[Dottie]

Hello all, this is my first post.

On monday night we were alerted by a walker to a very weak, collapsed sheep in a neighbouring field.  We contacted the farmer, who does not live near the field  (no response) so as it was getting dark we brought the sheep back to our place and put her in a barn.  Very, very weak, can't stand up.  Contacted farmer again, no response.  We fed the sheep some sheep cubes (we have two old, pet sheep) (eating and drinking well) and as still no response from farmer and sheep still down the following morning we got the vet who gave her an anti-inflammatory and told us to pick up some Ewe Go from the surgery.  Vet confirms she is skin and bone and has probably been stuck down at least 24 hours, possibly longer.  Temp and heart were ok.  Now we are Weds evening, still no interest from farmer (several messages sent), ewe still down.  Still eating, taking Ewe-Go.  We've now gotten breeding cubes for her, but she's very weak.  Helping her stand for a moment to put fresh straw under her completely exhausted her.  Has anyone got any advice to offer/things to try to help her. 

[cans]

Any thoughts sheepie people

[shep53]

Sorry but it probably isn't going to end well  as you need to know why she is very lean  , old age  ( teeth slack or missing  )   internal parasites   ( fluke / worms in general or  Barbers pole ( right time of year for this )    in lamb  and the lamb is taking to much out of the ewe ?    Fresh grass would be the best to help her  and energy from   glucose / molasses  / treacle    , little and often to slowly build up gut bacteria  ( pro biotic ) and lots of time

[Anke]

The vet can induce the ewe to abort her lamb. As you do not know her age, she may well die after either birthing a probably dead lamb or before.


She will have pregnancy toxaemia and possibly be hypocalceamic as well.


TBH, if this were my ewe (and I have had older ewes just suddenly not coping anymore despite being in good condition at the start) she would be pts.

[landroverroy]

I think it's brilliant Dottie that you have taken in, cared for, and paid for vet treatment for someone else's distressed  sheep.


I also think it's highly unlikely she has pregnancy toxaemia or she would be dead by now.


It is a good sign that she is eating well. So keep on feeding her as you are. But don't overdo the concentrates, as she's obviously not used to them but as Shep53 said - increase her energy intake if possible with glucose, treacle or molasses. 

[Dottie]

Thank you to everyone who has replied.

Yesterday evening I was cleaning up her back end a bit and noticed a small amount of grey discharge from her vulva.  Guessed she might be losing the lamb, kept checking and late last night a tiny foot appeared.  I have no experience of lambing - dead or alive - so took her to the vets where vet delivered a large, dead, close to full term lamb.  Vet checked and she has a good set of teeth and is around 2.  Vet didn't believe she was ready to be pts so we brought her home.  She is sitting up eating and drinking but looking pretty depressed - unsurprising I guess given what she has gone through.  I'm going to try the molasses or treacle, as I gave her a little bit of soaked speedibeet and she seemed more interested in that than the cubes.  The general perception is that the farmer who owns her is hit and miss with his feeding and general care (more miss than hit a lot of the time) and there often isn't enough to go round.  So if she has been pushed off food by others most of the winter and not been getting her share, it might account for her prediciment now, especially given the size of the lamb.  Realistically I don't expect a good outcome, but if the vet (who is a very no-nonsense, farm experienced one) said it's worth trying then I think we have to give it a shot.  Hopefully if she has other complicating factors they would have been picked up by one or other of the vets she has seen.

[shep53]

Sad to say but now that she has got rid of the lamb she has increased her chances of survival

[Rosemary]

Ivy; give her ivy. Poorly sheep love it. Healthy sheep love it too.  that she makes it.

[Dottie]

Hi Rosemary, Ivy has been met with huge approval!  She's had 20 small leaves straight off out of my hand and was licking and nibbling my fingers afterwards.  How much Ivy  can I safely give her? (I've read that it should only be leaves, not berries)

[Fleecewife]

mairsi doats n dosydoats n liddle lambsy divy, a kidley divey too wouldn't you 


Well done for nursing her back to health.  Really the owner should pay all those vet bills but you know what will happen if she goes back to him.  Legal v moral dilemma  . I'd hang on to her now she's on the road to recovery for her own health and survival.

[Dottie]

I would dispute I have 'stolen' the sheep and I honestly didn't come on here for snipy posts.  The owner knows exactly where the sheep is, he has received several messages from us.  The vets know whose sheep it is as well.  Frankly if I didn't think they would be worse than useless I'd phone the RSPCA on the cretin who neglected the sheep to this point.  If the owner comes for the sheep (and it's a big if, we contacted him on Monday and Tuesday and have heard absolutely nothing even though we can see he has received the messages) I will tell him that we will buy the sheep off him if she survives, and also tell him how much the vet bills come to, which I will pay as it was my decision to get the sheep assistance rather than leave her to die in a field, or in my barn.  I am not a thief, neither am I going to sit around and watch an animal suffer and die without doing something to alleviate the suffering and/or save the animal.  Honestly after the last few days I've had trying to help this sheep, if you think I'm going to sit around and read posts saying I've stolen her you are sorely mistaken.

[Dottie]

Thank you to all those who replied usefully.  The Ivy was particularly inspired.  I'm leaving this forum now because I am just too tired to put up with anyones nonsense or point scoring. 

[landroverroy]

You certainly haven't stolen the sheep Dottie. What a strange thing to suggest.


I would be worried now about the fate of the rest of the flock, especially as it's getting colder.
You are absolutely right about not involving the arspca. I will not relate my horrendous experiences of them. This is not the place.
Your best bet is to inform Trading Standards who  will investigate any cruelty or illegal treatment of farm animals. They will, in my experience, act promptly - not wait merely till the animals die in order to gain a newspaper headline and  maximum publicity.

[Rosemary]

One of the things that this forum has been built on over the 16 years of its existence is the helpfulness of posters to others. @Dottie We're all delighted that the advice you found here has been useful and that the ewe seems to be recovering - and the vast majority of us applaud your efforts. No need to go 

[Anke]

So my post has been taken off for stating the obvious - where are we going to end up if people just decide to go into someone else's field and take out a sheep, bring it home to their shed and to all end and purposes take over it's care? And being applauded for it? For iof the farmer decides to take this further will get them a criminal record?


Livestock is the property of the legal owner, so if the owner does not come for it when informed that it is not well, the only legal route is to inform the police/RSPCA, even if you do not agree with their modus operandi.


And of course we all take the original poster's word as being true, the farmer may be up to his/her ears in lambing and just hasn't got the time/energy to come for a single ewe in a field miles away. And how do they know s/he never checks, do they have a camera on the field? It is all well and good to be able to care for individual ewes if you have a small flock, but if you have 1000's it is a different ball game.