The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Mungo24 on April 13, 2014, 07:20:53 pm
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I had a set of triplets born on Thursday, fox took one and they other two seemed fine, drinking, running around etc. Until late this morning when I found one away from mum, just standing still leaning to one side. When I moved her she just fell over on her side and struggled to get up, her stomach was empty so bottle fed her and left her in the sun where mum could see her. Around 20 mins later she started having a seizure, kicking legs, arching her head back and moving her neck in circles, with a bit of foaming at the mouth. This carried on for around 20mins or so, I decided to have the vet put her to sleep.
Any thoughts on what might have caused this, up until this morning she was perfectly normal.
Thanks
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Hypothermia due to starvation? Did you give her warm milk?
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Yes, warm milk. She had a full belly first thing in the morning from mum.
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very sorry about that :bouquet: had she passed many stools, ive seen new borns throwing themselves around with the pain of going to the loo and some are slow at passing all thayre meconium, but i suspect the vet ruled that out x
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If she was cold and starved, giving her warm milk before making sure her glucose levels are up may have been a mistake, as her body was warming up the low glucose levels caused her to have seizures and she would have died.
Did your vet not have any idea what it may have been?
But maybe it was something completely different...
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what would be the alternative action in this scenario then Anke - kickstart or something? if so when would you give them milk?
very sad :bouquet:
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Sorry you lost the lamb. I may be barking up the wromg tree but your description of her leaning to one side, falling over and unable to get up would make me wonder whether it was something neurological/vitamin deficiency or similar? If so, vitamins may have helped (Combivit) but perhaps not.
Someone with more knowledge will probably have more light to shed.
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http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/livestock/sheep/hypothermia-in-lambs/ (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/livestock/sheep/hypothermia-in-lambs/)
See the bit about older lambs with hypothermia and glucose injections into the body cavity.
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http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/livestock/sheep/hypothermia-in-lambs/ (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/livestock/sheep/hypothermia-in-lambs/)
See the bit about older lambs with hypothermia and glucose injections into the body cavity.
Yep, fortunately I never had to do it yet... :relief:, but of course there will be a first time for everything.
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very interesting :thumbsup:
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Thanks folks, i hadn't considered the injection as she was 2 days old and seemed pretty healthy 2 hrs previous. Mum was useless and just walked off if the lambs couldn't keep up. I thought a milk top up and a bit of a time under the lamp might perk her up, wrong call on my part.
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Thanks folks, i hadn't considered the injection as she was 2 days old and seemed pretty healthy 2 hrs previous. Mum was useless and just walked off if the lambs couldn't keep up. I thought a milk top up and a bit of a time under the lamp might perk her up, wrong call on my part.
that's how we learn, hindsight is wonderful - thanks for sharing as iv now learnt something new :hug: :hug: