The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Rosemary on April 13, 2015, 03:34:08 pm
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If you read the Diary or follow us on FB, you'll know tat one of our ewes, Penny, has had a bit of a hard time. She was carrying triplets, due 7th April. Prolapsed on the 6th; vet put a stitch in. Went into labour on the 7th; ringwomb; C Section. Dead lamb, live lamb, no thrid lamb. Had Metacam, ABs etc. Seemed on the up on the Wednesday, feeding the ewe lamb. On Thursday, I found her with the head of a dead lamb poking out of her. Vet called; lamb delivered (big lamb too). More Metacam, ABs.
She's hanging on; walking about and has been feeding the lamb until this morning but the milk has gone off her and I've bottlefed the lamb twice. I've had more ABs and Metacam from the vet just now.
But she's not eating. I've tried ewe nuts, coarse mix, ivy, oatcakes, apple, dandelions, ground elder (she was eating a wee bit last week (God, is it really a week ago :( ).
I'm syringing Liquid LifeAid into her - 60ml every couple of hours. Is it worth trying natural yogurt? Or any other suggestions welcome. Poor Penny :(
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I'd be injecting Combivit every day for several days, I think. Or the vet may suggest a different vitamin/mineral supplement as s/he's familiar with the case. I generally give a hefty daily dose for 1-3 days with any very difficult birth, along with the ABs.
I'd be worried about her not getting any fibre into her rumen - no ideas beyond what you've tried, though.
I don't see that yohurt could hurt, thought it's generally used (along with oil, bicarb and ginger) when the rumen's compacted or in cases of bloat.
Fingers crossed for you all...
You may not want to even think about this at the mo, but I'd assume that after all this, you woudn't breed from Penny again. So uness you'd keep her - or find her another home - as a pet / lawnmower, the aim here is to have her rear her lamb and then, once fat, she'd be going off. Of course it's better for the lamb, and for her, if you can bring this about - but if she's miserable, not rallying, it may be better and less work all round to let her go and bottle-rear the lamb. (And yes I know Wabbit wasn't an easy lamb - but they do all come round ;) )
Only you can make that judgement, i just thought it might be helpful for someone to say it out loud. I feel for you, it's a hard place to be in. :hug:
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White bread always works for mine! Hope she picks up, poor lass has had a rough time. Would feel more than a bit miffed with the vet performed that C section too >:( Shame after you have had such a good run with your lambs this year :thumbsup:
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I'd be injecting Combivit every day for several days, I think. Or the vet may suggest a different vitamin/mineral supplement as s/he's familiar with the case. I generally give a hefty daily dose for 1-3 days with any very difficult birth, along with the ABs.
I'd be worried about her not getting any fibre into her rumen - no ideas beyond what you've tried, though.
You may not want to even think about this at the mo, but I'd assume that after all this, you woudn't breed from Penny again. So uness you'd keep her - or find her another home - as a pet / lawnmower, the aim here is to have her rear her lamb and then, once fat, she'd be going off. Of course it's better for the lamb, and for her, if you can bring this about - but if she's miserable, not rallying, it may be better and less work all round to let her go and bottle-rear the lamb. (And yes I know Wabbit wasn't an easy lamb - but they do all come round ;) )
Only you can make that judgement, i just thought it might be helpful for someone to say it out loud. I feel for you, it's a hard place to be in. :hug:
Not keen on more injections - she's like a pin cushion already. I have thought about having her humanely destroyed - if she doesn't rally after this round of injections, that will be the next thing. If she rallies, I'll look for a pet home for her - she's a sheep that really likes folk (except if they have a syringe in their hand)
I am also worried about the lack of fibre going into the rumen but not sure what to do about it.
Wabbit's fab - she switches between a bottle and her mum without a thought. She's a wee poppet :)
Will give the yogurt a go :fc:
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One of ours was down for ten days after a bad lambing - offered cut grass and water every hour, shifted her regularly to muck out, bottle fed her lamb but left it with her ... then she got up. Died of old age five years later (she was a pet that'd been given to us because we're soft hearted/headed that way).
Would be inclined to raise the matter of a lamb appearing after the C section with your vet and, if not resolved, refuse to pay any consequential costs.
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What's the story with the third lamb? What did the vet say after doing the C section? It's a bicornate uterus but surely a vet knows that.
It's such a shame when things go so wrong :hug: :hugsheep:
A couple of other things I would try are cow parsley if you can find any yet, and little bits of digestives pushed into the side of her mouth.
There is a porridge mix you can make up too, which helps with the roughage and can be squirted into the mouth with a wide-bore syringe. Anything from ewe pencils soaked in warm water, with added glucose, or ready brek, etc. Obviously wait until she's swallowed one lot before you squirt in (slowly) the next lot. She will also need plain water. If she's not drinking, use the syringe for that too.
Stand her frequently so she can pee, poop and get rid of wind fore and aft.
I hope you don't have to have her destroyed, but if that's the best thing for her you'll know.
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If you change your mind about vit jags, Combivit can be given either i/m or sub-cu. IME, it stings sub-cu but they don't seem to notice it i/m.
Alternatively, a TLD would have vits and so on in it. (I can't see that Life-Aid has vits in it, I think it's more for electrolytes and combatting dehydration, isn't it?)
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What a nightmare! I have certain sympathies with the veterinary profession but I must admit, that is a total disaster on their part, what a terrible shame. :gloomy:
I know vets who suggest yoghurt into the rumen but I don't as it makes no sense to me, I don't see how a rumen full of festering yoghurt can be a good idea - though if it works it works.
Silage/grass, ready brek, water, blended into a stomach tube smoothie???! :tired:
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I'll try some porridge made with water. I'm willing to try just about anything - hate being beat :fc:
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When we had a very sick ewe who was off her food I chopped up a cabbage into small bits and fed her a little every so often and she regained her appetite after a couple of days. I have found yogurt to be helpful as well.
Hope she picks up soon.
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It's a bicornate uterus but surely a vet knows that.
No need to be that technical Fleecey :o if its lamb shaped and inside a ewe, chances are it's a lamb :idea: and since you are rummaging around in there anyway best pull it out before sewing up! It really is an odd one, but anything that can happen will happen to someone some where eventually :thinking:. I bet the poor sod that missed it hasn't slept since :tired:
Loving the smilies today. :knit:
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:fc: Hang on in there Rosemary !
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I always have a bottle of Combivit ready, although here it is mostly used on the goats - and they DO mind IM injections... BUT it works! My vet now also gives Flunixin (as painkiller as much as an anti-inflammatory) in parallel to AB's, it does perk the goats up no end! (I have had two cases of mastitis, so done my fair share of injecting AB's this spring already).
Also not giving her injections because she already had many is maybe not quite right - I have learnt to harden myself and just get on with it. Because they do get better!
I would also try ivy leaves they often perk them up a bit. If her milk is gone completely you may struggle to get her back into milk, but if she has only one she may manage.
Missing a 3rd lamb inside is quite an error to make.... :tired:, but maybe the vet had already been out on calls for most of the night?
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When I had a very poorly ram last summer, the vet suggested soaking Weetabix in water, he loved that, I syringed it into his mouth with a big 20ml syringe. Gets water and food in at the same time. Any of the lamb kickstart stuff is good, wack load of vitamins can only help. Good luck, know how heartbreaking it is. x
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Porridge is going down well albeit by syringe. Never made porridge with water before :innocent:
Off to give her some more. Wabbit is still suckling her mum and having bottles - she's pretty indiscriminate, bless her.
Will get a cabbage later.
She's brighter this morning but that might be the Metacam.
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I really rate a molasses based twin lamb drench, she must be exhausted poor girl. Hope she continues to rally.
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:fc: don't over do the barley/sugar type stuff though, a little goes a long way
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Vet been out this morning - my best vet :) - given her multivitamin, calcium and a steroid to stimulate appetite. I've got calcium and steroid for tomorrow. He's actually on holiday, bless him.
Her clinical signs are good - no sign of peritonitis, which was a worry - ears warm, eyes bright, tried to run away from the vet; temperature almost normal, heart fine, tissue colour good. Her wound is clean and healing well.
Very weak in the back legs - may be nerve damage or just weakness. She needs to eat.
Made "Poorly Sheep Soup" a delicious blend of clover, comfrey, parsley, danelion, dock and ground elder, whizzed up so it can go through a syringe. Hester Blumenthal eat your heart out. She's had some, then ate a couple of leaves of comfrey. I mean two. She's just had some more "soup" and ate some of the thick stuff, albeit that I stuffed it in her mouth.
Just got to keep after her :fc:
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Good work :thumbsup:
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That sounds encouraging Rosemary. I love your soup recipe - just the thing :hungry:
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Did she have some bread with her soup? ;)
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What's about collate tld? Hope she continues to mend, well done Nurse Rosemary :bouquet:
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Bless you for working so hard for her :-*
:fc: and toes too
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Well, she's eating "ordinary" feed now - had some sugar beet, coarse mix and Alfa A (well, I had it for the ponies) plus comfrey leaves and our usual weed mix - but just as pulled. I have to stuff it in her mouth but she chomps through it and doesn't spit it out.
And she took some from me this morning without the stuffing.
I'm going to put Juno out with her today for company.
She's still awful wobbly - if she get's going she's fine but then she seems to lose concentration and down she goes.
TBH, I'm not awfully confident that she's going to get through this.
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We all have our fingers crossed for her :fc:
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Oh Rosemary :hug: No-one could have tried harder, we're all willing her to get through this !
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You are doing your best and that is all anyone can do. I hope it goes well for the poor old dear :sheep: :sheep:
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:fc: