The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: bloomer on December 04, 2016, 01:50:55 pm
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my 6 month old Shetland tup that I had retained for breeding has gone down hill fast.
I noticed a couple of days ago he was a bit thin and scoury (only noticed when I was handling him for something about the weight loss) since then I have watched him and tried feeding him treats and extra food but he's not interested at all.
Today he really struggled to get up to see me (certainly couldn't have run away)
He's isolated (with a whether) and has food hay and water but just isn't interested.
Is there anything else I can do right now?
He will be at the vet tomorrow morning unless he deteriorates further.
Bloomer
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VET AS SOON AS POSS , reads like you are describing internal parasites
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I agree - vet asap. You can't afford to waste a moment if you've a concern at this time of year - the weather pinpoints the vulnerable ones without mercy.
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Fluke?
If he is down it may well be too late? Any other symptoms, like blindness/head tilted - listeriosis, raspy breath - pneumonia? When were they done with Heptavac?
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How are things?
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After 2 very tough scary days and I dread to think how big a vet bill this morning he appears to have eaten food and struggled to his feet to greet me which is an improvement...
He is still very weak but is definitely better than he was.
Yesterday I gave him a 20% chance.
Today I give him a 50% chance.
He has had wormer antibiotics, vitamins, mineral bolus, and an appetite booster...
Vet wasn't sure of what was wrong so we covered all the options :-)
Sorry I didn't reply sooner I've been living at the sheep field every spare minute I've had...
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Fingers crossed now. Well done -- you've done all you can, so I hope your boy pulls through. :fc:
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Today I accepted this battle was lost sheep completely off legs no head control, called vet and had him pts.
I should probably have done that Monday, but I gave him every chance possible...
First sheep I've lost to health issues, I cried, now to arrange disposal...
Lesson learned call vet sooner...
Thanks all
A very sad bloomer
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:hug:
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Don't beat yourself up about it. You only get experience one way and with livestock it's often the hard way.
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Yes, don't beat yourself up Bloomer. Do you have any idea what he died from?
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Not really and I wasn't paying for an autopsy, have made sure everything I can do on the flock health plan is up to date and everyone else looks fine so it's possibly just one of those things...
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:hug:
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Sorry to hear this [member=5725]bloomer[/member] you did your best, so don't go being angry with yourself, sometimes these things just happen, change in weather... anything, after all this year has been very unpredictable. Big hugs to you all :hug: :hug: :hug:
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So sorry to hear this. You did your best so remember that. x
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So sorry xx We went through this with a few tup lambs last year. Even had a post mortem on one. Vets came up with nothing. Since then we have given selenium and cobalt supplements regularly and the poorly ones recovered and touch wood we haven't had the problem since. Google selenium and cobalt deficiency and see if it looks familiar. If so treat the rest of your flock. Its more common than you may think.
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Mineral deficiency was one of the optîons given and is now being added to the flock plan for an autumn drench (they are all being done this weekend to be sure)
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Just a thought, we always give any lambs that are staying on farm over winter, an extra shot of heptavc p as a guard against braxy, eating frozen grass seems to trigger it, although your lambs symptoms don't really fit, as usually you just find them dead, but it was very frosty earlier in the week.
Regards
Sue
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I'm sorry to hear your boy didn't make it. Everyone, and I mean totally everyone who keeps sheep will have at some point one keeling over and you think that you could/should have done something earlier... but all you can do is to make some improvements to your flock management and hope that the same thing won't happen again.
Last year I lost 4 sheep (of a flock of about 50 at the time) in totally unrelated and not preventable incidents, and the last one was on Xmas day... but this year (so far) not a single (sheep) loss.. but the goats made up for it anyway....That's livestock I am afraid.
But it seems you have a good vet, maybe in future if/when you have one pts on the farm, the vet can do a quick on-the-spot PM, with your symptoms I would have checked the liver for fluke at least. Extra Heptavac sounds like a good idea to me, especially if the first vaccination was early in the summer.
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:hug: