[Jukes Mum]

The vet will be called tomorrow, but in the meantime I was wondering if anyone can offer any advice on this?
One of my boys has been losing weight over the last couple of weeks.
He's been wormed/fluked, is on good grazing, has hay and hard feed.
Today he is looking awful. He has started to lose wool and he is thin. 
Today I've noticed that he is struggling to graze/eat. His incisors seem to be protruding as if he has an undershot jaw (he's 4 and he didn't have an undershot jaw previously). He has a sore on his dental pad which looks yellow and nasty. I have given him an antibiotic jab today.
My fella (who's not as heartless as this sounds) thinks there's not point in getting the vet and wants to 'put him to sleep' as we can't see how this could be rectified but I'd appreciate your opinion.
I love this sheep so much and hate to see him suffering.

[kanisha]

No need to jump the gun could be any number of things including a tooth abcess. Hope your fella never gets one 

[SallyintNorth]

Carcase collection will cost £20 anyway, so may as well have a chat with the vet.

[Buttermilk]

I would travel him to the vets and save a call out fee.

[Marches Farmer]

Me too.  Maybe a tumour?

[Jukes Mum]

Waiting for the vet to call.
I feel so sad about this. I love this boy but he looks so bad now. He had a nibble at some ivy and a nibble of some nuts, but not  enough to sustain him. 

[Anke]

Drench him with twin lamb, he needs energy. Also if he is not drinking, drenching with warm water (or for my goats I have used peppermint or camomile tea) will help too.

[Sbom]

Warm water with honey goes down a treat here with sick sheep, it's amazing how it can perk them up.

[Jukes Mum]

I have been drenching him which is enough to keep him going, but for how long? The poor lad can't eat.
The vet didn't have a clue but suggested we might want to do the kind thing. There seems to be no reason why his teeth no longer meet his hard plate. No broken jaw, nothing else to see.

[Sbom]

Did he not suggest painkillers and antibiotics to see if it settles? Or is it more of a physical problem?...

Poor lad

[Jukes Mum]

I sincerely hope that I am not talking too soon, but thought I'd give an update on my boy. After a lot of TLC, sheep conditioner, antibiotics and painkillers, it seems as though he has made a rather miraculous recovery. He looks a b*gger as he has lost all the wool from his head and neck, but he is happy as larry, gaining weight and yesterday managed to break through (literally!) a post and rail fence to get to the tup the other side. He is also grazing like a good un. His teeth are no longer meeting his hard plate so I can't see how he's grazing so efficiently, but he is. The sore where his teeth were rubbing has calmed down. Fingers crossed he'll keep going strong. On the downside, he's always been a real sweetie and loves his cuddles, but he seems to have gone off me somewhat as every time I go to see him, the poor chap thinks he's going to be injected, have something ghastly squirted into his mouth etc. 

[TheSmilingSheep]

Lovely to read this!  Lucky boy with all that TLC.  Will keep fingers and toes crossed for you.
 

[Jukes Mum]

UPDATE
So after I thought we were going to lose him last spring, this boy made a wonderful recovery and got as fat as butter over the summer. Unfortunately he has now really taken a turn for the worst. His incisors are protruding and overgrown. He has dropped a lot of weight. I bought him a high energy bucket, which he has enjoyed, but seems to have got so much molasses around his face that he has rubbed it and made it sore.
Again, my OH thinks we should 'put him down'. He is thin, has a sore mouth and a sore face. I was hoping that, since he made it through last winter, hopefully I could nurse him throuh this winter too, but looking at the date of my thread last year, this was in March, so obvioulsy, being only January now, he would have a lot longer to survive until spring comes. The vet has again suggested that we let him go (I think around this area, they may not fully appreciate that someone could have a 'pet' sheep). A local breeder came to see him and thought he wouldn't make the winter through. They did say that if he lost the teeth, he would probably be able to graze again, but he's only 4 so I don't think he is likely to lose them natuarally anytime soon. Has anyone ever heard of having a sheep's incisors removed? Or am I clutching at straws and potentially prolonging suffering here?

[Marches Farmer]

Only you can make the decision and sometimes that's really hard.  It goes with the territory, unfortunately.  I generally look at the quality of life.  Is the animal enjoying life, without pain, and is it able to behave normally for that type of animal?

[Jukes Mum]

In all honesty, no. He is suffering. This alone would make me make the right decision, I am just dithering becuase he made such a comeback last time. I don't want to give up on him if there is a chance he can be happy and healthy again.