[squeasy]

Hi - just need some advice/reassurance please....

Our first lamb 'boy' born on Monday morning has been hopping and skipping around and full of life after his difficult birth. 

However, he was castrated yesterday at about 4pm and spent a lot of time lying about obviously annoyed by the procedure (carried out by a good friend with lots of experience doing it).  I was told after a few hours he would be back to his full of life way.  Unfortunately we are more than 24 hours later and he does not seem himself.  He has walked around all day with quite stiff back legs and his back a little up at the bottom end.  He has not done much skipping around and lies down a lot and generally just walks not runs. 

He still has a full tummy, i have watched him take milk from his mum and pass water. He is outside but has access with his mum to shelter inside (Soay lamb).

Is this normal after castration or is it a sign of something else.

Please help - thank you

[shep53]

This is not normal  check that both testes are behind the ring  it is rare but ive seen a ring trap part of a testicle , you could also be describing early joint ill  . The signs you describe are normal right after applying a ring a and should have ceased fairly quickly,

[in the hills]

Hi Squeasy

No practical experience at all, but I am sure more folk will be on here to help you soon. Just to say that from chatting to other soay owners I have heard that it can be tricky to castrate them as they are so small and it is often left until at least the 7th day. Do you think both testicles have been caught as they should?

Let us know how you get on. I hope that he is okay.

[woollyval]

MMMMM soays are VERY difficult to castrate early! Check you can feel what will appear to be 2 small grapes in the sack and check the teats are not trapped in the band....and that there is not more than just the balls in the bag.....if worried get him checked by the vet.

[squeasy]

Thanks for the replies.  The person who castrated him has checked about an hour agoand  there are just the two testes in the sac.  She has also checked to make sure it is not too high.  I have just been to check him and he is wandering around with his Mum.  If he is no better by the morning, my Uncle who is a sheep farmer with a flock of 300 says he will come and look.  I will be checking the field every three hours for the other sheep to see if lambing so will keep a close eye on him. 

Is joint ill the front or back legs?

[shep53]

Joint ill can be any leg or the navel

[squeasy]

Thank you- apart from stiff  legs are there any other symptoms?

[shep53]

Early signs are stiffness or a limp and of colour ,a course of penicillin type injections may stop it getting to hot pus filled joints, an antibiotic would also cover any other problems.

[squeasy]

Early signs are stiffness or a limp and of colour ,a course of penicillin type injections may stop it getting to hot pus filled joints, an antibiotic would also cover any other problems.

Would the morning too late to start the injections?

[shep53]

No it will be ok , i think your best idea is your uncle ,its always difficult to give sound advise from a distance ,sorry.  Hopefully in the morning he will look better    Have you got a thermometer, normal temp 37-39c ?

[squeasy]

No it will be ok , i think your best idea is your uncle ,its always difficult to give sound advise from a distance ,sorry.  Hopefully in the morning he will look better

You have been brilliant- thank you!  I was just worried that I might be being neglectful if I waited to see how he was doing in the morning.

[shep53]

You've said your going to keep checking , and you and some one with more experiance have checked the ringing, so you are doing all you can

[squeasy]

'Boy' seemed a lot brighter this morning but we had him looked over by a sheep farmer as I was worried about joint ill.  One of his back legs did feel a little warmer.

The sheep farmer took his temperature and it was 39.6 so normal, and said he felt everything was ok but for piece of mind gave him 1ml of penstrep. He checked the castration and said it was good and that nothing extra or nothing missing from it.

He has been ok today, a bit annoyed about the snow but I have seem him jump a few times.  I am just going to keep a close eye on him for the next couple of days.  (Fingers crossed he is ok)

[shep53]

 

[squeasy]

'Boy' bounding about today full of life.  Very cheeky- comes right up to me and then darts away skipping.  Hopefully he is over whatever was making him stiff.