# Help with a weak ram lamb please



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

I just got some icelandic sheep about a month ago. A couple of weeks ago I had them sheared and discovered that my 2 ram lambs were painfully thin. I assumed that the grown rams weren't letting them eat, so I separated them. They've been eating everything I give them and not gaining weight. I called my vet a few days ago and he was going to come out one day this week. I assumed they were wormy. I didn't think I had an emergency. 

Today one of my ram lambs is so weak he can't get up. I've called the vet and left a message already, but I'm not sure when he'll get back to me.

What can I do to get some nutrition into this ram lamb fast?

Thanks.


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## HomeOnTheFarm (Mar 9, 2004)

All I can think of is getting a vitamin shot into him and milk replacement. It's going to have to be something that takes minimal energy to digest.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Have they had their CD&T vaccines?
Have they been wormed?
Did the wormer actually WORK?

With sick sheep, you can't wait "a few days".
Everything is an "emergency" if they are *showing symptoms*


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

How old are they? What does the breeder or seller say? They sold you defective goods, after all. You may be needing replacements. The shearer might go to bat for you as a witness.

Good luck with your boys. Such a downer when you were so excited about getting them.

Peg


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

When my ewe hurt her jaw and wouldn't/couldn't eat I fed her a mixture of cooked oatmeal and muscle milk (any high calorie, non medicated drink will work). The shepard who I got this recipie from also adds mollasses but my ewe wouldn't eat it with mollasses. 
Blend it all together so it will go through a syringe. I fed her 6 times a day and at least 150 cc per feeding. She also got nutri-drench for the vitimans and quick enenrgy.


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

He was born on April 4th. He had CDT on 6-27 and last wormed on 8-22 with 3mL of cydectin. All of this comes from the records the seller gave me.

I've spoken with my vet and he thinks it's worms from what I've told him. He's coming out tomorrow and has advised me that in the meantime I should give him some Corn Syrup in warm water and some Gatorade for electrolytes. 

Prior to speaking to the vet I had already given him yogurt and molasses in warm water. He tells me that they can't digest sucrose and so I need to give him fructose via corn syrup. He is eating and drinking still. He's just not getting up. 

I can't get replacements from the seller because she was going out of the sheep business. I still have two grown rams to breed with so this isn't game changer for me. I was actually planning on butchering one or both of these two ram lambs anyway. I kind of see this as an opportunity for learning what to do for sheep. The vet is going to inspect the whole flock tomorrow as well as check my hay quality.

I've never heard of cydectin. Is it good? According to the records she gave me, it's all she was worming with. In other words, she wasn't rotating wormers. We'll be using ivomec tomorrow.


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

Bearfootfarm said:


> With sick sheep, you can't wait "a few days".
> Everything is an "emergency" if they are *showing symptoms*


In this case thinness was the only symptom. He was bright-eyed and up and about until this morning. 

Oh, I should probably mention that there is no diarrhea either. He's producing normal berries.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Look at their eye lids - are they white or pink? White is bad news - worms usually. It's a sign of anemia. I'd give a shot of iron and Vit B. 

I had a little ewe that I had a tough times kicking the worms from last year. When she stopped coming to the feeder for grain, I knew something was up - though she showed no real symptoms. She's black and there's very little white to her eyes to compare colors. How often to worm depends on a lot of things, so you can't just go by a calendar date. I'd worm them with a different wormer than the cydectin. I like levamisole (I think it's the same a valbaisin (SP?). ) for when the worm load is heavy. 

This site has a list of the different wormers and what they work best on
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/ I printed it out and keep it in my sheep folder as well s one in my purse.

warning - an iron shot can stain the meat in the area you give them the shot. It was what helped keep my little ewe on her feet last year so she could eat.


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

Wow. Thanks for that link, Callieslamb. I'm not sure which type of cydectin she was using. It must have been either the sheep drench or the cattle pour-on. I've written to her to find our which one she used. If she was using the cattle pour-on, she was under-dosing a little. If she was using the sheep drench, she was grossly under-dosing! Either way we won't be using cydectin as it's not suitable for dairy animals.

I will be printing out that list. Thanks again!

ETA: Checked his gums. Very pale pink. Definitely wormy. Poor guy.


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## organicfarmer (May 11, 2002)

Worms I would guess. Had the same problem last year with the ram lambs and some did not recover. Once they go down, it is tough to bring them back. Ram lambs seem to be much more susceptible than ewe lambs in my research. Even when the samples came back negative and the worms were gone, the damage was done. Sorry to be so negative - I cried a lot of tears last year over it but learned to be realistic. I even lost my best white breeding ram to it.

Silvia


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> He was born on April 4th. He had CDT on 6-27 and last wormed on 8-22


He should have had another CD&T 3 weeks after the first, and he's overdue for worming.

I've found Cydectin Sheep Drench only works if you give 2-3 times the recommended amount.

I've not tried the pour on Cydectin.

Here's something that's about as good as Gatoraide, and most people have the ingredients on hand all the time:

Electrolyte Solution:
1 Qt Water
Â½ tsp baking soda
1/4 cup Karo Syrup or Black strap molasses
Â½ tsp salt


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

Can anyone tell me how much Gatoraide I should give him? Also, should I take away his grain? I asked the vet that and he said to let him eat as much as he wanted. He usually won't eat grain and I'm surprised he's eating it now. He's looking a little bloated...

It got really cold here last night. Tonight I'm going to close up the barn and put a heat lamp on him.


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

Went out to him again and he's hanging in there. Very alert, just not up and walking around. I made him walk again (stumbled a few steps) and gave him 35mL gatoraide and 35mL corn syrup water. He really liked the gatoraide! Put a heat lamp on him and will check on him again in another hour or so to make sure it isn't making him too hot.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Can you get him an iron shot? Anemia is the problem with worms. Then they get really weak and their body systems just shut down. I really think it was the iron that helped my little ewe last year. 

As for grain- I wouldn't feed them any more of anything that they weren't eating before - at least, not in large quantities. He does need food and grain isn't wrong-but a ton of grain might overload his little system. Or at least, not a large amount at one time. Feed it in small batches often.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

How's the little one this morning?
Have you checked his eyelids yet? Checked his temp?
If it is worms cydectin works over night with my sheep, you stated the person you got him from wormed him with cydectin prior, so I would rotate the wormer, use Ivomec, then next time use cydectin, or whatever you have.

http://www.sheep101.info/201/drugs.html


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

I was just at the barn and HE'S ALIVE!!! Yay!

He had moved to right under the heat lamp and was chewing cud. I gave him another 35mL of Gatoraide which he took eagerly after I let him taste it. (Note: Sheep love Fruit Punch Gatoraide.)

The vet will be out today. I'll definitely ask for an iron shot and a B vitamin shot to get him back up. I'll also ask and see if there is anything I can do to help him get through the worm die off.


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## Somerhill (Dec 13, 2005)

http://guernsey.osu.edu/folder-to-put-files-in/Sheep Goat 2011.pdf

There is a good sheep production workshop about 1.5-2 hours south of you in November. They will cover worming strategies. I recommend learning all you can - you may very well have bought in resistant worms with these ram lambs. Learn FAMACHA scoring, and how to work with your vet to test effectness of the wormers you are using. 
Lisa


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

He's up! The vet was here earlier and gave him wormer, vitamins, penicillin, etc. I just went out to give him more gatoraide and corn syrup water and he was walking around the stall when I got there. He's a little stumbley, but he's up!

We wormed the rest of the flock too. The gums of my other ram lamb were pale also, but his eyelids were WHITE. 

Very happy that he's up  I'm going to continue giving him penicillin for the next few days and continue with the gatoraide to make sure he doesn't get dehydrated if he gets diarrhea when the worms die off. I'm also keeping the heat lamp on him for the next couple of days.

Also: the seller got back to me. She was giving them the cydectin cattle pour on in too small of amounts. We used large doses of Valbazen today.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

White eyelids are a sign, that they have a worm load.
I only use cydectin drench for sheep.

Great News!!! Glad he's going to be feeling better and the vet wormed the rest before you had a lot of sick sheep


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## Somerhill (Dec 13, 2005)

Be very cautious about stressing him or the other lambs with pale coloring. It will be a few weeks before his body is able to produce enough red bloodcells to replace what he's lost. In the mean time, he will be weak and easily succumb to other illnesses. So glad to hear that he is improving! Sounds like you are doing everything you can for him.
Lisa


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

That's very good news 

Make sure never to use Valbazen on sheep that are bred or in breeding groups. 

Did your vet suggest you continue any vitamins, i.e. B complex ?

~Deb


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Hurray!!!! So glad he's up. Let's hope and pray that he stays that way!


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