[OhLaLa]

What went wrong?

2nd lamb of twins born (much larger than first), came out and landed on it's back, head to one side (practically underneath it's side), no movement, we wiped it's nose, nothing, did the straw up nose to clear, then 'swung'. The lamb took a couple of breaths then died.

I'm not looking for kind words here, if I did wrong I need to be told so I don't make the same mistake again.

Will update you on progress of 1st lamb tomorrow.

[andywalt]

Somtimes this just happens, Im not an expert as you know but sometimes nothing works and the life slips away, we had one lamb from a set of twins it stopped breathing 3 times in 4 minutes, we would swing it, rub it, thena few minutes later it had stopped !!! so we repeated and started breathing, this happened 3 times, it did have alot of gunk coming up from the lungs, maybe it was that blocking the airway? hard to say, we were v lucky that time but sometimes we are not so lucky, dont beat your self up !!

[OhLaLa]

Yeah, I'm really upset about this, especially as it took a few breaths.

Wish I knew if I did the right thing.

[andywalt]

You have done nothing wrong from my opinion !!

[doganjo]

I've been there with puppies.  It's always hard to lose something you have fought for.  I can't see what else you could have done - vets keep a stock of a drug for pups brought from a  caesarean but I can't remember what it's called.  One drop under the tongue and they seem to take a deep breath and get started.  Maybe it can be used on other animals too, but whether you are allowed to keep it in stock I don't know..

[Sandy]

My father in law used to use "easy start" it may have contained ethanol or similar, he said it would bring dead things back to life!!!! never really took much interest in those days like I do now!!!

[Roxy]

Yes, there is a similar spray for lambs - is it lamb start or something?

Unfortunately, with animals it happens.  It does make you feel bad when they start to breathe, then stop again.

[doganjo]

It happens with humans too - when my daughter was born after a very long labour her lungs and tubes had mucous in them, she took a short breath then stopped again, then the doctors used a suction tube drew it all out and she started to breathe normally.

[Fleecewife]

It is possible that suctioning the lamb would have worked, but in fact swinging it has the same effect - like a spin dryer, pulling any mucous out (just make sure you don't clatter its head on the ground.....). 
It is also possible/probable that the lamb had lungs which were incompletely formed in some way or immature so it had no chance of survival whatever you had done.
Another thing you could have tried is breathing into its mouth - tiny breaths as the lungs are tiny.
When you say you wiped the nose, did you sweep your finger right into the mouth to pull out anything in there? When it took the breaths, did the lungs sound rattly/wet?

Sometimes you try everything and nothing works.  Probably just one of those things, I would say, but definitely worth trying to do better next time if it was a problem with your technique.

[Rosemary]

It's a bit depressing - we lost one yesterday due in part to my inexperience. Unfortunatley, there's nothing you can do but try and learn from it. Don't beat yourself up about it (do as I say, not as I do). You tried, you'll try better next time.

[Freddiesfarm]

Well this week started badly for me too.  One ewe lambed very dead lambs and another aborted this morning.  Bit crappy but it happens.  Just about the start the second batch of lambers which includes the ewe lambs so expect to have problems.  Can only hope it gets better.

[OhLaLa]

Thanks everyone. I'm normally pretty 'sensible' about the stock but I'm taking this one hard. Thinking through loads of 'if I'd only' and 'maybe's'. Just wish I had more experience.

It is possible that suctioning the lamb would have worked, but in fact swinging it has the same effect - like a spin dryer, pulling any mucous out (just make sure you don't clatter its head on the ground.....). 
It is also possible/probable that the lamb had lungs which were incompletely formed in some way or immature so it had no chance of survival whatever you had done.
Another thing you could have tried is breathing into its mouth - tiny breaths as the lungs are tiny.
When you say you wiped the nose, did you sweep your finger right into the mouth to pull out anything in there? When it took the breaths, did the lungs sound rattly/wet?

Sometimes you try everything and nothing works.  Probably just one of those things, I would say, but definitely worth trying to do better next time if it was a problem with your technique.

Fleecewife, to help me improve, could you please explain techniques for:
 swinging (head did not clatter)
 suctioning the lamb

No sound at all from lamb, twitched it's nose a bit when I used straw, couple of breaths and then was gone. How far up the nose should the straw be inserted?
 

[TheCaptain]

We had it with one of our orphans - he was going for four days but we think he didn't have any colostrum from his mum so didn't have the greatest start.  We had to stomach tube, glucose injections, rub his bum hole (massively constipated) etc etc followed by a trip to the vet - who thinks we're mad. I was really saddened by it when he died, but there was nothing else we could have done.  Like Rosemary says, don't beat yourself up about it (do as I say, not as I do!!!)

[bazzais]

I think we have all experienced the 'what if I did this' syndrome when it comes to seeing something die or getting ill.

Think of your successes - it helps me.

I'm not saying dont pick up tips and ask questions to try and learn - but sometimes nature does run its course and sometimes its not fair.

Baz

[MrsJ]

Sorry to hear this, it happens to everyone but it's horrible when it's you.  We use Lamb Kick-start - I think the company is Collate or something like that, but I'm not sure if it would have helped in this instance, it's really for weak lambs.