[andywalt]

Hi

And I thought everyhting was hunky dory....... our bottled fed lamb has suddenly got a large stomach and does not want his milk, 4 weeks old and we have him on 2 bottles a day 500mls each feed, he had started eating some 18% pellets, can anyone advise please is this bloat? what causes it and what is the best treatment please? has anyone had simular probs?

[andywalt]

Ive had a chat with the vet on the phone, I have put a tube down to see if gas has built up in first stomack, nothing came out so as the vet says no milk or food, just water and hope for the best !! It doesnt look good at all, I saw one article on the net saying tube it with a small amout of fairy liquid and or cooking oil !! i wont do that sounds rediculous,  I think that is if its a build up in the first stomack not the rumen !! also on the net it says if possable to feed the milk cold and there is less chance of fermentation of bacteria in the stomack, any views appreciated ?


andy

[jaykay]

I wouldn't use fairy liquid! But I do use cooking oil very effectively to help with bloat in the rumen.

It essentially is oil onto troubled waters  Breaks down the froth, which is causing the gas not to escape. While there's froth there, a tube doesn't release the gas. Syringe about 40ml olive/sunflower oil into him. My goats usually burp and fart at this point and clearly feel a lot better.

I've never fed lambs or kids cold milk. As long as you're scrupulous about cleanliness when you're preparing the bottles, warm is normal and of course it's going to warm up inside anyway. As far as I can see, cold just makes all the bugs/enzymes inside slower and therefore it's not as quickly digested.

Good luck.

[andywalt]

thanks very much, i will try it and give it a go, i take it that its only going to work if its frothy bloat no the bloat that accurs in the rumen ?

[jaykay]

Hi Andy, frothy bloat is the bloat that occurs in the rumen. Bloat often occurs because the gas gets trapped in bubbles, so can't escape from the rumen by being burped up - I can't remember why the bubbles, something to do with the wrong bacteria having a field day. If you can calm the bubbles, which is what the oil does, the gas is released and burped out.

[Brucklay]

I had a lamb the same 2 days ago and found somewhere to try ground ginger 1/2 tea spoon in 2 tablespoons of water - drench and that worked for my lamb - right as rain in a couple of hours - found it:


treatment of bloated sheep consists of measures that will stop the formation of additional gas and will assist in the removal of the gases already present.

If you see a sheep in the beginning stages of bloat, try the following:
Bloat Remedy #1
Using a syringe, squire 3-4-5 cc of CAST'OR OIL down the throat. After administering this successfully, you will have to feed the sheep 1/2 cc of Neomycin Sulfate (an antibiotic) to restart the rumen.

Bloat Remedy #2
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable or mineral oil
2 tbsp baking soda. Mix well and put into a soda bottle. Use one cup for a full grown sheep.

Bloat Remedy #3 Frothy Bloat
(for lambs on bottles)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger in 2 tbsp. water and shoot it down the throat with a syringe.

[andywalt]

so would virgin oil and ground ginger be a good combination?  also once you see the bloating go down, do you start a very small amounts of milk again? after a day or so?

[jaykay]

Not sure what the ginger does but it's a traditional 'anti feeling sick' remedy, so maybe it helps the lambs feel better too?

Once the bloat's gone down, you can start feeding again but you need to work out why it happened.

I'd maybe split your bottles back to three times a day if you can and give it a couple of days before you introduce the creep feed again. Has he got a bit of hay to munch on - that can help the rumen develop in lambs so it's good anyway.

Hope he's fine again soon 

[Brucklay]

Mine are still on 3 feed and resumed creep today - hope yours is perking up

[andywalt]

The oil did the trick, completely normal this morning, so have reduced the quantity of milk to more feeds, back to 3 a day and only 200mls per feed, to make sure hes ok, thanks for all you advice

[jaykay]

Good result, well done!

[andywalt]

thanks for the help!!