# Ram with Sniffles, Face Looks Swollen



## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

I have an 8 month old ram that has something odd going on. For the last couple of days he's had the sniffles/wheezing. He's eating well and acting normal in every other way. 

Tonight when I brought him in his face looks swollen in the cheek area.

I have only had him a month so don't know his worming history. He doesn't have a wormy look to him -he's rather fat.

Would you worm him and give him a round of antibiotics?


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

For me, it is a bizarre thought but doesn't that sound like an allergic reaction to a bite?
I would google that possibility. Because maybe you want to try an anithistamine but I can't think of what is sheep safe off the top of my head.


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## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

I'm thinking Benadryl might help?

I'm not thinking a bite since he was wheezy yesterday and his face is swollen today-but it could be an allergic reaction to something he's eaten - I did switch pastures just a couple of days ago...


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

PS However also unlikely, some sort of tooth coming in wrong? That causes swelling and sniffles.


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

Oh hi. Can you give animals benadryl? I guess you can give dogs sudafed, antihistamines...


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## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

A vet told me to give my dog that has allergies benadryl so yes benadryl is OK.


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## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

I just went to give him some Benadryl-the swelling is definitely on one side of his face only. I wonder if it is a tooth issue? How do you get a sheep to go "aaahhh'? 

All kidding aside if it is a tooth issue I wonder how it should be treated. Antibiotics for infection but I wonder if it's possible to get someone to pull a sheeps tooth?


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Yes Benadryl is ok for sheep quite useful in fact. A vet can pull a tooth but it wont be cheap


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## finnsheep (May 23, 2012)

If it is an allergic reaction, Benadryl is quite safe for sheep. The dose is 3-4 mg/kg of body weight 4 x day I believe. You can give more of it if necessary. 

Maybe the wheezing is unrelated to the inflammation. To me it seems like it would be unlikely to have molar issues ( a bad tooth) in such a young ram- I've not heard of it in all the time I've kept sheep and worked with vets. I would recommend if it needs to be pulled to have a vet do it. It's a very major job and can have a lot of bleeding. The gums are very vascular. The root is extremely long compared to what you see above the gum, and if you broke off any root it would have to be surgically removed- a mess even in the surgery on a less rooted tooth. 

Do you think it might be an actinobacillus abscess (cruels)?

The Benadryl should work pretty quickly so if you don't see improvement by tomorrow, you may want to have a vet take a look. You can open the mouth manually and slip your fingers along the cheeks to feel for abnormalities but I would be very cautious doing that. The molars are like shears and your finger could get cut very badly (been there, done that unfortunately).

While Benadryl is fine, just make sure that you always check that meds are okay for sheep, because just they are okay for one species doesn't necessarily mean that they are fine for others. A really common example is Tylenol for cats- very dangerous. Sheep ivermectin can kill dogs.

Best of luck and please let us know how he's doing.


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## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

finnsheep said:


> If it is an allergic reaction, Benadryl is quite safe for sheep. The dose is 3-4 mg/kg of body weight 4 x day I believe. You can give more of it if necessary.
> 
> While Benadryl is fine, just make sure that you always check that meds are okay for sheep, because just they are okay for one species doesn't necessarily mean that they are fine for others. A really common example is Tylenol for cats- very dangerous. Sheep ivermectin can kill dogs.


Thanks for the info-I do always check on safety of meds for the species.

Ram had blood in one nostril yesterday, but swelling is down some.

I'm wondering about nasal bots? I wormed him with ivermectin and gave him a shot of LA200 just in case he had something stuck in there causing infection.

I've examined his mouth/nose as best I"m able and haven't found anything obvious stuck there. 

He's eating well and acting normal other than the sniffles. Still have no clue what I"m dealing with.


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

It may very well be nose bots with a secondary sinusitis infection. Treat with ivermectin, it said. It is a runny nose, sometimes blood, sometimes the swelling of sinuses, clogged up will cause breathing problems... Get on it asap. They are also supposed to sneeze but I would treat for it just in case, they can be deadly.


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## ShadowfaxFarm (Jul 23, 2011)

Also possible he has a weed seed or something that is causing an infection/abscess.


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## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

ShadowfaxFarm said:


> Also possible he has a weed seed or something that is causing an infection/abscess.


This is something I though of too...

He seems better but not 100% -still sniffly, not really a runny nose, what is there is clear. No more blood. Everything else looks good.

I gave him a shot of LA200 on Sunday, should I follow up or is only one shot recommended?


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## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

Update: Ram looks 90% better if not 100%. I gave him just the one shot of LA200 and worming (along with benadryl the first day). 

I still don't know if it was something up his nose, an infection (perhaps started by something up his nose) or nasal bots. But happily he seems OK now.


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

Did you worm with ivermectin?


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## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

I did.


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

Great. I think a week after the first treatment, I would go back with the ivermectin again just in case. Rams could be more susceptible to bots because they can't circle heads down in the flock if they are not in with the flock.


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## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

Very old post but I thought I should post the conclusion as I hate when I read these threads and then get to the end and don't know what happened! The ram got better after above treatment and returned to normal. I'm guessing Allergic reaction.


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