Hypothermic lambs

[Amcnab]

What do you do? Forgot what the procedure is regarding injecting glucose into the stomach?

 

[grumpy]

get them in a warming box

 

[Amcnab]

get them in a warming box

I do that.also dunk them into a bucket of warm water,it's the glucose into stomach bit I want reminding of.

 

[Aspiring Peasant]

Put the needle in half an inch to the side of the navel and 1 ins below. At an angle aiming for its bum. A 2.5 cm needle should do. You need 20% glucose solution. It is often sold at 40% strength which you then dilute with equal amount of water. I think it is recmmended to boil the water first.

 

[Longlowdog]

Under 4 hours old get them in a warming box and the brown fat will fuel them, when they warm tube them. Over 4 hours they are spent of energy and must be fed before going into the box or their systems will have no fuel to work when they restart. Glucose, holding lamb front feet up, lambs left hand side below diaphragm with needle at 45 deg from vertical if I remember rightly. If tubed miracles can appear to work when put in rapid warming box, very rare I use glucose injections. Stimulating the lamb by rubbing as it warms seems to keep the spark of life going when the wee mites are doing their best to bugger off to the after life.

 

[Amcnab]

Cheers for the replies.

Google also came up with this.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/98-089.htm

 

[Philip Watkins]

"Hyperthermic lambs"

Would need to cool them down a bit. Didn't think that was a problem this year.
Think you mean hypothermic.

 

[neilo]

Put the needle in half an inch to the side of the navel and 1 ins below. At an angle aiming for its bum. A 2.5 cm needle should do. You need 20% glucose solution. It is often sold at 40% strength which you then dilute with equal amount of water. I think it is recmmended to boil the water first.

Agree with most of that, but was always told to aim UP with the needle, towards the chest cavity, rather than towards the bum. When holding it up by it's front legs, the stomach & intestines will drop down by gravity, and you are trying to inject the Glucose into the cavity, not the actual stomach.

If you use a 60ml syringe, draw up 30ml of 40% Glucose, then draw up 30ml of just boiled water. The resultant solution will be 20% at around body temperature and the boiling water will sterilise the needle.

That's how I've always done it, and have been amazed at the results sometimes.

Oh, and tube with warm milk when he can hold his head up, to provide some 'follow on fuel'.

 

[llamedos]

Agree with most of that, but was always told to aim UP with the needle, towards the chest cavity, rather than towards the bum. When holding it up by it's front legs, the stomach & intestines will drop down by gravity, and you are trying to inject the Glucose into the cavity, not the actual stomach.

If you use a 60ml syringe, draw up 30ml of 40% Glucose, then draw up 30ml of just boiled water. The resultant solution will be 20% at around body temperature and the boiling water will sterilise the needle.

That's how I've always done it, and have been amazed at the results sometimes.

Oh, and tube with warm milk when he can hold his head up, to provide some 'follow on fuel'.

Agree with that except the needle insertion, I always do down towards tail head.

 

[neilo]

Agree with that except the needle insertion, I always do down towards tail head.

OK, that's good to know. It appears you can go either way then. I've always found it kack handed injecting upwards.

 

[M-J-G]

Needle an inch to 1 side of navel, 1 inch down, always down as if aiming for the back leg on the opposite side. Sterilised needle will help but remember the skin isn't sterile so the needle is dirtied on the way in, running the risk of peritonitis. give them a jab of LA antibiotic. Always give colostrum if it can hold its head up, if not give IP glucose. NEVER heat an unfed lamb, it will send it into hypoglycemic shock!

 

[llamedos]

Quite a few New to sheep are unfamilier with caring for the Hypo(cold)thermic lamb, so here is a chart for care should anyone need it.

Many have found this usefull over the years.

Here is the position I use for IP injection, if you have never given one before, dont be afraid of doing so, think of it this way, the lamb you are about to revive, if done correctly, is at this stage, pre injection close to coma and death, so what have you to lose, go for it.

Once this is done keep checking its rectal temp and once it reaches that 37 deg
You can then give it colostrum, some may well have regained the suck reflex by this time, if not use a stomach tube, if it coughs when inserting the tube, gently remove it and start again, colostrum in its lungs aint what you want, another tip, if unsure of doing it and you are a bit afraid of trying, first dead lamb you get have a practice on that, if its going in right you wont meet any resistance.

This post isnt meant to teach folk to suck eggs
Just incase anyone who would rather not ask, is looking in, and unsure of what to do.

 

[grumpy]

Quite a few New to sheep are unfamilier with caring for the Hypo(cold)thermic lamb, so here is a chart for care should anyone need it.

Many have found this usefull over the years.

Here is the position I use for IP injection, if you have never given one before, dont be afraid of doing so, think of it this way, the lamb you are about to revive, if done correctly, is at this stage, pre injection close to coma and death, so what have you to lose, go for it. View attachment 1372

Once this is done keep checking its rectal temp and once it reaches that 37 deg
You can then give it colostrum, some may well have regained the suck reflex by this time, if not use a stomach tube, if it coughs when inserting the tube, gently remove it and start again, colostrum in its lungs aint what you want, another tip, if unsure of doing it and you are a bit afraid of trying, first dead lamb you get have a practice on that, if its going in right you wont meet any resistance.

This post isnt meant to teach folk to suck eggs
Just incase anyone who would rather not ask, is looking in, and unsure of what to do.

holy smoke your just to cool fer school,i would marry ye if you wernt happily marred and i was the same

 

[llamedos]

way I look at it Grumps is someone was kind enough to teach me, so if I can help teach just one other person, I will be a happy lass. @neilo and @andybk have some excellent sheep care and lambing advice and I have learnt stuff from them too

 

[grumpy]

way I look at it Grumps is someone was kind enough to teach me, so if I can help teach just one other person, I will be a happy lass. @neilo and @andybk have some excellent sheep care and lambing advice and I have learnt stuff from them too

you know its as easy to be kind as cruel,

 

[M-J-G]

Quite a few New to sheep are unfamilier with caring for the Hypo(cold)thermic lamb, so here is a chart for care should anyone need it.

Many have found this usefull over the years.

Here is the position I use for IP injection, if you have never given one before, dont be afraid of doing so, think of it this way, the lamb you are about to revive, if done correctly, is at this stage, pre injection close to coma and death, so what have you to lose, go for it. View attachment 1372

Once this is done keep checking its rectal temp and once it reaches that 37 deg
You can then give it colostrum, some may well have regained the suck reflex by this time, if not use a stomach tube, if it coughs when inserting the tube, gently remove it and start again, colostrum in its lungs aint what you want, another tip, if unsure of doing it and you are a bit afraid of trying, first dead lamb you get have a practice on that, if its going in right you wont meet any resistance.

This post isnt meant to teach folk to suck eggs
Just incase anyone who would rather not ask, is looking in, and unsure of what to do.

Well explained!

 

[JohnGalway]

I stomach tubed my first ever lamb today. Only been around sheep all my life

He had gotten chilled but could stand and hold his head up. Not sure why he didn't get his first suck but he hadn't, neither had he any inclination to suck when I tied the ewe in the shed. Measured the tube from the last rib to the end of the nose. Milked the ewe into a measured mug, lubricated the tube with some of the colostrum. Gently inserted between the gap of the front and back teeth, no resistance or coughing on the way down, lamb chewed the tube alright but that's normal I've read. Gave him about 120ml, and by God the difference was like night and day. He went from a lamb laid down (he could stand, just wasn't at that point) looking like giving up, to shaking his tail, bleating, and heading in under the ewe.

I was nervous when I was about to push the plunger, but it all went great. It's ten times easier and faster than any bottle ever was.

 

[llamedos]

I stomach tubed my first ever lamb today. Only been around sheep all my life

He had gotten chilled but could stand and hold his head up. Not sure why he didn't get his first suck but he hadn't, neither had he any inclination to suck when I tied the ewe in the shed. Measured the tube from the last rib to the end of the nose. Milked the ewe into a measured mug, lubricated the tube with some of the colostrum. Gently inserted between the gap of the front and back teeth, no resistance or coughing on the way down, lamb chewed the tube alright but that's normal I've read. Gave him about 120ml, and by God the difference was like night and day. He went from a lamb laid down (he could stand, just wasn't at that point) looking like giving up, to shaking his tail, bleating, and heading in under the ewe.

I was nervous when I was about to push the plunger, but it all went great. It's ten times easier and faster than any bottle ever was.

Brilliant

 

[llamedos]

Bump

 

[Poorbuthappy]

My vet showed me that when tubing a lamb, you should be able to see the ripple of the tube on the throat as you insert it, just to side of centre. If it enters the trachea its not as visible as this is much thicker walled.
You really need the harder plastic type for this as the rubber ones don't show up being so much softer.