# 2 month old lamb with snotty nose and cough?



## bknthesdle (Mar 27, 2011)

I have a two month old lamb. Last week I weighed her at 18 lbs. My one month old lambs are weighing almost as much as she is. (they are 16 lbs) she is aggressive for the bottle and I see her nibbling on hay, but she isn't gaining like her older sisters who weigh 25 and 28 lbs. She doesn't dive into the creep feed like everyone else does. Today I noticed she had a bit of a snotty nose and she has always had a cough since I got her. 

What can I do to help her? Looking at starting her on antibiotics for 5 days. What about a vitamin b shot? to increase her appetite?

Would appreciate any advice!


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

It really depends on what is causing the coughing and snotty nose.

Coughing can be caused by dusty pens, dusty feed, or infectious agents. If the lamb only coughs at feeding time, dusty feed is the problem. You can dampen the feed by adding a tiny bit of water or molasses. If the lamb only coughs after running and jumping, the dust in the pen is probably the problem. You can sprinkle down the pen in late afternoon. 

If the lamb is coughing throughout the day, then infectious agents may be the cause. 

You can give an injection of a long acting tetracycline (LA 200) every other day, over a 6 day period (3 times). Use a dosage of 10 mg/lb. 100 lbs = 4.5 cc or 75 lb lamb 2cc. 

If the coughing continues, the infectious agent could be a virus. Try to keep the dust down if you have dust this time of year, so that the coughing is not made worse by irritants in the air. 

Another possible problem is lung worm, has she been wormed?

Coughing together with diet and other stressors such as coccidia, can cause rectal prolapses in ewes with no or very short tails.

I would also give the lamb a Sheep Drench... http://www.bovidr.com/sheep.html
This will help get her appetite back. Along with treating for the cough and snotty nose.


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## bknthesdle (Mar 27, 2011)

Don't think it's dusty pens or dusty feed. She has been coughing pretty much since the night I brought her home. We did try a 3 day course of antibiotics then. 

She has had her CD-T shot, but hasn't been wormed. She has normal poo and is aggressive towards the bottle and eats hay/alfalfa but doesn't really touch creep feed. I offer the lamb starter feed and a pelleted creep feed. She is getting 2 bottles 16 oz twice a day. 

I have a tube of ivemectrin for horses. Can I use that to worm her? How much?


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## bknthesdle (Mar 27, 2011)

Friendly bump!


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## glidergurl03 (Feb 28, 2005)

We use liquid ivermec, it's 3 cc per 26lbs body weight, but I'm not sure how you'd figure out the horse tube. Good luck, but I'd definitely worm her! 

Rayna
North Star Shetlands


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