[SallyN]

Anke - thank you. I think I was just getting too close to it all and not really seeing it for what it was. Quite right: not responsible, I was letting sentimentality get in the way of clear thinking, and have now done the right thing by him. Poor little mite.

x

[twizzel]

Best to put them down a moment too early than a moment too late. That's what I've always stood by. Have called time on a few lambs and calves now after giving reasonable time to recover but it should never get to the point you're just prolonging the inevitable. I agree with Anke after your first post I would have been straight on the phone to the vet not second guessing a diagnosis through the internet. If it's one thing I've learnt from keeping sheep it's best to get the advice of the vet even if just speaking over the phone, than to guess yourself and possibly get the diagnosis wrong. In the time it takes to realise you've got it wrong that could been the difference between life and death, they go downhill so quickly. Sorry to hear about your lamb 

[SallyN]

I know I do usually phone the vet pretty quickly when I have a problem but he was so non-specific: just failing to thrive really, no actual symptoms to talk about, he just kept slipping downhill for no obvious reason. Plus I wasn't really looking for watery mouth and am now kicking myself that I didn't think of that as a possibility earlier. The trouble is I've been trying to boost him up and I think you get so fixated on that course of action and looking for signs of a turnaround you don't really see that you're just prolonging the agony.

Sometimes you just need someone to tell you to get on with it - I'm on my own here and don't really have anyone to use as a sounding board or give me a kick up the backside when I'm failing to see the obvious, which is why this forum is so invaluable... x

[twizzel]

Agree, these forums are great for bouncing ideas around. We had a few cases of non specific problems- 1 turned out to be CCN going through our last group of fat lambs, and the other was a ewe that became critically ill 48 hrs post lambing. No idea to this day what it was, we (me and the vet) treated for both internal bleeding and infection with the possibility of it being metritis. To this day I still don't know how what it was and how she pulled through but she did  

[Anke]

I didn't mean to sound harsh, but I have found that in every case of serious problems with ANY of my farm animals I think about first the likelihood of a 100% recovery (against costs of sorting the issue) and 2nd will this animal still be fit for purpose after recovery. If I find that I can't answer either positive it is better to swiftly and painlessly pts, even though it sounds cruel, but I have a limited budget (both time and money)... the system has worked well for the last 10 years or so.

[Marches Farmer]

I agree.  I put quality of life over quantity every time and we breed from only the very best stock, which for us means anything that's had any sort of problem up to breeding age doesn't get bred from and any ewe that's had a problem at lambing time (apart from something like tangled twins, say) goes to cull after weaning.