# depressed ewe - not eating



## meleahbee (Nov 21, 2007)

My mom has a 4 yo Romney ewe who has just been really depressed this week. We have about 50 inches of snow on the ground (that depresses me too!!) and she just won't come out of the barn. We leave the door open for her to come out sometimes and she just won't. We have shoveled around the barn door so she could at least get out and stretch her legs but she won't. She's also eating very, very little. And last night and this morning she didn't eat at all (Her usual diet is an alfalfa/grass hay mix and a handful of dry COB).

I raise goats so, admittedly, I don't quite know what do for her. If it were my goat, I would give it a shot of Vitamin B Complex to boost energy and appetite - can I do the same for a sheep?

Any other suggestions?


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

Yes, absolutely start with the vitamin B injections.

Look on this previous thread for other suggestions.
http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=283109

One thing left out of that one would also include checking her teeth.
Smell her breath and carefully check for any loose teeth....watch out not to get your fingers between those molars !

Is she all by herself ?
Is she bred, if so when is she due ?


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Act faster than you might with goats but medicate them basically the same. I use the caffeign in coffee to stimulate appitite laced with sugars (corn syrup ) but I'm going to guess you either need a wormer or an antibiotic fairly quickly.... maybe both


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

yep, Ross done beat me to it, we use an instant coffee, Kyro syrup and something else for the fast sugars. 

But my wife also makes up a wheat germ, yogurt thing to help get the stomache active again. I think the yogurt has to be active cultures, and the wheat germ needs to be something... I forgot.. someone on here will know. 

I just hate it whne you see someone asking for help and there are few replys but like 40 or 50 or more hits from people looking. I mean, I know they may not be able to offer anything helpful, but when you're the one asking, ...it just looks bad....

Good luck


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## mawalla (Oct 28, 2002)

Slev, many may check the thread, see that sound and learned advice has already been given, and not feel the need to muddy the water with additional thoughts or comments. (But then again, we may be dumb founded by the thought of having to deal with 50 inches of snow!)


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Slev, Mawalla has got it right. I can't even comprehend 50" of snow to start with!

Is the ewe in lamb, when is she due, when was she last drenched, have the gums and eyes been checked for colour, does her breath have a sweet smell, what is her condition?

Mawalla, believe me I am not trying to muddy the waters (and I do know what you mean) but as many of you have in lamb ewes at this time of the year, I would seriously be looking at Sleepy Sickness (Pregnancy Toxaemia), the first signs of which are dullness, off feed, reluctance to move and separation from the rest of the mob. If this is a distinct possibility, get on to your vet or someone knowledgable as there are products on the market designed to rapidly bring the ewe around - I'm not going to suggest anything as our brand names will be different. Also ask what you should be feeding her for high energy/high protein. Because we grass farm I would be putting her on to the best pasture I had but with 50" of snow that obviously isn't an option

I offer that as a possibility and not as a prognosis; the vet is going to be the best one to do that and if the ewe is worth a vet call, that will be the best way to go.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## whatknott (Apr 27, 2008)

did you take her temperature? That's the first thing I do when I see a sheep "off". Could have pneumonia...


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

Ross, 

How much coffee would you give a ewe ?

Deb


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

150 mls or so. Kinda depends on size. Coffee is a diuretic (is that spelled right?) so I wouldn't over do it. You could follow up with a drench of electrolites.


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## meleahbee (Nov 21, 2007)

Thanks for all your responses, folks. She's not doing much better today. She's getting very weak. 

No, sheâs not bred. Sheâs pretty much just my momâs pet. So, that may eliminate some problems. 

Iâm going to give Vit. B and try an oral drench of electrolytes â if that doesnât get her going, I could tube feed her an electrolyte solution (Iâve had to do this on goats before) 

Iâm getting ready to go take her temp now. Iâll update later. 

Also, if her temp is high â is it appropriate to give her a dose of Penicillin G? Thatâs the only antibiotic Iâve got on hand

Thanks again.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I would call anything from 102 and up a fever if its at all cold there because shes not eating. If it's not a fever I'd expect a lower than normal temp. If PenG is what you have then thats what you're going to use. You could add an expectorant to the drench (adult human dose) even if it has an antihistamine in it.


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

If you have a bag of fluids, it would be the best to give her sub -q fluids.
If you only have Penn, give her a hefty dose.
Also, do you have any banamine or even buffered aspirin ?
If you talk to your vet, Dexamethazone might get her feeling better, as long as you also give her the antibiotic.

I would also drench with oatmeal mixed with yogurt or probiotic to give her some nutrition.


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## meleahbee (Nov 21, 2007)

Well, our sheep is just not getting better! I've given her 2 injections of Vitamin B complex, an injection of Penn-G, several oral drenches of electrolyte solution, and several oral drenches of yogurt mixed with extra ProBios. 

She's not getting worse, just not any better, either. She's also staggering when she walks. Her temp 102.2 and she's in a pretty warm barn. 

I don't know how to give fluids SQ - is it like an IV?

She gobbled down the yogurt really well - didn't object at all. But the only thing we can get her to eat on her own is snow. 

I wish we could take her to the vet, but I don't think we could pull our trailer in all this snow. The roads are terrible.

I'm worried....


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Have you checked the whites of her eyes for good colour in the veins? What is her weight/condition like? When was she wormed last?


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## meleahbee (Nov 21, 2007)

Unfortunately, her eyelids are very light pink/white. She is almost 200 pounds, she is just a very solid sheep - doesn't seem scrawny AT ALL!

I have a sinking feeling that this a parasite situation. To be honest, I don't think my mom was worming her regularly. I'm not sure when the last time was. 

Should we worm her now? I can get things down her throat easily. Or should we wait til she seems a bit stronger?


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

meleahbee said:


> Well, our sheep is just not getting better! I've given her 2 injections of Vitamin B complex, an injection of Penn-G, several oral drenches of electrolyte solution, and several oral drenches of yogurt mixed with extra ProBios.
> 
> She's not getting worse, just not any better, either. She's also staggering when she walks. Her temp 102.2 and she's in a pretty warm barn.
> 
> ...


Are you sure she isnt dehydrated? Have you been offering fresh warm water a few times a day?
Sheep/goats drink a lot in winter and can go off feed if they are not drinking enough.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I have better luck using Safeguard than other wormers on sick ewes. I'd try to drench in some sugar and coffee to boost her energy first but I wouldn't delay treating for worms.


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## meleahbee (Nov 21, 2007)

RiverPines said:


> Are you sure she isnt dehydrated? Have you been offering fresh warm water a few times a day?
> Sheep/goats drink a lot in winter and can go off feed if they are not drinking enough.


Yes, sorry I should've clarified - just now during this incident over the past few days she's just eating snow while she's feeling bad. 

She gets access to plenty of heated clean water, with hot water added to it several times a day. She's just refusing it right now.

Also regarding coffee - doesn't the caffeine further supress appetite and act as a diuretic making her more dehydrated? 

I think she's really dehydrated right now. I'm drenching fluids down her throat via a drenching gun, but I'm just afraid its not enough 

Her temp is the same. I've been giving her yogurt with ProBios and Karo Syrup, more Vitamin B, and PennG again today. I can't believe that there hasn't been any progress (visible to me any way) better or worse and it's been several days. Just weird.


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## meleahbee (Nov 21, 2007)

Also, I gave her Levamisole, although I do have some Safeguard for goats. Should I give her that, too?

Thanks again so much for all your help, folks.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Coffee is a stimulent and boosts appitite (as suggested by my vet years ago and seems true in practice) but yes it is a diuretic. Levamisole is good stuff and no I wouldn't reworm with Safeguard right after treating with the first.


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

Keep up with the electolytes.
Sub Q fluids would go just under the skin, but would need to be sterile and need a drip unit/needle along with it
I would try and get some from your vet as soon as possible tomorrow.
Banamine, aspirin or Dex would make her feel better and then maybe eat too.
Is she still chewing her cud ?

Are you mixing up some oatmeal with the yogurt ?
That would add some nutrition to the mix as well as the added water.
Cook up either instant oatmeal or baby cereal and mix with the yogurt.

Would also keep up with the vitamin B.
Good that you used the Levamisole !


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## beoircaile (May 2, 2006)

Meleahbee- are you on the Romney yahoo list? There are some very knowledgeable long-time Romney flock keepers on there who are more than willing to help.

JMO- but I would use the Safeguard also. If she has a severe parasite overload, odds are it won't hurt right now.

Have you given her any BoSe?


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I'll second the continued B and if you had some oral vit AD (or injectable but I try to limit the jabs to the minimum) as a one time correction of vitamin loss of A D. 

Just an FYI Levamisol is a very good wormer (in most parts) and has a reputed imune system boost side effect. Dandy stuff. Dex or Dexamethasone is not only a steroidal anti-inflamitory but it also speeds up metabolism. A double edged sword, useful but best used with a vets advice. I seem to remember Dex enabling cocci to spread too so again caution isn't wasted with the drug.

I like the idea of mixing oatmeal with the yogurt but I would certainly be using a digestable sugar feeding either corn syrup or proplyene glycol suppliment. And coffee, or cola for that matter.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Mel, at this point you are now poking around in the dark. You don't know what your dealing with and nor does anybody else so there is no use in filling her up with all sorts of things if you don't know what your actually giving them to her for. And because of that you could be doing her more harm than good. You need a vet if you think the sheep is worth saving.

If her eyelids/whites of eyes are still pinky and she is in good condition it is unlikely to be a worm burden to the extent that it would pull her down to where she is. With the exception of Barbers Pole, most worms cause a marked loss of condition and dirty backsides before the sheep falls over. Don't give her any other type of wormer on top of the Lev. It will be counter-productive and a waste of money at best. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

meleahbee said:


> I wish we could take her to the vet, but I don't think we could pull our trailer in all this snow. The roads are terrible.
> 
> I'm worried....



Can you call and have the vet come to you ?
As mentioned in several posts with suggestions, the vet should be evaluating the situation and can be the source of things that might help her i.e. sub-q fluids and other drugs such as a different choice of antibiotic, banamine or Dexamethazone.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Sorry, I'd forgotten about the snow issue and also the stress of dragging her to the vet would not be helpful. I forget that most times you take your animals to the vet rather the the vet coming to the animals.

If you can't get a vet to come to you, do you have one that will do a phone consult. with you? If so, have all your information on hand (which I never do). Temperature, colour of gums and eyes, urine, poohs and their colour and consistency, plus what you've already given her in the way of drench, AB's and feed. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## beoircaile (May 2, 2006)

How's she doing?

If you can't get her to a vet, at least call Pipestone Vets and talk to them. Perhaps they can give you some insight.


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

Been thinking about you and wondering how the gal is doing ?


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## meleahbee (Nov 21, 2007)

Thanks so much for all your helpful responses, everyone.

We have finally had a break in this weather and our road finally got plowed, so we had a mobile livestock vet that was supposed to come out this afternoon. She couldn't get in here any sooner.

Sadly, our ewe died early this morning. I had been bottle feeding her every few hours for the past few days. I did absolutely everything I knew how to do. I hate when this stuff happens....


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## mawalla (Oct 28, 2002)

Man, that's a tough break. Sorry about your loss. You did what you could under the circumstances.


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

I'm sorry you couldn't save her. You really tried, though.


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

I'm so sorry about your ewe. I know how much that hurts and disappoints. To me, with her lids being light pink/white, it does show a parasite load/anemia. I would guess barber pole worms. If so, she may have been wormed regularly, but the worms merely built up a resistance to the wormer/s being used. It doesn't take those parasites long to drain a sheep dry! One of the first symptoms of barber pole worms we've noticed, besides the eyelids being light/white, is depression and lack of appetite.


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## beoircaile (May 2, 2006)

So sorry to hear about your ewe. It is never easy losing one and it seems that the harder we try to save them, the harder it is too lose them.


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

So sorry you (your mom) lost her.
Always hurts so bad when we lose those closest to our hearts.


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## kabri (May 14, 2002)

Sorry you lost the ewe. We are going thru a similar thing right now with a ram lamb (born last spring) and nothing I've tried with him seems to be helping. I've read this thread with interest, but did not post because I was having as little success as you. I'm afraid we will be digging a hole tonight after work, in the dark!


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