Author Topic: Pneumonia - and we were warned (Read 2860 times)

TheSmilingSheep · « **on:** January 21, 2016, 08:04:47 pm »

I really paid attention to Marches Farmer's post.... read it aloud to OH.... and yet still we've just been blighted

Not a young lamb, or an old or vulnerable ewe, but a strapping three year old wether, who was eating out of our hand yesterday. This morning he was quieter, and ears were down, but not apart from the flock (and it was rotten weather)....we decided to 'keep an eye on him'...

Saw him later this afternoon - he was down in the field, we immediately called the vet, but despite her best medicinal efforts he was gone by 5pm.

I'm really shocked that we could have lost him so quickly (despite what I've read about the need to act quickly) - I guess I just somehow didn't factor in that he could be so vulnerable...

Another HUGE lesson - what would we do differently now? Well, as soon as anyone of the flock is quiet and with ears down, then we'll confine and treat (and worry later about over-reacting.....)

But it's very hard, and a bit heart breaking....

Old Shep · « **Reply #1 on:** January 21, 2016, 09:36:08 pm »

Don't be hard on yourself, farmers who have years of experience can lose stock to pneumonia - its quite hard for them to recover even if you find them in time.

moprabbit · « **Reply #2 on:** January 22, 2016, 02:36:48 pm »

Sorry to hear about your loss Smiling Sheep. I'm sure you did everything you could. What antibiotic would be best to use to treat pneumonia? Thanks

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #3 on:** January 22, 2016, 04:32:18 pm »

I am so sorry to hear about that thesmilingsheep, the weather has been terrible these past few months. I am sure you did your best in the circumstances. This has happened to me before and it is not nice, but we do our best and it really isn't anyone's fault; I am sorry you had to suffer this loss

Anke · « **Reply #4 on:** January 22, 2016, 05:31:22 pm »

Are your sheep on the Heptavac system?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #5 on:** January 22, 2016, 05:53:34 pm »

That's tough. There are a number of things that can cause pneumonia and sometimes by the time you realise there's a problem the animal is already well on the way to being overwhelmed by septicaemia.

Rhea · « **Reply #6 on:** January 22, 2016, 09:57:36 pm »

So sorry to hear this

TheSmilingSheep · « **Reply #7 on:** January 22, 2016, 10:47:59 pm »

Thank you all - you know, it really does make a difference to read of such support....

Predictably, we've had a wretched 24 hours ... thinking about the 'what if we'd....' this is the first time we've lost a sheep, and whilst of course we always knew there'd be a first time, it's still pretty rotten...

We still can't quite make sense of what happened - all of our flock are heptavac'd and drenched for fluke etc., and the rest of the flock - mostly pregnant ewes or 10 month old lambs - are just looking so well and are all so lively... so quite why our lovely boy succumbed I guess we'll never know....

Not sure what a/b the vet administered - as soon as we get the bill I'll let you know, moprabbit...

Still, in a strange way, despite a miserable event, it does make us realise how passionately we feel about these lovely creatures - wouldn't give them up for the world!

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #8 on:** January 23, 2016, 10:22:21 am »

If you look at the Moredun website there's quite a lot of info on the causes of ovine pneumonia. At this time of year, in particular, I house and treat immediately I even suspect a sheep is "under the weather". With pneumonia there's such a small window of opportunity for treatment to be effective.