Author Topic: Septic Arthritis in one of my ewes (Read 10420 times)

Anke · « **Reply #15 on:** October 26, 2011, 12:57:56 pm »

If she is an older ewe, have you ruled out MV? is she is wheezing too? Just thought because of swollen joints (arthritic disease) and also her being thin?

Maggie · « **Reply #16 on:** October 27, 2011, 05:33:53 pm »

Not older, born 2009 had her first lambs this year, and a very easy birth and great mum she was. She isn't wheezing, and the weight loss has occurred since isolating her from the rest.

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #17 on:** October 27, 2011, 05:56:26 pm »

One idea - when I had a sick ewe the only thing she would touch was dock leaves. And apparently (I read later) they are full of potassium and calcium which could only be a bad thing. She got better eventually tho I have to confess to taking advantage of her recoveryby sending her off to the abbatoir a month or so back after she had had a summer of fresh green grass and the sun on her back.

Maggie · « **Reply #18 on:** October 27, 2011, 11:11:20 pm »

Well Lachlan.....even though I think she might end up like your ewe....in the abbatoir, and I will try to feed her up.... I am your typical woman. I will change her, I will make a difference, and she will get better. But then again, if I fail, I will fess up. $:-\$

I was surprised tonight when...... after weeks of me wrestling with her, to give her her nightly jab...... she still comes to me, so I can put her into the barn on a wet horrible night.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #19 on:** October 28, 2011, 07:35:36 am »

Maggie, I am concerned about the Pen & Strep going on for so long; I wonder did the vet really mean you to continue daily jabs for this long? Could you give him/her a ring and check? The problem being that while the ewe's getting antibiotics, her gut flora won't be able to reestablish - and she needs all the help digesting her food she can get!

I am very happy to be corrected by your vet - but would rather be proved wrong than not shout out, just in case I'm not wrong!

Maggie · « **Reply #20 on:** October 28, 2011, 11:51:33 am »

Sally, my vet distinctly said to me, that I could continue the P&S jabs for several weeks. At the time, I didn't question it (he did confirm it was ok to keep using it, when he called me for a progress report last week).

I think you guys are right though, and I stopped using the Pen & Strep now. Her last dose of that was Monday.

mmu · « **Reply #21 on:** October 29, 2011, 03:55:23 pm »

I greatly admire what you're doing Maggie, we keep our small flock more for pleasure than profit, although I would like to break even occasionally. We always seem to have a couple of old things around that should have gone away, but as long as they are happy and reasonably healthy, and keep their heads down we let them stay awhile. Even with sick ones, they do often get better with TLC. and you can be too hasty sending them away. A couple of summers ago one of our Shetlands was definitely off colour, didn't respond to anti biotics, wasn't bossy or noisy and looked very much like she'd had enough. We decided not to shear her as it was obvious she'd be gone before long. Well, she's still here, just as feisty as ever. O.k this is not a commercial way of doing things, but then we're not commercial farmers, if we were I'd grow tatties!