[raygezer]

hi folks i really need some help prety urgently friday evening i came home to find one of my ewes looking a bit off colour i rang the local vet how arrived prety quick showed him the ewe who by then looked as if she was going to die he examined her but he said it was bizare he didnt know what was wrong with her he gave her ab and gave me two more one sat one sunday. she seems to look better but still not rite she is stilllying down and her head has the shakes no temperature or diareai have been giving her water i know im a bit vauge but thats about all the info i could get from the vet .i live in france any help .thanx

[Brucklay]

Wish I could help - but think you've done all the right things and with any luck the AB's will do their job soon    for her and you

[Pedwardine]

Is she likely to be overheated at all? Weather here has been pretty darned hot. Electrolytes wouldn't hurt, even a chemiist shop bought glucose solution may benefit her.

[shep53]

calcium borogluconate + magnesium and multivit   , niether of these will hurt even if they don't help, but lying down (side or chest ? ) and head shaking sounds like muscle tremors

[Calvadnack]

Look up CCN.  There's been a discussion on the Shetland link with someone's ewe falling down and then going blind.  AB and vitamins given, but it's been a long haul and lots of hand feeding.


Good luck

[Pedwardine]

How is she?
By way of encouragement, if it IS CCN you can bring them back to pretty much full health though as Calvadnack says it is a labour of love.

[raygezer]

well my girl is still really ill. she is still hanging on in there looks like she does not want to die yet eating albeit lying down. i think another 24hrs and ive got to make mind up what to do its such a pity a good mother etc. my oh is trying everything she can while im out during the day. so make my mind up tomoro.thanx for all the help keeping sheep there is always somthing new to deal with wouldnt change it though.

[Marches Farmer]

Try keeping her close to her flock (her Mum or lambs if you have them) and hand feeding interesting bits and pieces(herbs, wild flowers and so on).  Sometimes the will to live just goes even if you've done all the "right things".

[Pedwardine]

Are you helping her up to pee/expel gas etc? Just thinking, when I've seen head/muscle tremors before it was indicative of severe pneumonia. Have brought a ewe back from the brink with steroids and AB's but lost a (8 month old) lamb with it. Ewe had major fluids from mouth and nose but lamb not so much. He shuddered alot as it was very advanced. You say it's just her head though? In my experience the CCN leaves you with an utterly disoriented animal so you'd know if it was that. I know the prognosis looks black but fingers crossed for your girl and you 

[raygezer]

just another day here in france,my girl looks better today !!! still not sure that i am doing the rite thing though but i keep telling myself that i can only try as long as she is not in pain.the vet looks at me as if i have lost the plot trying to keep her.going she can still do all bodily functions and eating well so i will keep on with treatmentsl in the hope she will pull through

[kanisha]

 

[Pedwardine]

We're all 100% behind you. Well done with her and fingers still crossed.

[Alicenz]

That is fabulous she is doing better!  I was thrilled to read that. If she is eating now that sounds really positive. All the best of luck!  Could this be the staggers?  from perrenial ryegrass toxin from old pasture?  Staggers can cause tremors.

I think it is related to the ergot fungus in old grass ... someone else may know more. And there is good info on the web under staggers. But if the sheep gets stressed (any mild stress) she loses her balance and can have tremors.  With calmness i think they get over it after a while, maybe three weeks or so.  Its awful to see.  Their eyes get a very weird look to them.  And they have to be kept away from ditches, creeks etc

My understanding is the staggers is ussually from longer seedhead so farmers tend to top their paddocks.  But it seems staggers can be from a number of different toxins or vit /min deficiency.  White muscle disease is prob worth looking up.  I might be talking through a hole in my head, but it may help!

[redborneschoolfarm]

We had a similar experience a couple of years ago with a ewe barely moving and shuddering and a lamb that could not walk it's back legs completely unable to function and again the vet was unsure, after a while they suggested it could be a lack of vitamin B and other minerals, access to a mineral lick was given and everything all cleared up. Hope she's on the mend

[raygezer]

well my girl is still.going some days better than others though still hanging on in there so we will keep on .it would seam such a shame if it was all for nothing fingers and everything else x thanx for all the posts