[Willowdale]

I'm new to this forum, happy to see it's active.  I have a flock of 25 Awassi and East Fresian cross sheep on 10 acres on the Atlantic coast in the US.  May I ask your advice on a sick ewe lamb?  I'll give you all the clues I have and what I've tried.

Three days ago I started letting the flock onto the lawn during the day.  I use no chemicals at all, the lawn's a mix of grasses and weeds and clover, with some herbs (including comfrey and lemon balm) and some persimmon trees (no cherry).  It's not too much different from their pasture (chicory, clover, lespedeza and some grasses including perennial rye).

They're on 100% pasture, no hay or grain, with free choice sheep mineral.  I don't have any other livestock, no other minerals around.

Only issue before this sick ewe was unrelated (I think). One ewe (not the sick one) had been limping, I checked her hoof and no infection but her hooves were a little soft from standing in wet bedding, so I'm keeping them off bedding entirely. Other than that, I've seen no signs of sickness whatsoever in any of them.  Nice pelleted poops, normal grazing behavior, etc.

This morning I noticed a 7 month old ewe lamb looking wobbly on her feet.  Standing very slightly hunched.  Her eyelids weren't pale, no edema, not dehydrated.  I drenched her with Ivermectin wormer, gave B-12 intramuscular.  Very wobbly looking but walking and standing.  Grazing just a little.

After 3 hours when I caught her to check her she fell on her side and didn't get up.  Temp was 104. I gave 2 cc Draxxin antibiotic.  Gave 2 cc Bo-Se (do you guys use it?  It's a selenium and E supplement people use for White Muscle Disease). 

She spent the day standing around alone, usually finding a shady spot.  Not grazing.  When I went to catch her she might trip and stay on her side, but later get up and walk closer to the flock.

We have bad greenhead flies and I notice she's bleeding more from fly bites than the other ewes.  I've heard her grinding her teeth when she's down.

Vet recommended I drench her with dolomite solution, so I got a tablespoon of dolomite in her.  She stood and walked, then later I saw her on her side and not moving.

My last effort is I've injected her sub-Q with 40 ml calcium gluconate (warmed to body temp, in multiple injection sites, slowly).  She can stand and walk, obviously wobbly, but prefers to lean on a wall or lay down.  Last I checked she was laying on her side.  She did lift her head when I came over (probably worried I'm going to stick her again with something).

I'm all out of ideas.

Does anyone have any suggestions?  Right now I feel like I'm losing her but I really really want to save her if I can.  Thank you for any help.  I'm sorry to arrive with a problem on my first post! 

-Catherine

[Sbom]

 

I'd give her some magnesium and also some Metacam to bring her temp down

[Fleecewife]

Hi Willowdale.  Just wanted to say welcome to the forum.

You seem to have given your little ewe a really thorough examination, and I don't have many ideas I'm afraid.  We have vets on here ( [member=26799]fsmnutter[/member]  ) who will hopefully have some ideas.
You will have looked carefully through her fleece for flystrike (maggots).  I wonder about liver fluke?  Is it found in your area?  How wet/dry is your ground?

Meanwhile she will need some nursing care - keep her in the shade, use a syringe without a needle to giver her rehydration mixture orally - 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp. glucose in a pint of water, 50 or 100 mls (cc) each time, or a proprietary mixture if you have it, and make sure you stand her up, supported, every couple of hours to pee and poop.

[Hellybee]

Hello there  ,   Sounds like you ve covered most things,  I d shear her, as it sounds like she s been struck.

[fsmnutter]

My thoughts with the collapse could be cerebrocortical necrosis (CCN) which is a B1 deficiency. Could also be listeriosis and I'm not 100% sure of the efficacy of draxxin for that bacteria, as it tends to be used for cattle pneumonia in the UK.
I'd suggest the supportive treatment you've given is a very good start, but agree with fleecewife that rehydration solution is important, you may need to make sure of a fly repellent and check the fleece thoroughly for fly eggs or maggots.
Your vet will be able to advise you further on any USA based diseases that don't immediately spring to my mind, and get you some vitamin B1, in the UK it often comes with B2, B6 and others and called Combivit, the vitamins help to promote appetite as well as general wellbeing and specifically counteract CCN.
Your vet will certainly be best placed to advise on any local conditions and look her over for any further diagnosis and treatment they would recommend.
I hope she pulls through for you as it sounds like you're doing everything you can!

[Marches Farmer]

I'd shear her (very gently) as the high temperature could be due to septicaemia from flystrike - or at least across her shoulders, brisket and around her tail.   Do you vaccinate your lambs against clostridial diseases (we have Ovivac P Plus).  Drenching with rehydration fluid every couple of hours and cutting some toothsome bits and pieces from the hedgerow or giving a few grass nuts if your sheep are trained to come to the bucket might maintain her interest in continuing to live.

[Willowdale]

Thank you all for the suggestions!  I don't have the full B supplement, but I'll order some for next time.  My local vets are new to livestock and don't keep things in stock I'd need.

Talking with the vet this morning he suggested a meningeal worm, a nematode that's hosted in white tail deer which are common here.  The nematode is passed to a snail, sheep eat the snail, voila.  Paralaphostronongylus tenius.

It affects the neural systems, which is consistent with her issues.  Apparently he's seen it in a sheep flock around here.

The treatment he suggested (and supplied me for) was dexamethazone steroid, 1 time, and injectable ivermectin, and then oral panacur anti-parasitic daily for 5 days, plus lactated ringers sub-q.

Fortunately I had bought someone's sheep compression chute -- at the time I kicked myself for paying too much for that rusty old thing -- even so, doing the saline drip was, well, I wasn't very impressive.  But I did manage to get 1 liter in her today.

So.  She's perked up quite a bit, definitely more oriented, drinking on her own, seeking shade. When she lays down it's in a normal sheep position, not stretched flat on her side. But the neurologic symptoms are more obvious now.  She's tending to walk in a tight circle to the left. 

We'll see what tomorrow brings.  This may not be an issue in the UK but I wanted to pass it all on just in case.  Thank you again!

[Willowdale]

Oh, and she has been vaccinated, and I checked her for flystrike.  Other than fresh bites from greenhead flies there was nothing on her skin thank goodness.

The liver flukes, I don't know if they're prevalent here. There was no loss of condition prior to the onset of the staggering, so I think the vet may be right.  If she's not improved by morning I'll ask him.

[Hellybee]

Rye grass staggers?

[Marches Farmer]

Listeriosis?

[devonlady]

The circling surely suggests this MF.

[Coastie]

Good luck with your ewe, you are obviously doing all you can for her and I hope she recovers. Meanwhile, welcome to TAS  , this is a very friendly and supportive site.

[Willowdale]

Thank you so much for the welcome, Coastie, and to all for your replies.  I've read this board for some time and I'm very grateful that when I signed up and asked for help so many chimed in on my very first post!

Update on my ewe: the vet was right, apparently, she responded to the treatment for meningeal worm.  Already she's recovered enough that I had trouble catching her for treatment this morning.

As the worm infected her central nervous system, there's possibility of lasting neurological damage.  She's now eating and drinking and behaving appropriately with the other sheep (seeking them out, following, calling when separated), but she's still uncoordinated and obviously not quite right.  She's young so she may recover some or all. 

Mainly I'm glad I saved her, as she's a pretty ewe with good parents. Some ewes are prone to parasites in general and need to be culled, but with this worm in particular it's apparently random luck when a sheep eats an infected snail.

[Jullienne]

sorry to hear this [member=162150]Willowdale[/member] I had a similar situation with one of my ewes, except she had eaten dog poo left by a careless owner, which I didn't know about until she was down, conclusion I had to have her put down.  I am glad that she is recovering and I hope that she makes a full recovery. This worm what exactly is it?  Can you get it in this country or is it a certain type of worm only found in the US/other countries?

[devonlady]

I am happy to hear your good news.