[Sylvia]

Dear of her! She is fighting at least. I hope all goes well with her

[mmu]

The trouble with having a sick sheep in winter is usually the lack of grass, but those pics of her in your garden are great.  It reminds me of times we've had sick ewes and just let them wander about the back garden, nothing gets them going like fresh grass, and even if it is the winter, if that's new growth it should have some goodness in it. A lot better than nothing, and once an animal starts eating the whole thing seems to build up momentum.  I think you're doing everything you can, and she's a very lucky sheep to belong to someone who cares. I just hope the weather holds for a few days so she can build up her strength. Please keep posting.

[Anke]

Yes I think you are doing all you can - I would also let her out if she wants to. At least she can move aorund and get that gut of hers working. If she has a pal who could also be in the garden with her would be great. If she lets you put a coat on her I would outside, but off inside. My sheep (and goats!) would just say NO to a coat, and it would be off in minutes!

Time will tell, if she doesn't make it - you have done all you could! Sometimes animals do die despite our best efforts. But fingers crossed!

Maybe one thing you could try, is to drench her with the stuff for twin lamb disease. It is pure energy, and as far as I know doesn't do any harm.

[mmu]

I second that, we use the sticky pink stuff, can't remember what it's called, but with B vits and TLC it brought one of our ewes back to life after a terrible lambing a couple of years ago.

[SallyintNorth]

I've lost track a little bit but seeing all the comments about stimulating appetite and kick-starting the rumen - would twin lamb drench be useful?  I don't think it would do her any harm at the recommended dose rate and it'll contain energy, vitamins and things to get the rumen going again.

And as to not force-feeding her... well, you can give her drenches.  Twin lamb drench as above, PSF (contains energy, vits, electrolytes), etc, can be delivered as a drench.

The only problem with letting her graze to appetite is that she then says, oh, my rumen is nice and full, I don't want anything else... and won't eat the nice cake you've got for her, which she needs.   

Good luck with her, she looks a real sweetie, I hope she pulls through.

[Remy]

So should I try twin lamb drench AND rumen aid, or just the drench?  My local supplier has some and I will go there today. 

She is still the same, stayed under the lamp all night, I lifted her up and she wobbled over to the feed trough then fell in it!  So I had to hold her while she ate a bit.  She then had a good drink which I was really pleased to see, and had a big wee  .

She ventured out to have a bit of grass but has gone inside again now.

[SallyintNorth]

So should I try twin lamb drench AND rumen aid, or just the drench?

Remy, I've only just seen this.  I am not familiar with 'rumen aid' so can't answer, I'm afraid.  What does it say on the bottle?

[Remy]

I'm just trying the Twin lamb drench at the moment, there is enough in the bottle to give it to her over four days as she's so tiny.  This morning she has been a bit more interested in eating and standing up, she had been under her lamp all night but once I stood her up she has been on her feet ever since, and has been no-stop eating so far (mostly haylage).  She had also finished off a few handfuls of Alfa-A I put in front of her while she was lying down.

So far she has been the exception to sheeps' ambition to die - she certainly wants to live so far!

Would it be overdosing her to get more Twin lamb drench for her, if it appears to help?  Or would one bottle be enough?

[Remy]

I also meant to ask re. the Readibrek, wouldn't milk upset her digestion?

[Fleecewife]

You could make it with water and add sugar and a pinch of salt.

[SallyintNorth]

Remy, I don't know how much in is your bottle of Twin Lamb Drench!    We get one with 8 to 10 doses, and it says on the pack how many you can give - what size is yours and what does it say on the pack?

[Remy]

OK my bottle is 150ml and for a full size ewe, it says the dose should be 75ml a day (two doses).  So as Tiny would be at most half the size of a fully grown ewe I'm giving her about 35ml a day, it should last her four days.

Anyway some good news is that this is the first time in ages she has been on her feet ALL day sine I got her up this morning about 8am, and hasn't come into the stable and collapsed!    She's just lay down on the concrete (normally) so I've put her back under the lamp with haylage and Alfa-A.

[colliewoman]

I have had a vet give a steroid injection before to a sick, not wanting to move sheep. That certainly upped the appetite, and once up and kept warm, she never looked back.  She wasn't thin though.
I had to have the vet out to Doris the goat last week as she suddenly dropped condition and stopped eating almost overnight. She was given a worming injection, a pain killer and a gut stimulant (metaclopromide? maybe, or that might have been for the rabbit )
I also gave her twin lamb drench and SOMETHING has done the trick.
With so many ABX I would be asking for something to keep the rumen healthy, or a gut stimulant etc. My tummy gets awfully painful after abx soa painkiller may be an idea to.
I sometimes think painkillers are neglected for our large animals, but would be first port of call for our small furries

[mmu]

I think you're right about painkillers, we had a ewe that had a really terrible lambing last year.  Eventually the lamb had to be cut out, and the poor ewe was tremling and gasping.  The vet gave her a shot anti biotics and anti inflamatory but no painkiller.  When I suggested it he looked mildly surprised, but concurred.  I told him he obviously had never given birth, never mind been through what that poor sheep had had to endure!  she didn't prolapse and has made a full recovery as far as I can tell, but I doubt I'll ever lamb her again.

[SallyintNorth]

I think you're right about painkillers, we had a ewe that had a really terrible lambing last year.  Eventually the lamb had to be cut out, and the poor ewe was tremling and gasping.  The vet gave her a shot anti biotics and anti inflamatory but no painkiller.  When I suggested it he looked mildly surprised, but concurred.  I told him he obviously had never given birth, never mind been through what that poor sheep had had to endure! 

Our vets don't ask, they just give painkillers if they think they are needed, for instance after a caesarian or difficult lambing.  I'm pretty sure it must be practice practise as the same has happened with several different vets from the same practise and they don't all know us and know that we would always say yes to painkillers if indicated.