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Author Topic: Dog attack on ewe....  (Read 1251 times)

Batterseacats12

  • Joined Dec 2019
Dog attack on ewe....
« on: December 15, 2019, 01:50:23 pm »
One of my ewes, this years lamb in March, was attacked by a dog a couple of days ago.
I managed to get her to safety, and she has lost both ears. I have her in a stable inside the barn, the vet has given me antibiotics and pain-killer injection. She seems bright enough, has fresh hay and water, and nuts, and eating a little. I'm keeping an eye for infection, and hoping the injections will help prevent, but wonder what the prognosis is long term.
I put another ewe in with her to get a bit of interaction, but this ended up with the patient being butted, I assume, because she has blood still in her fleece, she wasn't recognised. Silly thing to do perhaps.
She's on her own again. I don't want to sponge her down with diluted Hibiscrub until everything settles down with the wounds. Again, unsure which way to go with this? I appreciate that when I do put her back out with the others, and there is only 16 in total, she is going to have a tough time being accepted back into the flock. I can separate in next field where they can see her and not butt her.
Sorry to be such a novice, something I hoped to never have to deal with.....
The dog in question was visiting here.....It will never visit again. 

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Dog attack on ewe....
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2019, 09:55:25 am »
Horrible, horrible thing to have happen :hug:

When she’s ready I’d put her in the field next to the other ewes first.  You’ll probably find they do gather together near the fence, perhaps even sleep near each other.  You don’t mention the breed, but if they’re particularly fiesty, you could then pen them closely for an hour before releasing them together, so their scents mingle but they don’t have room to butt each other.  As they’re pregnant I’m in two minds about penning them together.... :thinking:
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Dog attack on ewe....
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2019, 10:04:56 am »
I would wait until you are confident that she's healing well and no sign of infection and then put her out with the others, they will recognise her smell and as long as they have enough space to get away from each other I would hope for a good result. I imagine that sheep recognise and comunicate through ear movement to some degree, high alert/danger, relaxed and ill etc. so your earless sheep will take some getting used to.

Glad you got there in time, horrible thing to of happened

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Dog attack on ewe....
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2019, 11:45:55 am »
How horribly traumatic all round.  Poor you, poor sheep.
My feeling is that she shouldn't be on her own.  Do you have another animal the same age you could put into a pen next to hers, so they are close but she can't be butted?  That way, she would have an automatic pal when she goes back out, rather than being alone again within the flock, and more stressed.  Perhaps you could put a low divider across the pen to keep them apart, if it's large enough and you don't have another.
For the injuries, she might be a little deaf if it's not just the flappy bit of ear torn off but that the injury is deeper, and she won't have her ears to signal with, but after the initial injury is healed she'll be fine.  I know of another ewe, called 'lugless', who lost her ears from a reaction to sunlight.  She was perfectly well accepted by the flock and no problems.
Of course at the moment she needs lots of tlc but basically for a sheep, life in the flock is normality for her, so the sooner she can safely go back out the better, so once she is no longer in acute pain and being given meds, then she could go back out with the rest.  If after a few hours all does not go well, then move her and her pal into the neighbouring field for a week.
Good luck with her  :hugsheep:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

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harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Dog attack on ewe....
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2019, 01:56:14 pm »

I hope the dog has been dealt with not just "not visiting you again".


There are good products for horses that are great on wounds. Sprays, ointments and sprays that seal over wounds that heal and help to keep them clean.


Hope she makes a good recovery.

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Dog attack on ewe....
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2019, 02:30:23 pm »
Iv'e found dog bites /wounds take a long time to heal but any sheep that  have  wounds deemed treatable do eventually recover but not always 100% , so you may find you need to keep the AB'S going for a bit longer than normal .  A sheep with no ears will be accepted no problem and seem to be no different in the way they react

 

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