[battyfarmer]

Please can anyone help. We have 7 ewes left in the shed to lamb. One has died on Saturday. We had the vet for it but he didn't know what was wrong. Now this morning 4 more are ill. They are depressed, won't eat, but the main characteristic is their breath which has a foul "boiled cabbage" smell. I have researched various vet. books but none mention this smell. Does anyone have any idea what might be causing it. We have 400 sheep and have been keeping sheep for many years and have seen this before but still don't know what it is or what to do to save them? Does anyone recognise this?

[Marches Farmer]

Is it "boiled cabbage" or perhaps like nail varnish remover or pear drops? If the latter then Twin Lamb Disease (or pregnancy toxaemia) would be my guess.  Can be seen in overfat ewes as well as thin ones and can be a whole flock problem - the ewe's need for nourishment in the final stage of pregnancy causes her body to break down her fat reserves and the liver can't cope so the ketones produced build up in the body.  The vet could give intravenous glucose or you could give her Calciject. 

[chonty]

So sorry to hear this. The only thing I associate a smell on the breath with is twin lamb. But it does tend to be quite a sweet smell. Regardless think I would be treating with calciject and propylene glycol. Are they still eating? If not this treatment should prevent any succumbing to secondary toxaemia or hypocalcaemia. Any other symptoms?

[battyfarmer]

Thanks for replying. Definitely cabbagey not nail varnish, it's a quite revolting smell.  We have had twin lamb disease before. It seems like a digestive problem as one or two of them are groaning. All refused cake this morning. The vet is coming but don't hold out much hope!

[ZaktheLad]

Keeping my fingers crossed for you that the vet can sort them out. 

[shygirl]

have you changed their diet recently? sometimes introducing barley too quickly can cause fermentation inside them and that can be smelt on the breath. it also kills.

[Hellybee]

I'm the bucket thrower here and I slowly build up feed when the twins come in, we tend not feed the singles hard feed but then they do have lifeline and sugar buckets all round.    we have lost one very early on, she was very old and despite being under the vet we lost her.    We have had no further tld ewes.   We find the key is to keep putting the sugars in, keep groups small, we had a batch of thirty, and plenty of feeders in with them, as I think the stress of getting to cake/nuts can also kick them off too.  We keep collate drench in the box and also have thanks to the vet a big bottle of propyl glycol to hand and also I have some glycerine bp. 

[farmvet]

Are they housed all the time?  It sounds very similar to Rhody poisioning. on Silage or hay?  Could be listeria or mycotoxin in feed, or braxy /clostridial sordelli abomasitis if not vaccinated ( covexin 10 is the only 1 covering sordelli).  I think all you can do is treat symptomatically with analgesics, fluids & probiotics.  Elective caesarians may be an option if within a week or so of lambing.  Emptying the rumen by rumenotomy may help but only if eg rhodys.  If its clostridial disease I afraid they will die.

[Hellybee]

Sorry Betty I really should read posts a little more carefully.   Hope things have improved today xx

[Marches Farmer]

Stick your nose in a newly opened sack of feed.  If there's any hint of mustiness don't use it.  We've had this problem with pig feed in the past and it turned out to have been bagged in very humid conditions.  BOCM replaced the whole load straight away.

[Hellybee]

Yeah i smell food as it comes in, there's a particular "mousey" smell to bad feed x

[goosepimple]

We had a ewe die of Rhody poisoning, she was foaming at the mouth, we did all as vet asked but she died, he says almost 100% die of this and in a matter of hours.  I don't think what you have is that.


What do they have access to, overhanging vegetation, dead leaves blown in the field, a particular area of the field is growing something problematic you haven't seen before?  A passer by thinking they're doing a good turn by giving them something?   I'd act quickly.  Something in the water source?


Stress for you batty, hope it all comes good.      Tell us how you go so we can all learn.

[Foobar]

Would a heavy dose of laxative help?
Also I think strong tea has been mentioned on here for cases of poisoning ... have a search.