# Ewe with bloat



## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I have a ewe that's been soft bloated for 2 days.

Called the vet out yesterday, he tubed her to see if any air would release out. No air, so he pumped a mixture solution I forget what he called it, basically he stated it's like Ivory soap and water into her stomach and back out again. Today she is still bloated in her stall with only fresh water no food.
However she now has the scours.
I've called the vet I am awaiting his call, he never mentioned she would have the runs now.

Does anyone know anything about this?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Does anyone know anything about this?


Vegetable oil will solve bloating problems most of the time.

Some animals LOOK bloated even when they are not.

Pumping them full of medications can cause scours

If she's not *in distress*, I wouldn't be doing anything at all


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Thanks barefootfarm, she is in a stall by herself she can see through the wood panels the other sheep. That is exactly what my vet said leave her alone and no food till bloat goes down.

I just didnt know about the scours after he pumped her with liquid.

She is not showing any interest in eating or being with the herd.
The vet stated it will not hurt her to not eat...she's already full.

she's just lays or stands in the stall. Speaking of I need to go check it again and scoop out the runny yuckies...ewwwww


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## earthkitty (Mar 3, 2011)

fingers crossed for you, my partner in worry today...


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## earthkitty (Mar 3, 2011)

Do they breathe heavy/quickly with bloat?


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

She's not breathing heavy, what happened is.....I let my ewes into the yard. And place the rams in the field to eat. I only have weeds for a yard. So I have been allowing them yard time about 5 hrs a day.

When I call them back into the paddock, they are full. Sometimes they look like they are expecting twins. Then in the morning they are back to normal size. I didnt think much about it. I let the boys in the field and they never come back looking swelled up.

So....all this time I let them get swelled up...due to I just thought they were full and couldnt stop eating. Because in the morning they were back to normal.

Well not this time......everyone was back to normal except sadie. I was cleaning out water tanks and I set out a new mineral block and everyone came running except sadie. She peeked out the stall and saw what I was doing then turned around and went back into the stall. That was my first sign something was wrong, she didnt want mineral? or to be with the herd? so I went over to the stall and saw that she was standing in a corner and her belly was still huge from last night. Immediantly I knew she was bloated....however it never crossed my mind that they were bloated everynight and their bellies just went down over night. Well...I was told by the vet that I was lucky that it went on this long without incident till now.

This is my second bloating experience. The first one bloated and died over night when I was a sleep because I placed wheat straw in the stalls for bedding and it had too much wheat on it and one of my ewes consumed too much and died. That was a hard lesson. Especially when my sheep book said I could use wheat straw...it never said "none" too very little wheat on the straw


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Do they breathe heavy/quickly with bloat?


Yes, and most of the time they show signs of being in pain


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

> However she now has the scours.


This is normal anything soap based will cause scours. I use Mylanta for bloat it what my vet recommended. I was always told to feed a little dry hay before letting them eat fresh green anything help keep them from bloating. Shelly


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## earthkitty (Mar 3, 2011)

Well, I got the baking soda mixture down Victor. He hates me now. 

He seems to be feeling better, his belly has gone down. He is in the chicken yard, and is crying because he is by himself. Stupid chickens freaked out thinking he was going to eat them, he walked right up the ramp into the chicken coop when the chickens ran in!

Of course I put down wheat straw in his stall, too. Thanks Fowler for the heads up on that one.

Is Sadie feeling better?


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Thanks everyone for your wisdom, Sadie is still bloated, she's resting in her stall.
Havent heard from vet yet. Sadie seems stable...not worst...but still bloated.

I cleaned out her scour poop and spray a mild fly spray...(they were starting to gather)...I was out there talking to her. She just moved out of my way. She looks like she does not feel good...But she is no worse. She's alert and listening to me.

Goatsandsheep, I have a question. As we all know vets will give differant advice and are not all on the same vet information list.

I have grown to trust my vet. Maybe too much? I have read of people giving their sheep and goats pepto and mylanta and that is exactly what I wanted to do first.

I second guessed myself and honestly did not know how much to give, so I called the vet. I did ask him if I could give her pepto, he said absolutely NOT. 
However your vet said mylanta was okay.
I want to be able to trust my instincts and use the technques I've learned here and other resources.

Just a little back ground, my vet raises meat sheep. So it's hard to go against what he says.

what's your opinion?


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

I'm not big on giving pepto and I really don't remember my reasoning not to. Not saying I wouldn't give it just not my first chose. My vet also raises sheep and was raised on a goat farm. Her specialty is sheep and goats. If you plan to butcher in the next couple of months I would use something labeled for sheep. I know now that is works better then baking soda mix or really anything else we tried. Honestly sometimes the cost of a vet out weights the worth of the animal. It's not that I won't do my best to save an animal or let one suffer, but I can't have a vet out for a butcher lamb it just not feasible. Think of it this way what the worst that's going to happen if you give it and what the worst if I don't? Shelly


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

I would try giving mineral oil (or whatever oil you have except engine oil LOL). Why did he pump the soap solution back out? If it's frothy bloat dish soap will work by breaking up the bubbles. You can also give some baking soda by mixing it with water until it's pastey, and putting in their mouths far back into their throats. Or mix it with more water and drench it.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Sadies bloat is going down....she is about half down the size she was.
I dont know if he pumped it out really...I was only listening to him talk to me across our wooden pen...I had to keep my LGD's calm in the next stall...they wanted him away from their sheep and was trying to jump over.........so I couldnt watch my vet do it.

But I heard him tell me he was pumping this solution in her....and I thought I heard him tell the assistant to just let it come back. And she was pumping it really hard. I think I am the only person that has sheep in my area besides my vet. Because everytime he comes out he brings at least 2-3 people with him. And makes them diagnois their symtoms and helps the assistants learn. Quite frankly I am flattered....and I think the vet gets a kick out of my small sheep....LOL


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## KimTN (Jan 16, 2007)

Hi,
I've had several animals get the bloat and I gave them baby mylicon (spelling?). It is gas-x for babies. It is expensive, but works like a charm. One goat was so bad that she was down and could hardly breathe. In less than 30 minutes she was on her feet and eating grass. It tastes like bubble gum and they will swallow the whole bottle quite easily. Hope this helps.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> In *less than 30 minutes *she was on her feet and eating grass


That's about how vegetable oil works too


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

This is the forth day of Sadies bloat, she is still stable, drinking lots of water, but still not her normal self. And to top that off we had a huge storm pass through with 90MPH direct winds that knocked down 9 electric poles. Needless to say there was no power from 1 am after the storm passed till 7 pm that evening and temps were 101.
I took off work yesterday, to haul water from my hand pump well over to the stalls.
I clean out all the stalls till I hit dirt and sprayed fly spray, and watered down floors to try to keep them cool, finally at 7 pm the fans came on......Jezzzz what an aweful day for all of us.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Ouch, sounds like some wild weather over your way Fowler. Glad the power came back on and Sadie is doing better.


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

Have you giving any B or probitios(yogurt)? I give both of these anytime we treat ours for anything.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

How much yogurt should I give?
How do I give her vegetable oil?

I do have B drench that I squirt in their mouth. I havent given any to sadie yet because she is still half bloated. But seems to be moving around nibbling on a little grass....but still bloated.

Thanks for all the advice....if y'all could tell me how much to give...I will start applying.

Question:
Does anyone elses sheep sides swell? Mine are in their paddock and not in the yard or field. There's still plenty to eat in the paddock....of course according to them there isnt.....however half of them at the end of the day will have a huge puffed out sides....does anyone elses sheep do this?
I can take pics tonight and in the morning to show you a before and after.


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

Some will eat yogurt right out of the cup other you have to drench it down them. Around half a cup would be good.


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