[andywalt]

Hi All
If I could ask for some advice and comments please? I found one of my shearling sheep today, head tilted to the side and the sheep wanted to walk in circles, I did some quick research as ive not seen this before, I gave her a vitamin muscular injection, also a vitamin drench and some antibiotics. as I had read that it could be lack of calcium.

Ive also read that lt could be Listeriosis (circuling desease)

 also vestibular disease of the inner ear

Ive also read that it could be Meningeal worm

3 hours after treatment she looked slightly better, still eating, holding her head to the side


any comments would be great

thanks

andy



She has a good weight, looks very healthy any

[devonlad]

sounds like it could be listeriosis or inner ear infection both of which would benefit from abs- i'd prob be ringing the vet for a chat

[fsmnutter]

There are, as you have seen from dr google, many causes for a head tilt.
Many farmers are coming into our vet practice at the moment for vitamin b1 injections for ccn, which is very common, and would appear to be rife this year.
Low calcium is much rarer in sheep than cattle, but can happen after lambing, so v. unlikely in a shearling.
Listeriosis would not have responded to vitamin injections, but can be picked up from the ground or infected silage through small cuts in the mouth, so could theoretically be affecting a shearling, though i might expect to see a droopy face or dropping food with that.
I have never seen vestibular disease in a sheep, and gid, where worm larvae encyst in the brain is not that common either.
With the symptoms, the prevalence this year, and the response to vitamins, it is probably ccn.
I would repeat the vitamins daily for 3 days and she should come right.

[andywalt]

Thanks for the response, very helpful indeed, whats the abbreviation ccn please?

[Me]

Cerebocortical necrosis I think

[Me]

AKA polioencephalomalacia also I think, spelling may be inakurate

[ScotsGirl]

What causes CCN and is it curable or does vitamin injection just stop further damage? I put a ewe down this week who I think had it but she seemed paralysed, blind and struggling to swallow. In the end she couldn't eat her nuts and was unable to stand.


Are there very early symptoms which are easy to spot? I've just wormed all my lambs and ewes with a high dose of different wormer to kill tapeworm, fluke and the other worms just in case that was the problem. Ewe had sporadically scoured and was losing weight.

[Me]

Lack of Thiamine due to - not enough Thiamine in the diet or eating plants containing Thiaminases.. or what have you! (Or due to too much suphur... can't remember the sulphur mechanism. Happend t'other day too with sum coos.. hmmm ok! So too much sulphur = hydrogensulphide in rumen which screws with cellular energy metabolism in't brain leading to PEM phew! Thank god for google!)

Anyway, yes get the stuff into them quickly enough and they are fine! 

[andywalt]

So high dose of vitimins ?

[Anke]

So high dose of vitimins ?

Combivit or Vit B specifically for CCN treatment. Quick and repeat a wee while later. 5ml, into the muscle. It will not do any harm if it is NOT CCN, but may save your ewe if it is. Then get her to the vet or vet out.

She will go blind and probably walk herself into a corner of the field (as she cannot see fence will stop her).

But if listeriosis she needs high doses of antibiotic, but don't know which one.

[andywalt]

thanks for your comments,

This evening she looked like she has improved, more or less walking in a straight line, head still tilted,  I gave her a concentrate dose of vitamin's via a drench. see how she is tomorrow on her 3rd treatment

regards

andy

[OhLaLa]

Hi Andy - and there was I thinking you must be having a good lambing season cos not much posted by you.

I've had a b****r of a time, even the vet commented.

If it was me I'd be down the vets having a chat and getting his opinion. Costs nothing and if he knows you as well as mine knows me (!), will advise and give you what you need.

Hope all goes well.

[andywalt]

Hi ohhlalaa

Nice to hear from you again, yes ive had a good lambing this year except for the last one which was a ceaser urggg

sorry that you have had a tough one ? like to hear about it, are you on Twitter ?  @ighthamlamb  if you are?


the shearling has returned completely back to normal with the vit injections 4 x 10mm


speak soon, thanks for everyones imput   seriously a life saver


andy