# Sheep with high persistent fever



## Tanglewood (Apr 13, 2011)

Please let me know what you guys think of this.

I have a 1.5 year old Icelandic ewe and two weeks ago she appeared to have White Muscle Disease because I hadn't been giving her vitamin E to accompany her selenium supplement (we live in a selenium-free area). She was weak and lying down a lot, but those were really her only symptoms. She would get up for food and treats, but immediately lie down again afterwards. 

I began treating her with large doses of vitamin E, and a little extra selenium, as well as a vitamin B complex, apple cider vinegar and a little extra grain and slightly richer (alfalfa/grass) hay. She began to recover and was 99% herself when one morning I noticed her starting to get bottlejaw. I thought this was strange since I had wormed her 9 days prior with Levamisol because her eyelids were beginning to pale a bit. I wormed her with safegard, thinking I'd try two different families of wormer to help combat whatever was afflicting her. 

By the end of the day that her bottlejaw swelling (edema) began to show up, it was very severe. I'd seen bottlejaw before, but I'd never seen it show up so quickly and so severely. The next morning she was lying flat out, with her head on the ground. Her respiratory rate was elevated and her temperature was 106Âº. All through this WHOLE thing, she has had great appetite and stool. She never had diarrhea or constipation, and never ever went off her grain or hay as long as it was near her when she was down.

I took her to the large animal vet and he examined her and after a fecal said that she had two types of internal parasite (one was Trichostrongylus, the other was something similar). He said they were bad, and that the two wormers I had used just happen to not treat the types she had. He thought that while she was down with WMD it gave the worms time to really get a hold on her since she was so physiologically depressed. The thing that concerned him was how severe her edema (bottlejaw-like fluid) was. It had filled her abdomen and he said her lungs were pretty harsh, but she had no nasal discharge or anything. 

He also said it was possible that she had retained a fetus and it had mummified, but we did an ultrasound and, while he couldn't see part because of the fluid in her abdomen, he did say it was unlikely there was anything in there.

He treated her (and her foster lamb - my only two sheep) with injectable ivermectin, injectable banamine and noromycin, and I did another noromycin injection three days later, but her fever is still high. It hit an all time high the other day at 106.9, and has since sort of stabilized around 105.5. I have been administering banamine ever twelve hours, as well as probiotics, and once a day she gets vitamins E and B, apple cider vinegar. She also gets drenches of greek yogurt for protein and I also gave her a garlic/ginger/molasses/ACV drench. I'm giving her a bit of black oiler sunflower seeds for protein, extra alfalfa, etc...

She's improving, strength-wise, and is up grazing much more often than before. She definitely is feeling better, but her fever is holding on like mad.

We began Penicillin yesterday morning and, though she seems again in better spirits, her fever has not budged a bit! She does have a slight clear discharge from her nose now, too.

My biggest concern (and stupidest move) is that I had never thought before today to take the lamb's temperature (she's a 4 month old Icelandic). I don't know why it didn't occur to me, but there it is. Today I noticed she had a bit of discharge from her nose and I took her temperature and it is 104.6Âº. UGH!

So I don't know how to proceed with either of them. Obviously I need to get the lamb started on something, but since the noromycin and the penicillin have yet to do anything for the older ewe I have no idea how to proceed. Does this sound like anything familiar? 

Neither of the sheep seem depressed aside from the older ewe still being a bit weak and easy to tire. They are perky, alert, food-crazy and have normal stool. 

Please let me know if you have any experiences like this. I'm stumped, and the vet seems concerned as well. Of course it's Saturday evening so I can't really get ahold of him before Monday morning unless it's an emergency.

Suggestions? Anyone?


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I'm going to suggest going back to your vet because he seems to be very imvolved with treating sheep or at least far better than average. I'd can the apple cider vinegar, worrying a bit about acidifying her rumin. That neither antibiotic is working is why you need your vet again and ask him about switching to a steroid now the ewe is improved to combat the fever. Maybe a sulfa like borgol would work?


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Oh and welcome to HT, sorry your post was moderated, its a system glitch admin is working on (I'm told)


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## littlebitfarm (Mar 21, 2005)

Start with a new thermometer. Maybe the one you have is off!

Kathie


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

littlebitfarm said:


> Start with a new thermometer. Maybe the one you have is off!
> 
> Kathie


 Good point yes! I just went through that with my border collie!


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## birchtreefarm (Jul 22, 2007)

Yes, try a new thermometer, but if that's not the problem....

Is it hot where you are? It is not uncommon for Icelandics to have raised body temps when they are coping with heat like so much of the country has been dealing with. Especially later in the day you will see their temps elevated, and then they tend to go back down overnight if there is any relief from the heat.

When do you take their temps?

I would not worry about a lamb with a temp of 104-105 if the lamb is otherwise perky and eating and acting normal. But do check the lamb's eye membranes and worm if necessary.

*Clear nasal discharge is normal and nothing to worry about.* If it is yellow or green then you have a problem (unless it's green because they've just had their heads in a pan of alfalfa pellets! 

Anemia is usually caused by barberpole worm. I can be caused by low cobalt and/or low copper, but usually it's the worms. It can also be caused by liver flukes but you need wet pastures and snails to get liver fluke so if you don't have those, it's probably not that.

So keep doing what you are doing. I don't know if I would continue with the antibiotics unless there is a clear sign of some infection going on...consult the vet again ... if she's not coughing and her lungs sound clear, she doesn't have mastitis, or any other signs of infection, the antibiotics aren't doing her any good.

I would keep her on good hay, supplemented with something to increase the protein - soybean meal, alfalfa pellets, sunflower seeds (which are also high in Vit E). Keep up with the Vitamin B complex shots. Keep giving either the yogurt or Pro-Bios since she's on antibiotics, to keep her rumen functioning. When they get severely anemic and get edema that badly, it takes a long time for them to come back from it and unfortunately, sometimes they don't.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Anyone here know Tanglewood?


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## birchtreefarm (Jul 22, 2007)

Ross said:


> Anyone here know Tanglewood?


No, I'm afraid I don't. I hope he/she will come back and let us know how things are going.


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## Tanglewood (Apr 13, 2011)

Sorry for the delay in my response. When my post was moderated and didn't post in the first few days I kind of gave up on the forums. I just happened to check them again this morning and there it was!

My sheep is still having issues with the fever. She seems almost completely herself aside from it, now. Her edema is just about cleared up, with only a little saggy skin under her chin remaining of the bottlejaw. She is up and grazing, and only flops down in the hottest parts of the day, but her respiratory rate is still elevated and her temperature still hovers around 105.5. She's not quite panting or even breathing hard (like she was before), but she's definitely breathing fast.

I have taken her temperature with three different thermometers, and I have taken it at all different times of the day. I admit, usually it's in the late afternoon when I'm getting home from work. When I take it in the morning it tends to be around 104.7, so it is definitely down, but it seems like she's still fighting something. 

The vet had me pull her off of banamine and watch her to see if she continued to improve. He said that the most likely scenario was lungworms, as they found whipworm eggs in her stool and the lungworm eggs are often mistaken for them. I'm going to worm her again tomorrow, but in the mean time the fever keeps hanging on so I'm not totally convinced.

All I can think is that maybe it's environmental? Would an allergy cause a fever like that? I cleaned their stall yesterday (we have wild dogs and coyotes in the area so in sparse winter months we close them in at night) and found a very soggy patch under the bedding from a spot in the roof that I hadn't noticed was leaking. They're not closed in the stall during the summer at all, but they hang out in there a lot. Is it possible something icky could've been lurking in the wet spot to make her feverish? 

What about something she might be eating in the field? The paddock she's in at night is grazed fairly low, with grass around 3-5", but the field she has access to during the day is much taller. Each field has it's share of weeds, but nothing poisonous that really jumps out at me except nightshade and I'm very diligent about pulling that. It's possible I'm missing something though... 

Any further advice is greatly appreciated, and thanks for the help thus far! I'm hesitant to put her on steroids (or other medications) since we seem to be in a careful balance at this point, but I suppose we may have to go that direction if she doesn't get over the fever. I'd just like to know _why_ before medicating her further, you know?


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## Tanglewood (Apr 13, 2011)

Just a quick update. Her temp is back down to 104.5 this morning, so my guess is that her fever is low-grade and is being exacerbated by the heat we've had lately. It's supposed to hit 90Âº today, so maybe I'll take it again later in the heat to confirm that her temp increases as the heat of the day does. Her respiratory rate was just about normal earlier, with an occasional deep sigh. Gosh I hope this is the end. 

Another concern I have is that I want to bring home another ewe this fall (we only have two right now) and am worried this could be something catching. I'd hate to have the new ewe fall ill just before we breed them at the very beginning of December, and I'd hate to think that whatever this might be could affect them while they're pregnant.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Certainly adding new animals is a concern at any time. You'll want to quarentine them but if its the home flock that's go something then you're kinda breaking the unwritten rule by adding more. Its a bit like moving the new couch into a burning house. So you'll want to keep the new seperate from the home flock until both are proven in good health. 

About the moderation. I asked admin and they have a few theories (it was done automatically by the system not by me or them) basically it was such a long post the spam filtre snagged it and set it aside for me to look at before releasing it. I thought I did that right away so if there was a delay on my end you have my apologies. It's happened before and we have lost people frustrated with the experience. So I'm glad you're back!!


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Lung worm could allow a low grade pneumonia to set in. You'd think the antibiotics would clear that up though. You could try a could of days treating with guaifenesin expectorant. I just use the human stuff but I think there is a horse variety out there.


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## Tanglewood (Apr 13, 2011)

I completely agree with adding a couch to a burning house, heh. My concern is, since we don't exactly know what she has/had it's hard to know when to deem her as "healthy", and even then I have to wonder; if she had a bug that is catching, how long can it hide in the soil? I obviously wouldn't bring a new sheep home until everybody is clear and healthy for several weeks (was considering late November, when we lease a ram for winter). Ugh. I just hate the idea of going through this all again. 

Her temp has stayed down below 105 for 48 hours now, and this morning it's at an all time low of 104.1Âº, despite the crazy heat yesterday and 69Âº night we had, so I'm beginning to think this could be the end of it. Still, I'd have liked to know what it was that caused all of this in the first place.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

There will be a few mysteries in your years of sheep keeping, I gotta a list myself! Could be a virus, could even be an allergy? Sounds like things are improving though! I'm wondering if you had an infection in a difficult to treat area, like hooves or eyes where (at times) the antibiotic just couldn't reach without powerful antiinflamitories or steroids. (not the muscle building kind) You may never know but at least you had a handle on the problem and did what you had to.


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## Tanglewood (Apr 13, 2011)

Mysterious seems to be a word associated with Icelandics - LOL! 

Gertrude is at first glance, 100% recovered, but upon taking her temperature this morning I found she was back up to 105Âº. Obviously nothing to get terribly fussed about, but definitely enough to frustrate me and put me on the lookout for trouble again. She spent almost the entire past week around 104Âº so I thought we were out of the danger zone. The fever is her only symptom at this point. She is totally herself, is hydrated, healthy pink eyelids, no edema... she has even been chasing chickens! Any ideas, guys? 

Before she got sick, I had never needed to take her temperature, apart from when she went into labor early (and then it was elevated a bit, I presumed from stress). I'm beginning to wonder if this has been a longer term fever than I initially thought. Could it be a low-grade fever like this stems from something connected with her miscarriage? She delivered three weeks early and the lamb was mostly formed. I wish I had a photo resource for placental abnormalities... I don't have photos of her fetus, but I do have the image burned into my photographic memory. It was pretty traumatic to have my first delivery be a mostly-developed squishy mess, after hours of watching her in labor. The vet had mentioned it was possible she had retained a fetus or part of the placenta. I assume if this were the case she would have a higher fever? I'll be calling his office as soon as he gets in at nine, too. 

My other concern is that if this fever continues to hold, even if it isn't an abortive disease she isn't going to be in breeding condition come early winter. And if it clears up, should I even consider breeding a sheep that has struggled with a mysterious low-grade fever? Urgh.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Is she carrying a very heavy fleece or something? What are her feet like? Teeth look OK? I think you got our best shot early on this one, did the vet have any new guesses?


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## Tanglewood (Apr 13, 2011)

Heh. I really do appreciate you guys helping me out.

Her feet are a little long, but dry and she is sound. The vet checked her teeth and feet initially. Both the vet and the sheep's breeder suggested I stop taking her temp for a while. She does have a fairly thick fleece, and since her mannerisms are 100% and she is beginning to put on weight again I think they're probably right.

My breeder basically pointed out that for all she knows her entire flock has a temp of 105, but because they're acting healthy she has no reason to check. I'm going to put away my thermometer today (it's been sitting out next to the grain bin) and only drag it out if there's a change in her condition... 

Thanks again for all of your support. I'll post an update if anything changes, but for now I'm going to relax a little.


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

I was kind of thinking the same way. 
Wondering if just the intensity of the heat and individual's way of dealing with it, might be normal for her and even others ?
Since we don't take a sheep's temp daily, maybe it's the norm for some sheep in these type of conditions ?

I'm glad she is acting better 

Deb


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I hope things work out well for you (sheep die so easily I gotta think yours is OK) and you'll be back to share your new shepherding successes and challenges!


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## Tanglewood (Apr 13, 2011)

Hi guys,

I have a bit of an update, and another plea for advice... 

My ewe has started to get bottlejaw again, after an apparent complete recovery from her previous ailments. I mentioned it to the ewe's breeder and she said she, and a friend of hers, each have a sheep going through the exact same thing. Identical symptoms and progression... Three sheep total with the same conditions (fever, elevated heart/resp, fatigue, severe edema, with normal eating and willing to rally). All three sheep are Icelandics. 

The interesting thing is that all three sheep had white muscle disease prior to the development of the other symptoms, so unfortunately what we're thinking now is that it maybe that we're seeing cardiac WMD, and it has affected the heart. I did a bit of internet research and found this paragraph :


> When the disease affects the heart, the animal shows signs similar to pneumonia, including difficult breathing, a frothy nasal discharge (may be blood stained), and fever. The heart and respiratory rates are elevated and often irregular. Skeletal and cardiac muscle disease may occur concurrently.


 - http://sheepandgoat.com/articles/WMD.html

These sheep have every single symptom except for the frothy discharge, though my ewe did have a clear discharge on and off. 

What I am thinking is that Icelandics are known for being particularly hardy in some diseases... do you think it's possible that all three of these sheep have had cardiac white muscle disease, and while this may normally kill other sheep, they've just fought through the worst of it?

Obviously we're looking at some permanent damage to their hearts, and all three sheep have fluctuated between healthy and declining, then healthy again - often according to weather stresses. Does anyone know if sheep can recover or re-strengthen their cardiac muscles after such a severe decline? Do you think there is some way to test (ultrasound?) for white muscle lesions on the heart? I'm waiting for the vet to call back, so I thought I'd post here too while I wait. I suppose if one of us does end up losing our sheep to this disease, we could easily necropsy and confirm white muscle ourselves. The lesions on the heart are very obvious to the eye when present. 

It starts to come down to quality of life, too, I guess. For now my ewe is happy, ornary, loud and frisky as usual. The only sign of issues is the slight fever, slight edema and fast respiratory rate. She is totally herself otherwise... I guess if things ever get really bad, I just have to be prepared to make the right call.

Thoughts? Anyone?
Thanks for all of your input, folks. I really appreciate it.


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