[Lostlambs]

I have a 2 year old ewe that tried to jump over a loose gate and fell with her rear leg under the gate and it;s obviously broken at the pastern joint-totally loose and floppy. I called the vet and he has given instructions on using pvc pipe to cast it but if anyone can lead me me thru with better instructions please post as he is away now and I 'm not sure if I've done it right .I cut the pipe in half, padded it and placed it on the back of the leg up to the hock(the rear knee) secured it on with duct tape. She seems worse today when I checked the splint there was a discharge on the padding so started her on antibiotics. Thanks

[woollyval]

I am so sorry  However due to pain and distress I recommend you have her put to sleep asap....this sounds a rather complicated fracture 

[Welshcob]

Hi,

Poor ewe it must be painful but silly sheep at the same time.

I guess you did right in starting the antibiotics if there's discharge, however a couple of questions: did you clean/inspect the leg before padding it in the pipe? Might you have missed a splinter of bone protruding from the skin? That would certainly get infected, could explain the discharge. I don't understand how there could be discharge anywhere if the site of fracture didn't have broken skin 

I have treated sheep with splints on their legs and although they find it uncomfortable to move, they quickly adapt and start wobbling on it. Have you checked that the pastern cannot move? If there's space for the slightest movement in the cast between the piece of pipe/padding and the leg, it won't heal as quickly and more chance of splinter of bone protruding. Also make sure the duct tape is not cutting into the skin, and the top edge of the pipe too. Double check the padding hasn't flattened as that will make the whole assembly not as stable.

I don't know what your experience in bandaging would be but if you try bandaging your own leg (even with just rags), you'll soon find out which tension is firm enough to hold on the splint without cutting the blood supply.

It would also help if your vet could give you some painkillers for the ewe - but I guess that sometimes is not an option in case you decide to have the injured animal slaughtered instead.

[SallyintNorth]

It would also help if your vet could give you some painkillers for the ewe - but I guess that sometimes is not an option in case you decide to have the injured animal slaughtered instead.

Woooaaahhh there, Welshcob!  I'm sure that came out different to how you meant it!

But for the avoidance of doubt, please can I state plainly:

If the animal is in significant pain, not just uncomfortable, then it needs painkillers or to be slaughtered NOW.

It is not acceptable, nor legal, to prolong an animal's suffering just in case it might be worth more.

[moony]

Realistically there is only one solution thats fair on the ewe and that is to have her put to sleep/slaughtered now rather than prolonging the suffering. A broken pastern is a pretty terminal injury. If thats not an option for you then you would have to get the vet to cast her leg, restrict her movement completely, and I mean completely, for 6-8wks and dose her with painkillers. A cast that isnt fitted correctly will do more harm than good and I dont see how you can cast for a pastern joint break anyway. If she can move at all the pastern joint will not heal as its load bearing and moving joint. I hope that she is atleast on painkillers already as if not you are heading down the animal cruelty route.

[colliewoman]

I would have the vet to her now if it were me, an injury like that cannot IMO be dealt with over the phone. If that is not possible then humane kill is the only other option really.
So sad when they hurt themselves, I once had to have my favourite ewe PTS after she ran into a gatepost and compressed her spine. We tried everything, painkillers, steriods, anti inflammatories, physio. But I chose to have her life ended when I felt it was needed. If the same were to happen again I would go straight for PTS. I still feel bad for letting her go on so long, but the vet was hopefull and she was so dosed up we know she was in no pain at least.

[SteveHants]

Another vote for shooting it here, I'm afraid. 

[Fleecewife]

Hi Lostlambs
 
Yes, I have to agree with the general opinion that this ewe is not going to recover.   A discharge means that she has an open fracture - even in a person this is difficult to heal as the inside of the bone itself will be infected.   Sorry but you really do have to put her out of her misery 
 
Using a piece of piping to splint the leg could work if the fracture was mid shaft and if you knew how to do it securely, but not with what sounds like a compound comminuted fracture through a joint.  Sorry.

[Hermit]

 Sorry but what a crap vet!!!! He should have come out to you and given proper treatment one way or the other. Treating a wound like that is not a DIY job at all. If it were a pony or a dog he would have , why let the poor sheep suffer just cause its a sheep!

[lachlanandmarcus]

Sorry but what a crap vet!!!! He should have come out to you and given proper treatment one way or the other. Treating a wound like that is not a DIY job at all. If it were a pony or a dog he would have , why let the poor sheep suffer just cause its a sheep!

This. Please dont let this animal suffer any more, even if your vet seems willing to :-((

[funkyfish]

Bandage rule 1) bandage the joint above and below
2)always enclose the foot and put a lot of padding like Soffban etc under the bandage- bandage must be breathable o the skin will sweat.
Discharge could be wound due to pressure sore or compound fracture.

There are two options-1 vet comes out and dresses/splints properly every few days or 2) slaughter.

It is a very hard job keeping a dog/cat leg supported and the bandage kept clean, it would be almost impossible for a sheep. Will need to be kept indoors in clean pen bandage changed every 3 days and never allowed to get wet. Also almos certainly will get arthritis in the joint so standing for the ram etc in later life will be harder for her.

Dressings are hard to get right. As a vet nurse I have 16yrs of bandaging/splintin experience and would have to think hard before doing itto a sheep due to the hard work envolved.
I also would rather a nurse dressed it than a vet as most get no practice at wounds/fracure management and we have lots!

[kanisha]

+ 1 for humane destruction this is not a fracture i would like to attempt to treat ( and i care for animals professionally and have done for  25+ years) be kind and take the decision now and don't let things linger on.

[Bullseye]

Couldn't agree more Funkyfish, as a vet nurse also I know only too well the complexity of dressings- especially when used for fractures- I personally hate them- if applied wrongly they do more harm than good but they do have their place. This ewe needs strong pain relief and proper nursing or shooting. Some farmer friends think I'm soft with my Ryelands and GOS pigs, but why should they be treated any differently to dogs and cats?
Bit of a rant sorry! 

[jaykay]

The discharge bothers me.

As others have said, that suggests she's got a compound fracture that has broken the skin and is infected. Very unlikely that there will be a good outcome from that in a field animal, hard enough in a dog or cat.

I have dealt with simple breaks in lambs, it's possible for them to do well. If it was a clean break and you could completely immobilise it, then the pain would be much reduced, but I don't think that's what you're dealing with.

I agree, sadly, that you should have your ewe put to sleep, however you choose to do that. Sorry 

[Welshcob]

It would also help if your vet could give you some painkillers for the ewe - but I guess that sometimes is not an option in case you decide to have the injured animal slaughtered instead.

Woooaaahhh there, Welshcob!  I'm sure that came out different to how you meant it!

But for the avoidance of doubt, please can I state plainly:

If the animal is in significant pain, not just uncomfortable, then it needs painkillers or to be slaughtered NOW.

It is not acceptable, nor legal, to prolong an animal's suffering just in case it might be worth more.

Ooops, sorry everybody it did come out different that I meant!   

In my defence I can say that it had been a s*****t day at work and had a really bad headache so not thinking properly, but anyway I meant exactly what others said - if you mean to keep it, she MUST have painkillers, otherwise she must be PTS or slaughtered. I guess I tried to say that if you want to eat the meat, you need to kill ASAP without painkillers (withdrawals etc). I never ever meant to keep it in suffering just in case you decide later to eat it. Sorry again, everybody.

The final decision is up to you of course and it sounds like a very serious fracture, already infected, so probably best to end her suffering asap. However if you are prepared to long nursing and a certain expense, it can be done. I don't think because it's a sheep she shouldn't have a chance. Dogs and cats are treated successfully for that type of injury.