# Near instant death from frothy bloat? Other cause?



## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

I had a sheep down a few days ago at pasture with suspected grass tetany. Injections of Cal/Mag got her on her feet and I brought her into a stall where I gave more Cal/Mag that night (total 150cc) 
The next days I fed her alfalfa hay and small amounts of grain and she seemed to be weak but capable of eating and walking around. I gave her a shot of Ivomec yesterday as she was my thinnest ewe, despite good eyelid colour. Really bony, looked like she was 10 years old and not 2. The whole flock is due for worming anyways but the rest are in good condition other than one other scrawny ewe.

Anyways today I gave her a ration of grain at sundown when I fed my other sheep. Only about a cup of grain, wild oat screenings, very light. She eagerly ate about half and stood up and started coughing. Then she started to stagger about and try to clear foam from the mouth and wheeze. Looked like she was trying to vomit. I ran for the Bloat-eze and stomach tube but was too late: ewe #33 had expired only about 5-10 minutes after eating the grain.

Haven't lost a sheep to bloat before (had bloat-eze just in case) but the time frame seems very short. What the heck happened here? Was there an underlying problem I missed in the sick ewe? The sheep are fed a small amount of grain every night to tempt them back from the pasture so it's not like they aren't used to it.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Sounds more like Choke to me.... eating grain to fast, they start choking, because stuff is stuck in their throat, they start foaming at the mouth.

I have had a couple of sheep do that to me every once in awhile. Was lucky to be around.
My DS had a pony that would do that .... Vet taught me how to help clear the blockage.

Use my hand or forearm and rub the underside of their neck in long strokes, you can some times feel the lump... 
There is a fine line to using to much pressure...and not enough.

Sorry you lost the ewe.


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## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

Sounds likely. I tried clearing the mouth and doing a Heimlech maneuver type squeezes of her to no avail to help her clear the foam, but if it happens again I will have to check the throat. I was sure the foam was generated in the rumen but was baffled when it was soft after death. Looking at choking it seems the foam can be generated in the throat as the sheep chokes.

Doing some research I found if I had been faster with the tube it could have cleared it. Guess I should leave a piece of hose in the barn for this sort of event.


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## birchtreefarm (Jul 22, 2007)

I agree with Bergere, sounds like choke. I almost lost a good ewe to it, because she's such a huge pig when it comes to things like alfalfa pellets, or any pelleted type feed. She just scoops up a mouthful and swallows it all at once, where of course, it gets stuck in a mass down in her esophagus. Last time she nearly died from foaming up and aspirating foam. All her nasal passages were full of slimy green foam. My husband ran for the bulb syringe and I madly syringed her nostrils over and over (she was down and eyes glazing over at that point) until finally she was able to get more air in. I kept clearing foam as it appeared and 10 minutes later she was up and grazing.

Needless to say that was the last time I ever gave her any pellets other than a sprinkle or a few from my hand.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Sorry you lost your ewe. I agree with choke. I have had several sheep choke. It isn't fun to watch. If they don't clear it up themselves and breathe again in a few seconds, I use oil and a syringe and put it right down their throat. It helps break the foam so they can breathe again. 

Since I put out more feeders I haven't had a problem with choke. Mine were competing for the grain so much that they were gulping it down too fast. I don't feed any kind of sweet feed either. It has enough molasses to be sticky anyway.


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