# Sick Lamb Can Anyone Help???



## Starsmom (Nov 7, 2004)

My son has a lamb, approx 1 week old. It got the colostrum from the dam. Has been on lamb replacer. Brought it home and its temperature dropped (hypothermia) got it inside and brought temp up. Had a rattly sound in chest and scours. Vet gave Nuflor for the rattly sound and Neomycin for the scours. I have also been giving nutra drench and vit B. She appreared to be responding, was getting stronger the rattle had all but gone and she was standing and laying down on her own. Then this morning...she was sick again. Very congested and weak. Any ideas???


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Warmth, regular feeding, all the usual "sick animal" stuff ... 

Maybe electrolyte solution (Pedialyte or something similar)? Is she dehydrated by any chance?

Best of luck, 

Frazzlehead


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## ALClublambs (Feb 22, 2007)

Repeat Nuflor shot... Also need to give probiotics. Did the lamb come from a farm or a salebarn? I'm just wondering what kind of infections your lamb may have come in contact with. Getting colostrum will only do so much good: If the lamb comes in contact with bacteria that the dam didn't, it is still severely susceptible.
Bess (Formerly SUEMO)


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## Somerhill (Dec 13, 2005)

Definitely repeat the shot. 
How much has the lamb been eating per day? Is it taking food now?

Lisa


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## littlebitfarm (Mar 21, 2005)

Check the size of the hole in the nipple. Maybe the little guy is getting milk too quick and it ends up in the lings.

Kathie


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

Besides at least one more dose of Nuflor , vitamin B, fluids for dehydration, is she getting enough to eat ?
Also, It wouldn't hurt to give her a dose of BO-SE.


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## judymayes (Feb 13, 2007)

I use the nuflor and if after 24 hours you dont see any improvment I go to either polyflex or naxel nuflor doesn wirk on certain strains of bacteria if no improvment them go on to a different one thats just what I was told to do 
Hope you little lamb gets better really soon I went through that too had to take mine into the vet office 
JM


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## Starsmom (Nov 7, 2004)

I have repeated the Nuflor, have been giving vit b. Also Nutra drench. She came from a farm. I know the seller and have bought many from her...its just something that happened. The others we got are fine. She has been drinking milk fine, but is a little weak today. I think it is the scours that is getting her down. Can't seem to get rid of them. Have tried 2 diff meds and am finally resorting to immodium (I know, not my med of choice, but I guess its down to the worse of two evils) I don't want to loose her to scours and being so young and only on milk it shouldn't really cause a rumin problem should it? 

If I don't see an improvement by tomorrow will get something else from the vet.

She was up and about yesterday and I told my son not to get a false sense of hope because sometimes they get better before they get worse. I sure hope she makes it, with all the care I'm giving her, I'm getting attached myself.


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

Regarding the scours, are you also diluting the milk replacer with more water or electrolyte solution ?

Hope she is better soon !


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## judymayes (Feb 13, 2007)

I use CORRECTIVE MIX I get at the vet office it has kaeopectate and sulfa in it for coccidosis and other bacterial contitions ,B COMPLEX every other day for two or three days as directed and I use SHEEP DRENCH and yougart or probiotics the antibiotics destroy the microbial balance in the GI tract and I also use a nutritional packet call FORMULA 911 my vet office has is is full of glucose and probiotics and then i was told to use panacur iml a day for two days it will help coat the stomach hope this can be of some help to you ,I have been going through all this myself with a baby goat and a lamb
Judy mayes


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## Starsmom (Nov 7, 2004)

Yes, I am diluting the milk. I am giving probiotics and nutra-drench. I'll give her the nuflor again tonight and see what happens. She is eating plenty. I feed her all the time. I check on her every 1/2 hour and feed her no more than 2 hours apart sometimes less if she is hungry. She eats abou 2-4 oz with each feeding. I'm doing that today. I am also supplementing sugar water in between feedings if she wants. So far today she has had 7 oz milk and 8 oz sugar water. I also changed the nipple in case that was a problem.


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## shereen (Apr 20, 2005)

If you go to the vet see if he'll sell you some ringers (fluids you can give sq).
Ringers are my first line of defense in all kinds of situations.
Heat them up to whatever the normal body temp of a lamb is, (sorry I don't know that, I'm a goat person)
I give them over the shoulder where the skin is the loosest and I make a "boob" with the fluid. You can tell how dehydrated she is by how fast she absorbs it. They are only a $5-6, and well worth it.
It really helps.
I hope she gets better soon.
shereen


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## judymayes (Feb 13, 2007)

shereen said:


> If you go to the vet see if he'll sell you some ringers (fluids you can give sq).
> Ringers are my first line of defense in all kinds of situations.
> Heat them up to whatever the normal body temp of a lamb is, (sorry I don't know that, I'm a goat person)
> I give them over the shoulder where the skin is the loosest and I make a "boob" with the fluid. You can tell how dehydrated she is by how fast she absorbs it. They are only a $5-6, and well worth it.
> ...


yes I forgot to mention I had to do that with a kid I had he get chilled too 
he came around after a few days and he was fine he couldnt suck either had to tube feed him he was almost gone when I found him 
JM


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## YuccaFlatsRanch (May 3, 2004)

Be careful with milking from a bottle. IF the milk gets into the lungs you can get Mechanical Pneumonia and that is mighty hard to cure. I much prefer Pritchard nipples as they seem to help the lamb suck properly - they are shaped like a teat more than a baby bottle nipple.


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## Starsmom (Nov 7, 2004)

I'm not sure what the nipples are called, they are the black rubber ones that go on a coke bottle. I have just always used those and never had a problem. Are these ok, I usually use them on goat kids, but used them last year with the lambs and didn't have any trouble. 

I'll ask the vet about the ringers tomorrow. I don't have any bo-se, I asked the vet about it the other day and he said we are in a selenium rich area and it is rarely needed, but when it is, it really helps. But, I didn't get any, should have...I will. However, in the meantime, I am crushing up selenium & Vit E tablets and giving to her.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I had the black nipples too, but my sheep friend told me she'd had trouble with them in the past - she uses the red ones that have a screw top base, so they screw onto the top of a pop bottle. They have a little air vent in them and are skinnier than the black one. Don't know if that helps much description-wise, but maybe if you see them at the feed store you might pick one up to try it out.  They only cost me $2 or so.


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

That would be the Pritchard nipples.....as mentioned by Yucca.
I also prefer to use them for my lambs.
You can get them at many of the livestock supply sources and maybe in your local feed supply places (our Farm and Fleet now carries them too).


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## Starsmom (Nov 7, 2004)

Well, she is improving yet again :baby04: 

I went to the vet he gave me bo-se, genovit (I think that is right) and sulfa. This afternoon she stood up to drink her bottle. I am changing to cows milk instead of the replacer. Everytime I fed her that she coughed up more phlegm and rattled louder. When I gave her water it seemed to clear up. So, vet said to try cows milk..at this point it couldn't hurt. She is more alert and seems to feel better...Keep your fingers crossed. You guys have been so helpful I really appreciate it. Her scours seems to be getting better, still watery, but less frequent.

I'll keep you posted.








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Here is a picture of her from a couple days ago when she felt better. She was helping me in my office.


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