Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Sheep eye Injury  (Read 11599 times)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #15 on: February 21, 2016, 02:01:10 am »
It wasn't your post made me sigh, Fleecewife  :wave:

I don't think it's even as simple as 'caring' versus 'non-caring'.  For a lot of farmers, there's little or no sentimentality - but that doesn't equate to making decisions on a purely financial basis.  Most farmers have a lot of professional pride, and feeling that they're doing a good job is at least as important as making enough money to keep going.

One of the things that being larger-scale gives you is the ability to absorb the cost of an occasional vet visit across a larger number of animals.   We always say, you don't withhold treatment for an individual based on the cost of treatment versus her cull value - but if overall you're getting vet bills that seriously impact your profit, and/or have risen significantly, then you look at underlying causes and address those.

Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

FrancesV

  • Joined Feb 2016
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #16 on: March 19, 2016, 03:25:47 pm »
Hi Everyone,
Thank ewe so much for all your replies.
I am posting two following photos of mother's eye. It has been two weeks or so since calling out the vet and following his advice to administer an eye cream every other day to our sheep and watch out for infection. In one picture you can see a Vaseline type gung and in the next it's gone, that happened on its own.

Our sheep is elderly and thin and has no teeth. But her other eye is bright and she is still standing, walking around and eager to eat and eating. She is breathing quite heavily /panting, which we think is due to the pain.

We do not keep our small flock commercially. The vet is due to come on Wednesday either to remove the eye or put her to sleep.

Is there any alternative way anyone knows to relieve her possible pain and allow her to die naturally?  Or anything to slow down/dry up the infection? This might sound barmy but we just want to explore our options.

Many thanks again to ewe all,

FrancesV

FrancesV

  • Joined Feb 2016
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #17 on: March 19, 2016, 03:26:50 pm »
and the gung pic

fsmnutter

  • Joined Oct 2012
  • Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #18 on: March 19, 2016, 03:45:17 pm »
I agree with the vet based on those photos, I would suggest remove the eye or put her to sleep. After 2 weeks of treatment the eyeball is still not visible, so a source of pain and infection, no use to the ewe and no amount of painkillers or antibiotics will change that. It looks from the photo like her upper eyelid is damaged by trauma, infection, or possibly even a cancer of the eye. The eye needs to come out, which may very well make her more comfortable and could help her regain her weight.

FrancesV

  • Joined Feb 2016
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2016, 01:31:57 pm »
Thanks very much for your reply. Sadly, it looks like she is now deteriorating. Does anyone know of good pain relief meanwhile, either a natural/ alternative painkiller or otherwise?

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #20 on: March 20, 2016, 03:25:26 pm »
If you give her some willow she'll chew that for the aspirin, I'd think.

Didn't the vet prescribe pain relief for her?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

FrancesV

  • Joined Feb 2016
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #21 on: March 20, 2016, 08:59:51 pm »
Yes we have found out about willow, thanks! Found a good website here:

http://www.reedbird.com/articles/page13/page13.html

 No vet didn't subscribe painkillers only an anti-inflammatory at the beginning, which in hindsight surprises me. She is up and down, looking like she was going this am and up on her feet walking and around and eating by the evening. We would like to let her die naturally and in the least pain possible, but conventionally that is not really accepted.

Sbom

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Staffordshire
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #22 on: March 20, 2016, 09:13:18 pm »
I can't believe the vet didn't give painkillers :o it must be massively painful. 2ml of Metacam every two-three days is why I'd be giving her.

fsmnutter

  • Joined Oct 2012
  • Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #23 on: March 21, 2016, 08:19:33 am »
Anti inflammatory would be a painkiller and the instructions suggest one shot only. However in this case I'd suggest repeating it every 2-3 days.
Maybe call vet and see if can get her seen earlier or another shot to tide her over til the eye can be removed or put to sleep.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #24 on: March 21, 2016, 09:09:45 am »
This ewe is in pain - and you want to "let her die NATURALLY"  ??? Now in my eyes that is cruel! A single injection from the vet will put her out of her misery! Probably should have done it at the start and not a month later! Nothing to do with purely commercial decisions, what is in the best interests of the animal and it's quality of life!

And yes, flunixin, a common NSAID will be a very effective painkiller, but may need to be repeated every few days.

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #25 on: March 21, 2016, 11:21:52 am »
This ewe is in pain - and you want to "let her die NATURALLY"  ??? Now in my eyes that is cruel! A single injection from the vet will put her out of her misery! Probably should have done it at the start and not a month later! Nothing to do with purely commercial decisions, what is in the best interests of the animal and it's quality of life!

And yes, flunixin, a common NSAID will be a very effective painkiller, but may need to be repeated every few days.

phew someone else thought that too. I deleted my post thinking it may sound hurtful. but totally with you on this Anke.

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #26 on: March 21, 2016, 11:50:37 am »
I think that if she is in pain it would be better to put her to sleep, she has had a good inings and like you said she is old, she has served you well and you have looked after her to the best of your ability; I am sorry, truly that it has had to end like this but these things happen. :hug:
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

FrancesV

  • Joined Feb 2016
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #27 on: March 21, 2016, 01:22:00 pm »
Thank you all again, we are getting her some pain relief until the vet can come out

FrancesV

  • Joined Feb 2016
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #28 on: March 28, 2016, 01:07:13 pm »
'Mother' was put to sleep with sedative administered beforehand last week. Thanks everyone for their input, we did as much as we could for as long as possible. The day before this she had a good day eating and spending time with some of the other 'oldies'.

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Sheep eye Injury
« Reply #29 on: March 28, 2016, 10:48:44 pm »
Awwwwww I am so sorry to hear that, it is indeed horrible having to have a sheep put to sleep. :hug: I hope that things get better for you, all the best! :thumbsup:
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS