# 12 week old lamb is sick-advice please?



## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

I noticed yesterday that one 12 week old lamb seemed off. just standing around, not eating a lot, moving slowly, baaing, clumpy poo, and bottom of tail is bent at sharp angle. I thought 'that's funny, never noticed the crooked tail before'. Now this morning he's very lethargic, not eating, can stand and walk but doesn't move much or fast. Temp is 102.56. I gave him 'bio-lac(natural oral probiotics I think) and a dose of Penecilin. He's not vaccinated or dewormed and no tail-docking or castration have been done. He does have an ear tag we put in just a couple weeks ago. What should I do for him?


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## Nezill (May 25, 2010)

What type of conditions is he housed in pasture, barn ect? What type of feed.


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

he's been weaned for a couple weeks. he's in a barn with pasture access but there's not a lot of grass so they get hay, sheep minerals, salt and lamb creep feed twice a day.


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## Nezill (May 25, 2010)

(Not a vet here ) (but I )would at this point get some tetanus antitoxin ( not toxoid ) 5cc or mil per 100# every 12 hr. for 1 day or so then drop to 1 a day for 5 day. also cd&t antitoxin 5 cc or mil. go by bottle instructions. I have heard you can't over dose because it' s only for the toxin that it produces. Also a selenium shot 1cc if you are in a selenium deficient area. I would isolate this animal. Feed hay, probotics and I use red cell on all sick animals I get it at TSC. lamb that size 2 cc for 3 days. It is loaded with iron and minerals. Electrolytes, safe guard wormer. some penicillin or LA 200 if crying a lot, banamine for pain. If this would be tetanus don't hold to much hope. Onion Creek Ranch has a good list information on her sight it is for goats. Worming for goats take more medication because there system works faster. I am a huge fan of animals out on clean pastures and moved frequently like every couple of days at the least. We no longer give any shot just clean grass and minerals. I find we don't have the health issues as we use, but this only works when animals are out moving not in a barn and permanent pasture area's. In that situation you have to worm, shots ect. This doesn't mean we can't get something but it sure has helped. Hope things turn out for you and this little one.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

102.5 is bang on normal. Is he in good shape for fat cover? If its thin worm him with double dose safeguard. If its fat start him on tetracycline and get him vaccinated! I'm going to guess he needs worming. Vet was telling me there's Q fever going through Ontario but that won't really affect a 12 week old lamb.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

I'm thinking worming would be a good idea. Maybe some Vitamin B12 to get him to eat.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

This may seem strange but when I have had young lambs not eating and going down hill or we have had them busy on a show circuit and they pull off feed i give them pedialyte. I drench them with it since they won't eat it or drink it on their own. A lot of times it gets them eating again. I have seen others use ensure. I don't know maybe an idea.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Do the ear tags you use, have metal tips? 
If they do, a fast acting tetanus vaccine would be a good idea.


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

Well, he's no better yet. Since yesterday he's had 2 doses penicilin, nuflor, selon e, probiotics, and now just this morning I gave him a 2nd dose nuflor, 6cc noromectin dewormer (approx 45lb lamb), and vitamin paste. I talked to the vet yesterday and he didn't think tetanus because the lamb wasn't stiff. Now this morning he's more laid flat out and thrashing a bit. Not doing well at all. Thanks for your input and I welcome more....


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

My first guess would be coccidiosis. I'd treat him for that ASAP, and also deworm him. The stress of weaning could have triggered it (the cocci). I'd also bet his eyelids are white. I'd give him some iron supplement. Some people like using Red Cell, or molasses can also be good if you don't have red cell. Definitely drench him w/ electrolytes. I just gone done treating one of my lambs for the same thing. He's turning around now after about a week. He went downhill SO fast, but he's doing ok now.


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

I didn't think cocci because his poop is still normal pellets, no diahrea. I did just deworm him orally this morning. Would you give more dewormer sooner than 10 days from now? I've been drenching just water to keep him hydrated but will get electrolytes soon. He was the biggest, healthiest looking lamb just a few days ago!


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Please get the electolytes in him. 
Just give the wormer some time to work. 
Sheep can go down pretty quickly.


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

Ok, I've given 60-80cc of electrolytes. How often would you keep giving more? I have thiamine here, should I give him some of that at all? The eyelids do look pale so might be worms. I have Tasvax now too, should I give that now? or won't it help right away anyway?


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## LibertyWool (Oct 23, 2008)

Is he urinating? I had a case of urinary calculi one time and no one could figure out what was wrong. I finally put him in a dry un-bedded stall and saw that he was not urinating, but it was to late by then. His bladder had ruptured and I had to put him down.


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

That thought crossed my mind too. I have not seen him urinate but I have seen him poop normal pellets yesterday and again this morning. He was standing last night when I went out but not on his feet at all this morning that I've seen. Yesterday he would still lay in normal upright position but this morning he's flat on side. What would you do for urinary calculi? Isn't 3 months a little young for that?


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

SheepDrench (vitamin mixture for energy)
Vitamin B shot
A one time shot of Vitamin A/D (1 cc) or 5c of oral Cod Liver Oil
5cc Probiotic paste: Probios. (if there is no interest in food - as per instructions)
Electrolytes - as much as the animal will take (administered
orally by drench if the animal is not drinking voluntarily)


Took this from a book I had with caring for a sick sheep. I think you have already done a lot of it as people have adviced. I was raised on a very large sheep ranch, however I still pull this down periodically to check on things. I looked up symptoms and can't match anything exactly to what you describe.


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

One other thing I just remembed now....yesterday one time when I went out to check him it looked like he had puked (from his mouth) where he lay, probably about 1/2cup of greenish mash. Does that help diagnose anything?


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## LibertyWool (Oct 23, 2008)

I'm assuming this is a wether or an ram lamb (the male physiology is not great for passing stones) . The one I lost was just under 3 months as he was not even weaned yet. It depends on where the blockage is. If it is just at the end of the penis, I was told you can dislodge the stone with your fingernail. If it is in the "S" curve under the anus, you can cut the lamb so it pees out the back like a girl (sounds awful, but better than being dead). You can also drench with ammonium chloride or there is lemon/garlic/onion concoction that you can drench with that I've read about.

This is a good article on it in goats:

Urinary Calculi in Goats


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

well, he's certainly not getting any better. I just gave him his CD&T vaccine now but it's probably too late anyway. He's stiff at times, seems to have muscle spasms, or pain (probably both) and jaw is stiff. I can hardly pry it open to give electrolytes and he's not swallowing it all, some dribbles back out. wish I'd have a better report...


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Sounds like Tetanus to me and at this stage, I don't think anything can be done.
Am sorry you are having to go through this.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Very sorry, it does sound like tetanus.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Stiff jaw does sound like tetanus. And my lamb didn't have any diarrhea either...they don't always have to have diarrhea with cocci. SOrry about your guy, hope he pulls through!


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## Nezill (May 25, 2010)

So sorry to hear about you little lamb!!!! It is hard for us to loose a little one. There is a huge differences between tetanus antitox fast acting and for curing a disease only last 21 days or so. Same as with CD&T antitox . The tetanus and CD&T toxiod is for long duration given a few weeks after they are born. It will not help to cure. But in all seriousness if they get tetanus there is little hope no matter what. If your ewes are not on a regular vaccination program the lambs won't get the antibodies from her to help keep them safe till you can vaccinate them with the toxiod. I had thought about cocci but cocci if I am right is more of warm season bug and I noticed you live in Canada could be I completely wrong about that. I have found they do some wasting away thin usually not a real healthy looking lambs. I use Albon for cocci 3 cc drench for 5 days. They don't like it. Also for a lamb with worms I use it as well because there immune system I feel is so compromised at that point they may have a two fold thing going on. And I can't stress my success with red cell enough for a sick animal. Just for a few days with sheep with because of copper.


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

well, the lamb didn't make it. so sad. I'm quite sure it was tetanus so we'll be vaccinating everyone asap, probably tonight.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Double C Acres said:


> well, he's certainly not getting any better. I just gave him his CD&T vaccine now but it's probably too late anyway. He's stiff at times, seems to have muscle spasms, or pain (probably both) and jaw is stiff. I can hardly pry it open to give electrolytes and he's not swallowing it all, some dribbles back out. wish I'd have a better report...


I'm sorry but this can be typical in a sheep that is on it's way out. The kindest thing you can do now is deal with him humanely because irrespective of whether it is Tetanus of death throes, he's not coming back from it.



Nezill said:


> But in all seriousness if they get tetanus there is little hope no matter what. * If your ewes are not* *on a regular vaccination program the lambs won't get the antibodies from her* *to help keep them safe till you can vaccinate them with the toxiod.*


And here is the secret of raising healthy lambs in the modern world. From my own perspective, all ewes are on a vaccination programe and lambs are vaccinated at the same time they are docked. All lambs are drenched at the time of weaning, and it may be the only time in their lives they ever get drenched but weaning is when they are most at risk to worm overload. As mentioned by Nezill, rotational grazing is a huge help as well.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Nezill (May 25, 2010)

Thanks Ronnie, I would like to add. We are not on any type of vaccination program either, We use to be but we went to totally grass base system. That being said I have done my homework and we don't dock we don't castrate we ear tag only out on healthy pastures. We are careful with spring flush of grass so cd&t hasn't been a problem at all. We cull unproductive animals and unhealthy ones.(You have to balance what is right for you0 and(DO YOU HOMEWORK) We also do more than rotate we never leave them longer that 3 days on any given spot. L3 larva can live on pastures for 90 to 180 days maybe longer. If you are reading data that is based in earlier than 2008 you are probably on the wrong track for taking care of worms. We are going to have to live with these critters and learn proper methods for dealing with them. Ohio State University has a interesting webex on parasitism and other subjects free. I am sure other university do also but I have been to seminars presented by Bill Shulaw and he is excellent. The unfortunate thing about livestock is we have deadstock just have to try to minimize that and learn from our mistakes. So sorry about the lamb.


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

Thanks for your help. We don't have enough room for rotating pastures so that's not really any option. The ewes were vaccinated a couple weeks before lambing but that probably wore off by the time he's 12 weeks old? The other 9 lambs were vaccinated and dewormed last night now so hope we're good now. I really hate learning these lessons the hard way!


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## Nezill (May 25, 2010)

*We don't have enough room for rotating pastures so that's not really any option 
You would be surprised what you can do with net fence and High Density Grazing. Even 1/2 acre using net fence with a few animals in small spaces at a time would allow your other parts of pasture to rest and recover. Check out greenpasture.net Greg Judy. Also there are lots of youtube clips with Allen Savory work and explication . Some don't like net fence but we have found it to be great. There is nothing perfect just find what works for you. I just know we are building such a resistance to chemical wormers that we all will have to do something there is resistance every where.*


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