# Bloating 4week old orphan lamb.



## jewel777 (Mar 19, 2020)

I have a four week old orphan lame that bloats about every three or four days. I have been treating him with baking soda water but need to know if there’s something I can do to keep him from bloating. He is on milk replacer and cane hay.


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## jewel777 (Mar 19, 2020)

Is this normal? I took his hay and grain away from him. I have had to give him baking soda almost every day because he does this. When he’s bloated he will not eat and he just stands with his head and ears down.


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## jewel777 (Mar 19, 2020)

Please help.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Give him his hay back.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

https://www.sheepandgoat.com/abomasal-bloat


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## jewel777 (Mar 19, 2020)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Give him his hay back.


His poop stinks really bad. I was just wondering if it would be better to let his get rest and just give him electrolytes? That’s what I do with my horses and cows when they bloat.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Out of my area of expertise on that. Have you tried a 5cc dose of salad oil?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Do you have a tube feeding kit?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

jewel777 said:


> I was just wondering if it would be better to let his get rest and just give him electrolytes?


Drench him with vegetable oil. Start with 1/4 cup and if you don't see results in 10 minutes, give another 1/4 cup. 

Baking soda is for acidosis, not bloat. It helps *prevent* bloat, not treat it

Take away *all* the grain. He's too young for it. 
He won't need it for another 4-8 weeks.

Let him eat all the good dry hay he wants. 

If he bloats again, stop giving the milk replacer and switch to whole milk from the grocery store unless you can get fresh cow or goat milk. Some lambs never do well on substitutes.

He won't need electrolytes unless he has diarrhea. 
You don't have to buy them though:

Electrolyte Solution
1 Qt Water
½ tsp baking soda
1/4 cup Karo Syrup or Black strap molasses
½ tsp salt

It can also be mixed in milk


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I don't know beans about sheep, but can you give simethicone to sheep? It works very well on rabbits, is readily available and cheap.


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## jewel777 (Mar 19, 2020)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Out of my area of expertise on that. Have you tried a 5cc dose of salad oil?


Yes.


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## jewel777 (Mar 19, 2020)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Do you have a tube feeding kit?


no.


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## jewel777 (Mar 19, 2020)

Thank you so much. Do you think he will drink the oil from the bottle?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Danaus29 said:


> but can you give simethicone to sheep?


Yes you can.
It works well.
Most don't have it on hand but hardly anyone doesn't have some vegetable oil handy, and serious bloat needs to be treated immediately or they could die.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

jewel777 said:


> Do you think he will drink the oil from the bottle?


No, you need a drench gun or a large syringe without a needle to put it into his mouth.
He won't like it but it will give almost immediate relief.

You might be able to use a bottle if you enlarge the hole in the nipple and can squeeze it to force the liquid out, but it might be hard to keep it in his mouth. 

A drench gun or a syringe with some tubing lets you put it on the back of the tongue to make sure it's swallowed.

Something like a turkey baster could work too.
Don't squirt it all at once though or he could choke on it.
The trick is to do it from the side of the mouth onto the back of the tongue.
You may need help holding him.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Yes you can.
> It works well.
> Most don't have it on hand but hardly anyone doesn't have some vegetable oil handy, and serious bloat needs to be treated immediately or they could die.


Thanks for the clarification. You can't give veg oil to rabbits because some oils can kill them.


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## jewel777 (Mar 19, 2020)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Drench him with vegetable oil. Start with 1/4 cup and if you don't see results in 10 minutes, give another 1/4 cup.
> 
> Baking soda is for acidosis, not bloat. It helps *prevent* bloat, not treat it
> 
> ...


Thank you for the suggestion about putting him on whole cows milk. That has been the only thing that I have found that works to keep him from bloating. He ended up bloating after every feeding until I switched him to the whole milk.
Can I put half-and-half in it to increase the fat? What ratio do I need to use?
It is so good to see him playing and feeling good again.
Thank you so much for your help.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

jewel777 said:


> He is on milk replacer and cane hay.


Cut back on the milk replacer, sounds like it is too rich.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

jewel777 said:


> Can I put half-and-half in it to increase the fat?


You can do that or you can add a beaten egg.
The ratio of half and half can be whatever you like.

Here's another option:
"*Make your own formula, if necessary.* 
If you cannot find milk replacer or colostrum replacer, you can make your own at home. It's recommended you try to find store bought brands first, as they're more likely to have the proper nutrients, so only resort to homemade products as a last resort.

Colostrum replacer can be made by mixing 740 milliliters of cow's milk, one beaten egg, a teaspoon of cod liver oil, and a teaspoon of glucose together. 


It can also be made with 600 milliliters of cow's milk, a teaspoon of castor oil, and one beaten egg.[3]


Milk formula can be made with a teaspoon of butter, a teaspoon of dark corn syrup, a can of evaporated milk, and oral and liquid baby lamb vitamins you can purchase at a feed store."
https://www.wikihow.com/Bottle-Feed-a-Baby-Lamb


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## Miguel Martinez (Mar 5, 2020)

I'm dealing with bloat in three of my orphans now. We were using dumor lamb milk replacer with no problem but switched over to a multi-species when we couldn't get the lambs milk. We're six days into the multi species when this happened. I've got storeys guide for meat goats and dairy goats. That one says use up to a cup of peanut or corn oil in an adult. No specifications on lambs though. Merck manual for this symptom is pretty confusing. What's a good volume for oil. Using a irrigation syringe with 4 inches of rubber tubing in leau of a drench gun. 
Can I mix the oil with the milk replacer? I drove to the next town over and got two more bags of dumor lamb milk.

I'm going to try cold replacer until I can make the soured milk with the yogurt. My oldest orphan is just under 5 weeks and the other two are just over 3 weeks. Any thoughts?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Miguel Martinez said:


> What's a good volume for oil.


Start with 1/4 cup. 
Don't mix it with anything else.
You should get immediate results.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Miguel Martinez said:


> I'm dealing with bloat in three of my orphans now. We were using dumor lamb milk replacer with no problem but switched over to a multi-species when we couldn't get the lambs milk. We're six days into the multi species when this happened.
> 
> I'm going to try cold replacer until I can make the soured milk with the yogurt. My oldest orphan is just under 5 weeks and the other two are just over 3 weeks. Any thoughts?


Two things here Miguel. When changing from one type of milk replacer, or even from milk replacer to cows milk, it pays if possible to do it so that you are gradually increasing the one you will be using and decreasing the other over several days.

But just as important is your comment on feeding cold replacer. Most people feeding lambs will have the temperature of the milk far too warm. While it might feel right to us, it is not right for them. Room temperature is good, failing that you should be able to barely feel the heat of the milk if you put your pinky finger into it. It took me years (and quite a few dead lambs) before I worked out what the problem was but once I did, I never lost another hand reared lamb. And once I'd worked it out it was obvious - the udder of most animals is hanging free of the body to keep the milk at a lower ambient temperature than body heat. Try heating your milk until it is barely tepid and see how you go.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Get an instant read thermometer and heat the milk to 100°

By the time you get it bottled and ready to feed, it will have cooled to a little less than the lamb's body temperature.


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## jewel777 (Mar 19, 2020)

Ever since I put my lamb on cows milk with a little bit of half-and-half or cream he’s been doing great. I ran out of milk and tried milk replacer again and he bloated up again so I know it’s the milk replacer.


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## Miguel Martinez (Mar 5, 2020)

Thanks for the thoughts. Looks like I got these guys through it.


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