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Author Topic: lamb grinding his teeth  (Read 20927 times)

gingercloverbramble

  • Joined Feb 2009
lamb grinding his teeth
« on: August 26, 2010, 07:10:05 am »
One of our two orphaned boy lambs seems a little off colour this morning - not rushing to see me when I opened the door but just standing nearby.  He's giving the odd bleat and doing a bit of teeth grinding.  Could this be that he has a bit of excess gas?  Anyone any ideas? I'm heading away for the day in a couple of hours  and am wondering what to do with him!!  ???

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: lamb grinding his teeth
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2010, 11:52:29 am »
Could be almost anything, but tooth grinding in sheep, if it continues for long, is definitely a sign of pain of some sort, so it needs to be investigated.  We have recently heard of someone whose tup had been eating pig nuts (which contain phosphate salts and magnesium) and he developed urinary calculi ie stones which won't pass out with the urine so cause extreme pain.  He has been slaughtered as there is no cure.  If you have been using a feed specifically for male sheep you will not need to worry about that.  What has he been eating?  Has he had access to anything poisonous?  Has he glutted on grain or similar?  Is he standing hunched with his belly drawn up?  If he is still in pain when you get back to him then you must ask the vets advice.  Does anyone else have any ideas?   Let us know what happens.
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gingercloverbramble

  • Joined Feb 2009
Re: lamb grinding his teeth
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2010, 07:25:02 pm »
Took him straight up to the vets this morning ( was dropping of cat to be speyed there anyway....who turns out to be about 4 weeks pregnant with about 4 kittens!! ).
Vet gave him a thorough examination but not conclusive what is wrong with him.  His guts have stopped doing anything.  His back legs are very wobbly.  He can stand but when he walks he is staggering.  He is still very alert and interested in what is going on around him.  Vet suggested rhody poisoning (but he doesn't have access to any), twisted bowel or spinal cyst.  Spinal cyst is more common in orphaned lambs (of which he is on) who have not had enough, if any, colostrum.  He has had painkillers, antibiotc and multivit jabs.  We have ]removed him from the paddock, given him hay and water and penned him off in a shed with outdoor access but no grazing.  It's a case of waiting and watching to see if any improvement or deterioration.  Having just checked him, he is still doing a bit of teeth grinding and it's not nice to think he is in pain.

jameslindsay

  • Joined Feb 2009
  • Nr St Andrews, Fife
  • "Blossom" one of my Pygmy Goats
Re: lamb grinding his teeth
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2010, 07:33:39 pm »
Hi Lisa, I know when the goats aren't well they grind their teeth too and its awful. Fingers crossed the wee man recovers. How's the goat???

gingercloverbramble

  • Joined Feb 2009
Re: lamb grinding his teeth
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2010, 08:38:23 pm »
Hi James,
Things have been a bit dramatic lately, to say the least!  Scotty the goat wasn't well last week. (The night before Jack went back to school and Ruaridh started High school!!). He had been out into a bigger area with the lambs and had obviously scoffed way too much.  He started teeth grinding and was quite distressed.  By midnight when Mike checked him , his lips were going blue and we thought he was poisoned.  Mike headed straight to the vet and he diagnosed bloat.  Poor thing took a day or two to recover but he is AOK now. Scotty and Jack have a definte bond;  Jack can cuddle him and brush him but he runs away if Mike or I try!!
 Clearly the more animals you have, the more things that can go wrong.  Now naughty Lottie has disgraced herself and we are going to have to go through the kitten thing again so soon.  Lottie only had two kittens in her last litter (although the scan is showing 4 this time!!) and it was hit or miss for one of them.  Wee Bert is tiny and much slower to develop than his big sister Betty and Bert only has one eye!!  Totally and utterly adorable though and very very cuddly!!
Feeling a bit stressed with all the drama - not to mention the money going out!!
Definitely no more animals coming to live here!!!  :-\

jameslindsay

  • Joined Feb 2009
  • Nr St Andrews, Fife
  • "Blossom" one of my Pygmy Goats
Re: lamb grinding his teeth
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2010, 11:46:25 am »
Rough times Lisa but once they are all back to health it's all worth it again! It is true that the more animals you have the more problems you have. We seem to have months and months of nothing and then BANG it all goes mental. Not had a good year so hopefully it will get better.

Ruaridh at High School - just where does the time go eh? I finally got 3 Indian Runners for myself, 2 black and 1 white. They are all girls and are beautiful.

Best wishes to every one.

James

 

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