# sheep having hard time getting up...



## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

Hi all,:help:
Last week a man who owed money to my husband for feed brought a sheep over as part of the payment. I didn't get out and actually put my hands on her until a few days later though. She looked terribly thin upon arrival and has an udder that is drying up, so must have just weaned a lamb. 

We are trying to get her weight up because she is REALLY thin now that I have had the chance to run my hands along her. I went out this morning to feed and she couldn't get up. We tried lifting her to her feet and everything, but she couldn't hold herself up. So I put her into the sun to warm up as I thought her bones could be stiff from cold. (Although it doesn't get too terribly cold here right now. Probably down in the low 60's high 50's at night.) I put feed in front of her and she was gobbling it up. After a while we tried standing her up again and she could hold herself. Just now I went out again and she is laying down, and just to test her I shook the grain bucket and though all the others came running, she tried to get up and was so wobbly she fell down again!! 

What oh what can I do!!?? I DO NOT trust the vet here in town as he poisoned my Holstein in an overdose last year.:flame: But here in Mexico you can buy any of the meds that the vets have and give them yourself. So...what can I give her??? I want to deworm her first of all, but all we have is the injection down here and I don't want to cause a reaction because she is so unhealthy in the first place. Please, please help me. I already told my husband to talk to the man who gave her to us, but now I feel so bad I want to help her myself. She is actually really sweet and comes up to you to pet her. She is a Pelibuey breed.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I'm afraid I have only a few ideas ... 

Since she seems happy to eat, perhaps she needs a bit of an energy boost. What about some molasses in water? That gives nutrition without the risk of bloating from gobbling grain or feed. It'll also encourage hydration (never a bad thing when a critter - or human - isn't well).

How about some probiotics to get her rumen working again, if she's so thin? They can't hurt, so far as I know, and they ought to help.

That, and keeping her comfortable, unstressed (penned so the others won't bother her, if they are, but where she can see them, perhaps?), and warm are all I can come up with.


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## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

So what should I feed her to get weight on her? I like the idea of molasses in water to give her a little boost. Is it bad if I do it each morning to get her going just until she begins to get better. 
I just went out and had to take out the ram who runs with our sheep constantly as they aren't a seasonal breed. She is in heat to make everything worse, the ram tried to mount her and knocked her to the ground!! I wonder if that may be why she isn't doing as well today, I wonder if he was after her all day yesterday...we all know how those rams are persistant if nothing else!! lol


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Don't give her any grain. You don't know what she's been eating, and if she isn't used to grain it will stress her system. When she is feeling better, give her just a handful of oats or wheat with some molasses. Don't forget the minerals.


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

A bad parasite load will kill a sheep. It may be worth risking the worming anyway.

Her feed could have been deficient in nurtrients. Make sure she has plenty of minerals free choice no copper of course.

Nothing too rich all at once, ditto on stomach upset. Even going from hay to good pasture can cause illness, called grass tetany I think. It has similar symptoms to what you descibe. Could be tons of things. Hard to know without seeing her or seeing where she came from and what your situation is like.

I know it's late but you may want to seperate her from the flock. Most people do have a period of observation for illness before introducing a new member and possible contagious diseases. (quarantine)


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

One other thought ... did you check her feet?

If she has sore feet, then she won't to stand up, of course. Sometimes we overlook the obvious ... just thought I'd toss that idea in in case you hadn't looked!


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## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

frazzlehead said:


> One other thought ... did you check her feet?
> 
> If she has sore feet, then she won't to stand up, of course. Sometimes we overlook the obvious ... just thought I'd toss that idea in in case you hadn't looked!


Thanks! But she is wobbly on her feet, like lack of energy and strength. 

I just put her in a stall by herself and gave her about 3 cups of water with molasses in it and gave her a couple flakes of sorguhm hay, because as I said she has a healthy appetite. I am still scared to deworm her though! What does everyone say to that?? Worth the risk as someone else said?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I'd worm her, and start giving calcium supplements, Vitamins A,B, and E, and all the GOOD hay she will eat, and about 1 lb of grain a day.

Also a CD&T vaccine probably hasnt been given if they didnt take any better care of her than it seems


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

If she's eating and seems to get her energy back with some molasses and good hay, I'd do the deworming shot soon. 

I haven't ever given it to someone who was under the weather, but I would have to think that it'd be better to have the worms under control.


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## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

Well she already finished her flakes of hay, I wonder if the other sheep were eating faster and she hasn't been getting her share due to being in a weakened condition and not eating as fast. 

Wouldn't the vaccination of CD&T have no effect if she is already sick? Could this be bacterial menengitis? Might it be a good idea to give her a broad spectrum antibiotic?? I am pretty upset about this and really want to do the best by her. I cannot stand to see an animal suffering...it hurts me alot and would like nothing more than to see this little gal up on sturdy feet and healthy. She really is a sweety.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Wouldn't the vaccination of CD&T have no effect if she is already sick?


It's more of a preventative for now. She's not showing symptoms of enterotoxemia, and she doesnt need a case of it if you start giving her a lot of grain.



> Thanks! But she is wobbly on her feet, like lack of energy and strength.


I personally wouldnt give antibiotics unless she's running a fever. It sounds more like hypocalcaemia to me. Is she drinking enough? She may need SQ fluids


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## YuccaFlatsRanch (May 3, 2004)

I'd get her some alfalfa hay - just for her. She probably needs the most she can get from what she eats. Feed her the alfalfa with some other hay too. Have you checked her teeth - is she missing any?? And yes she will be missing all on the top - they all are.


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## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

YuccaFlatsRanch said:


> I'd get her some alfalfa hay - just for her. She probably needs the most she can get from what she eats. Feed her the alfalfa with some other hay too. Have you checked her teeth - is she missing any?? And yes she will be missing all on the top - they all are.


LOL. :rotfl: Yes, I know that they are toothless on the top!  But thanks for reminding me...

I thought about the alfalfa hay, but was afraid it might be too rich in her condition. I think that I will try it though-great idea to mix it with the other hay!! :goodjob:


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

She sounds like a hungry girl! I'll bet once you get her dewormed and fed up, she'll do fine.

Can you get beet pulp or other non-grain types of feeds there? It always seemed to me that something you needed to *chew* rather than *inhale* (most sheep seem to absolutely inhale grain!) had to be easier on the system. 

I'd keep up the molasses in the water, too, just for the boost.


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## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

Its a bit late for this advice now, but you should never put a new sheep, especially an unhealthy one right in with the rest of your flock. There are a lot of things your healthy flock can catch from an outside sheep, worms being one. It is best to give them a couple of weeks in isolation first, while you do worming, injections, and anything else to get that new one up to your flock's status.


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## YuccaFlatsRanch (May 3, 2004)

LOLRFL - I've had people tell me they were missing all their teeth. Mix the alfalfa with the other hay for several days, each day increasing the alfalfa a bit so she gets used to the richer food gradually. The last thing she needs is scouring from too rich food. I watch their poop. If I see they are getting "PINECONE" sticky poops I back off some of the alfalfa for a while and let their tummies adjust. She can eventually go to straight alfalfa without problems.

The translation of alfalfa is "best forage".

Lets pray the old girl gets back on her feet soon.


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## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

Thank you so much everyone for your help and input! Ya'll don't know how much it means to me to be able to get advice from other people who care too!! I'll keep everyone posted as to how she is!!


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## PA Katahdins (Oct 8, 2008)

Almost sounds like milk fever since you said her udders are drying up. I would deffinately second the calcium, try giving her a higher protein feed as to get her weight up quicker. Hope she turns out alright


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## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

Well, I thought that she was getting better yesterday. Today, however, she is worsening. She cannot stand on her feet, I try to lift her up to her feet and she falls over and doesn't even have the energy to land correctly, she kind of lands on her side with her head down and can't roll up to her belly. She also seems to not be able to bring her head forward when it is by her side in the typical lying down postition when they are sleeping. Her appetite is GREAT though...I just don't get it!!!


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

Possible Polio? Treatment is large amounts of B1. The head turning back is a sign. G&S


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## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

Polio wouldn't be cureable right? The B1 would just be to treat it...how well would it treat it?


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

Yes it's cureable. It's a thiamine ( B1) deficiency. This is a shot in the dark really I was think milk fever before with what you had wrote. You may want to check out sheep 201 on sheep disease. Might help you figure out whats wrong.
http://www.sheep101.info/201/diseasesa-z.html

Here's some information. 

Polioencephalomalacia (PEM, CCN)
Also called polio and cerebrocortical necrosis
Polioencephalomalacia is a disease of the central nervous system, caused by a vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency. Since the rumen manufactures B vitamins, polio is not caused by insufficient thiamine, but rather the inability to utilize it. The most common symptom of polio is blindness and star gazing. It most commonly occurs in lambs that are consuming high concentrate diets. Polio can also occur in sheep that consume plants that contain a thiamase inhibitor. Polio symptoms mimic other neurological disease conditions, but a differential diagnosis can be made based on the animals' response to injections of vitamin B1.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

desertshi said:


> Well, I thought that she was getting better yesterday. Today, however, she is worsening. She cannot stand on her feet, I try to lift her up to her feet and she falls over and doesn't even have the energy to land correctly, she kind of lands on her side with her head down and can't roll up to her belly. She also seems to not be able to bring her head forward when it is by her side in the typical lying down postition when they are sleeping. Her appetite is GREAT though...I just don't get it!!!


Those are classical symptoms of hypocalcaemia (milk fever)

She needs calcium and glucose and LOTS of both NOW


[ame]http://www.google.com/search?complete=1&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=milk+fever+sheep&aq=f&oq=[/ame]


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## preacher (Feb 15, 2009)

If its worms you have to watch her closely and consider giving smaller doses Due to her being weakened the process of killing the worms can be to much for her system to handle. I've had a couple die for that reason


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Those are classical symptoms of hypocalcaemia (milk fever)
> 
> She needs calcium and glucose and LOTS of both NOW
> 
> ...



And the calcium should be administered sub -q to get it into her ASAP !


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## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

I just read some about milk fever and it says that the animal will lose interest in food. This girl is still very interested in food. By the time I read about the calcium the vet store was closed and I couldn't get in for the calcium, if she is still alive in the morning I am going to go first thing. It also says that there are several other things that can have similar symptoms....aye, aye, aye, why do I not have a reliable vet around to come and take a look at her. I feel just sick not knowing how to help her, it breaks my heart. Thanks to everyone for your help in this time of need. It means alot to me that you all take the time to try and help!!


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

Have you given her the Vitamin B-complex or A&D too ?
When you are at the store, see if they have a product called 
Keto-(energy) Gel, excellent supplement in addition to the Calcium for similar symptoms.

Deb


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## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

Too late... I am sooo sad to report that we lost the ewe this morning. She had her head around to her side, couldn't hold it in place no matter what we tried, and was kind of shaking a little and making a clicking noise with her mouth, almost like teeth clicking together. She had eyelid reflex though when I tried to clean around the eye that was laying in the straw. I think she was just too far gone and DH put her out of her misery. I really wish that I would have been able to get the calcium yesterday. But, the thing is that she has been eating off of a mineral block ever since she came here with us....very sad. I wish we had somewhere I could have sent her around here to get some testing done. I just hope that this will not affect my remaining sheep. I think that she may have been going long before she was brought here though.
Thankyou so much everyone for your help. I am now going to purchase everything that was mentioned in this thread and have it in hand for any future problems. I have had sheep for 2 years and this is the first sickness/fatality we have had. I know it won't be the last because that is just something that goes hand in hand with owning animals, but I WILL be prepared next time!! Thanks again all, and if there are anymore ideas of what it could have been due to symptoms discribed...by all means tell me!!


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