# Adult wether has scours!!



## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

This is the first time I've had an adult have scours in all my years of raising sheep.
I know what to do for lambs when it happens but not adults.

Three days ago I gave them a new mineral block, I think he ate way too much. Would this be the problem?

There is plenty of fresh water, I saw him drinking and eating. I notice yesterday morning someones poop was clumping up, then when I got home from work, the behind of my wether was full of the runs.

His eyes lids are bright pink, so he has not been recently wormed. (no need too)

He's eating, drinking, walking, still hangs with the herd.


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## ONG2 (Sep 22, 2010)

How long have they been without minerals?


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

ONG2 said:


> How long have they been without minerals?


2 weeks, because I was feeding 2 handfuls of grain per 3 sheep in a stall at night.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I found this online....I am thinking he is stressed and too much mineral.

Diarrhea in adult sheep and goats 
Adult-onset diarrhea is less common than in lambs and kids, but nevertheless is possible. Parasitism can cause diarrhea in adult sheep and goats. Coccidiosis can occur in adults under extreme stress or due to lack of immunity. The ingestion of toxins, of which the list is long, can also cause diarrhea. It is not uncommon for sheep or goats to scour when they are grazing lush or wet pasture.

Treatment Strategies
Diarrhea should not be considered an illness in and of itself but rather a symptom of other more serious health problems in sheep and goats. It can be the symptom of many different illnesses, e.g. bloat, acidosis, enterotoxemia, and polio. Diarrhea is not always the result of an infectious disease. It can be induced by stress, poor management, and nutrition. 

Before treating an animal for diarrhea, it is essential to determine why the animal is scouring. Take the animal's temperature using a rectal thermometer. If body temperature is above the normal range (102-103Â°F), fever medications and antibiotics can be used to control the infection.

Many of the common causes of diarrhea are self-limiting, and the major goals of treatment are to keep the animal physiologically intact while the diarrhea runs its course. A variety of oral antidiarrheal medications have been used in sheep and goats. They may be helpful, but no trials have ever been reported. 

Pepto-Bismol (Bismuth Subsalicylate, Bismusal) is commonly used to treat livestock with diarrhea. Pepto Bismol contains bismuth which coats, soothes, and relieves the irritated lining of the stomach. Kaopectate (Kaolin-Pectin) can be used to treat non-infectious causes of diarrhea. Drugs which decrease gut motility (e.g. Immodium AD) should not be used. Oral yogurt or probiotics are often given to restore a more normal gut flora. 

Antibacterial drugs tend to be very overrated in the treatment of diarrhea but they are sometimes indicated. Treatment with antibiotics is usually not useful when animals are infected with viruses or protozoa. However, antibiotics are useful when bacterial infections are the primary infective agent or where the risk of secondary bacterial infections is high. Sulfa-antibiotics or amprolium should be used in the case of coccidia. 

***It is important to note that many of the organisms which cause scours in livestock can cause disease in humans.


http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/scours.html


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Here's some more info on Diarrhoea in sheep, am I over thinking this? Should I give him a day to see if he gets better? 


http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/sheep/article/136-diarrhoea-in-sheep.html


Hmmmmm...in this heat I suppose it would stress him out more if I tried to hose off his bottom.

*knock* *knock* is there anybody out there? Or did I suceed to make it on everyone's ignore list?....LOL


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## VA Shepherd (Dec 26, 2010)

Sorry to hear it, Fowler! I've not had this happen, so I can't offer advice, only encouragement. If he's eating & drinking, and not anemic, you're probably okay; as you say, give it a day and see what he does. Also, keep in mind that there are parasites which can cause diarrhea but not anemia; you may want to worm him to be safe if he's still scouring tomorrow.

Good luck!


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## earthkitty (Mar 3, 2011)

Fowler said:


> *knock* *knock* is there anybody out there? Or did I suceed to make it on everyone's ignore list?....LOL


Hey I've been readin this thread but don't have any advice...I am of no use!!!!


But I AM giving you moral support!


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

VA Shepherd said:


> Sorry to hear it, Fowler! I've not had this happen, so I can't offer advice, only encouragement. If he's eating & drinking, and not anemic, you're probably okay; as you say, give it a day and see what he does. *Also, keep in mind that there are parasites which can cause diarrhea but not anemia; you may want to worm him to be safe if he's still scouring tomorrow.*
> Good luck!


This would be my advice too. Anaemia is most commonly seen in Barbers Pole but is not always seen with other types of worms until the problem is well advanced. I too would drench him as the first port of call and as he is still eating and drinking it is probably doubtful that he is sick.

You could try washing his rear end but I would leave it be unless you feel there is a risk of fly strike. Sheep do not take kindly to water (although they are very good swimmers) and washing the crap out of wool is no mean feat. In cases like this, I cut the wool back as close to the skin as possible. Still a messy job but it takes away the crap and wool so that there is nothing there for faeces to adhere to and nothing for flies to lay their eggs in.

BTW, Clive Dalton is a very well respected and knowledgeable man with much good advice for the smallholder.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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

The one adult I've had that scoured was because she got into the grain. I just gave her kaopectate (forget how much now) and sprite (that had been open for a while so there was no fizzz). The sprite was so that she would for sure swallow the meds. It worked wonderfully - she came trotting up to me the next time I was out there to get more.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Thanks VA and EarthKitty for the support . Ronney I will look into this book (it is a book right?) and thanks if his poop is not better when I get home today, I will be worming him. I just hate to do it if it's not needed.

I am hoping that it's lamb.are.cute scenario that he ate to much mineral.

We'll see tonight. I'll let you know if he's better, worst, or same.


Thanks my sheeple (mean that in a good way)....LOL


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## earthkitty (Mar 3, 2011)

Fowler said:


> Thanks my sheeple



:hysterical:


never thought that would be a good thing....


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## mawalla (Oct 28, 2002)

Not all internal parasites cause anemia, some cause diarrhea. Might not be a bad idea to run a fecal test.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Update, I took away the mineral placed him on good coastal and all is well. :shrug: Except for the dried up scours on his bottom.


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## kit (Apr 15, 2004)

Sorry, I just read this post... and my two cents worth - the minerals!!! Which it seems you already figured out. We had a neighbor that was selling sheep minerals in tubs with wonderful molasses. We typically feed loose minerals mixed with loose blue salt and then i know they eat it because they all want salt. It took about 3 days and several of them started squirting but they ate the mineral tubs like crazy... and the kept telling that was normal they would slow down. Well after a couple weeks I couldn't afford to keep feeding the tubs!!! The messy buts were ugly and so we went back to our old mineral method and everyone went back to normal in a matter of days!


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

kit said:


> Sorry, I just read this post... and my two cents worth - the minerals!!! Which it seems you already figured out. We had a neighbor that was selling sheep minerals in tubs with wonderful molasses. We typically feed loose minerals mixed with loose blue salt and then i know they eat it because they all want salt. It took about 3 days and several of them started squirting but they ate the mineral tubs like crazy... and the kept telling that was normal they would slow down. Well after a couple weeks I couldn't afford to keep feeding the tubs!!! The messy buts were ugly and so we went back to our old mineral method and everyone went back to normal in a matter of days!



That's good to know...like I said, I always feed minerals, but I think due to there is no field forage, that they are eating it too much. I started hay feedings and put up the mineral. The mineral will now be regulated.


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