[Faye.Lear]

Hello all!
Just looking to see if anyone has had anything similar.
I have a 3 week old bottle lamb which saw the vet on Friday thinking she had bloat, since then has not been taking much milk, still wanders around in her pen but just generally looks sad. Her breathing has stayed laboured but she is not rattling.

I am waiting for a call back from the vet this morning.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

[Bywaters]

silly question perhaps, but you are feeding formula milk aren't you ?

Some farmers just use cow's milk as they have lots of it     and formula milk costs

Does it have access to grass / hay and lamb creep pellets ? I would have thought it would be nibbling on solids by now, some of mine are eating solids at 10 days old

[twizzel]

silly question perhaps, but you are feeding formula milk aren't you ?

Some farmers just use cow's milk as they have lots of it     and formula milk costs

Does it have access to grass / hay and lamb creep pellets ? I would have thought it would be nibbling on solids by now, some of mine are eating solids at 10 days old

If you use cows milk be aware of johnes risk.


Straw is better for rumen development, rather than hay which will make them pot bellied.

[Faye.Lear]

Thank you for your replies, vet thinks it was bloat but now something respiratory possibly going on. She seems much brighter this afternoon although not wanting milk. She is having lamlac, at most she will have 200ml four times per day (when she was well) and she’s had creep since day 5 which she nibbles well and ad lib straw.

Keeping fingers crossed she continues to recover 🤞

[Bishybarneybee]

Glad to hear she's improving. Does she have a companion or is she being raised on her own?

I have found the "competition" for feed or bottle with a companion lamb or lambs will often help to stimulate their appetite.

[KHSDoc]

Bit late to the topic but have you considered frothy bloat as the problem? Dentenox ?simeticone colic drops in the milk helps disperse the bubbles. The stomach is less distended and the lamb a) feels hungry again and b) doesn't have a balloon pressing up against its diaphragm allowing it to breathe easier.