging' rams whose balls scrape the ground? Dunno if that's even an actual breed characteristic of any breed, but I've seen rams who make a terrible clacking noise as they run over rocky ground because their balls hang so low and are so hard they make a sound exactly like striking two rocks together every time they impact... Hard to chase them, lol. A lot of them are bare-balled, so to speak.
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Fleecewife on April 21, 2013, 01:24:53 pm
I shouldn't laugh but that is so funny  :roflanim:
 
We did see a billy goat once which continually kicked himself in his low-slung appendages - my goodness but he was a bad tempered one  :goat:
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: darkbrowneggs on April 21, 2013, 01:41:34 pm
Well..... I am not a "bloke" but I assume that sort of thing might make them a bit bad tempered ...... :roflanim:
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Ladygrey on April 21, 2013, 08:29:03 pm
Lol  :roflanim:

He is a shetland and he isnt exactly "low hung" , his balls dont hang low, he doesnt kick them to and fro.....
I caught him and smothered them in camrosa cream.
The thickness seems to just be the skin, it isnt connected to his actually balls, but he really really didnt like me touching it, so obviously sore. I gave him some pen and strep aswel
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: RonMinch on May 03, 2013, 05:47:25 pm
Any update on this situation, whilst trimming our new tups feet this evening, bought last autum, noticed same condition, not happy!
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Fleecewife on May 03, 2013, 06:29:48 pm
Maybe they've gone like that because it's not the breeding season so they're crumpled and empty?  8)
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Bionic on May 03, 2013, 07:44:46 pm
Sounds like my OH  :roflanim: :roflanim:
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: gapcap on May 03, 2013, 07:49:04 pm
Sounds like my OH  :roflanim: :roflanim:
:roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim:
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Pedwardine on May 03, 2013, 09:42:42 pm
Got me looking at my boys' testiculars has this post. My rams' balls are a bit more lacking in wool than is normal at the moment. It's at the lowest point.
 
Is this where the phrase 'bare bollock naked' comes from?  ;D
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Tudful Tamworths on May 03, 2013, 11:30:56 pm
Don't cover in Stockholm tar prior to the vet's visit. Horribly, thick, clingy stuff (well - like tar). He'll need to have a good look at what he's dealing with.
Do post again when you get the diagnosis.
Good luck
Liz
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Ladygrey on May 10, 2013, 09:31:09 pm
Hi everyone  :wave:

Just to let you know that Rambo was diagnosed with having Scrotal mange!

he is to be injected with panomec x2 1 week between each injections

Poor bloke!
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: funkyfish on May 10, 2013, 10:07:32 pm
Poor ram!
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on May 10, 2013, 10:07:54 pm
Ooh noooo, scrotal mange?? :roflanim:  Have to save that one up for a term of abuse to OH when we next argue  :excited: . Hope Mr Ram gets better soon and glad it is treatable!
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: sh3ph3rd on May 11, 2013, 05:48:48 pm
 :o
 Scrotal mange... Like, it specifically attacks and dwells on testicles?! Scrotes/whatever... Sounds vengeful.  ;)

I'd never heard of such a thing! You could probably frighten any man off the farm in future if you tell them such a thing has afflicted your ram. Could be endemic, rampant in the paddocks.... LOL! I'm joking.

My brother did once get a staffy/shar pei mix dog from an unfortunately ignorant breeder who kept producing litter after litter of congenitally blind dogs with follicular mange; we treated the pup successfully on both counts. We used unpasteurized apple cider vinegar as a wash for his coat, it killed the mange off. I forget the details but we also treated his diet, following the advice of the Juliette de Bairacli Levy books. Have always found her works highly relevant and useful, even with diseases modern science can't yet treat with any decent rate of success.
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Pedwardine on May 11, 2013, 11:31:23 pm
Really glad you posted this as I'm sure my boys appendage looks very alike at the mo. Will contact vet on Monday.
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Ladygrey on May 12, 2013, 08:31:42 pm
First thing my brother said was he isnt going near incase its catching! haha  :roflanim:

And yes apparently its mites that are specific to the umm scrotal area! and they irritate him so he will kick at his testicles thus hurting them etc etc

poor bloke!

Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: ScotsGirl on May 12, 2013, 09:37:23 pm
I can't wait until my OH comes back tomorrow and show him this!  :roflanim: :roflanim:  On a serious note though my ram looked a bit like that although not hairless last summer. I presumed it was as mentioned before that they had shrivelled up due to lack of use! He wasn't keen on them being manhandled but they looked ok the other day when sheared.  :roflanim:
Title: Re: Dodgy balls?!
Post by: Herdygirl on May 12, 2013, 09:52:05 pm
judging from the 'viewed count' this must be one of the most read post EVER!   :innocent: