Author Topic: Lame lamb - help (Read 2989 times)

Bionic · « **on:** July 17, 2013, 09:55:18 am »

One of my lambs looked lame. I brought her in this morning and couldn't see any obvious problems with her foot but then OH spotted a bald patch on the lambs chest with a small cut in it. Cut may not even be the right word as it looks to be an open sore rather than a cut.
I bathed the area with detol and then put some purple spry on it for the time being. just tried to phone the vet but the one I want is out at the moment.
I have to go to the vets later on anway but just wondered if anyone could recognise the problem from the pics.
Apart from the little open area the rest of the bald patch looks dry. I have never seen fly strike but don't think that is the problem. I can't see any maggots on the lamb anywhere.

Foobar · « **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2013, 10:39:44 am »

Urgh, that looks 'orrible, not sure what that crusty stuff is?
Can't help I'm afraid, but I have had midges attack my sheep in that area, and the sheep kick at it making it sore, and it drys out like yours. Could be caused by that or something similar?

Fleecewife · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2013, 12:13:30 pm »

It looks like an abscess which has burst or fly strike which has been and gone, but I think the first more likely. Best to get it seen by the vet in case it's something more. Doesn't look comfy whatever it is.

Pedwardine · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2013, 01:57:33 pm »

Agree with Fleecewife, looks like an abcess has burst and crusted over. Prob needs AB's. Hope you're vet can get to you soon

Calvadnack · « **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2013, 02:43:19 pm »

It looks very similar to one of my ewe lambs last year. I had a mad panic, hand sheared her (in case of flystrike), cleaned with hibiscrub, antibiotics and blue spray.
I then realised that she had been repeatedly scratching her chest on the edge of a plastic tubby and must have cut it at some point and continued scratching the area.
I just kept it clean and once the wound had closed, slathered sudocreme on the skin to help the area heal. She's fine now and the fleece came through nicely.

Bionic · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2013, 02:44:05 pm »

Been to the vet. The limp and the bare patch aren't related.
He hardly showed the limp when at the vets although it seemed quite bad here. Vet checked the bad leg all over and said there was nothing serious. Nothing nasty with the wound either. No pus showing and no hard lumps. Vet thinks he has just caught himself somewhere.
Anyway, pen & strep for 5 days, cronyxin for 5 days and blue spray for 5 days. Hopefully he will be all sorted then.
thanks for your replies

devonlad · « **Reply #6 on:** July 19, 2013, 09:09:07 am »

Not sure if its the same but we occasionally get lambs who are lame for a few days with no obvious cause, (feet etc.) we have come to assume that lambs being lambs, leaping around on uneven ground that sometimes they twist or jar a joint (knee or ankle) which just gets better in a while