Circling disease

[RedMerle]

Have a gimmer lamb, just about a year old.

Late Thursday afternoon I had the dog briefly round the sheep and nothing out of the ordinary. About 3 hours, so into the evening, i noticed this ewe walking in circles. Blind in one eye although no physical signs of trauma in the eye. They have been on haylage and some silage.

Because the vets were shut I gave it about 10ml alamycin immediately and metacam a couple of hours later as it was deteriorating.

Friday morning vets were open so went in and picked up a bottle of pen and strep and a shot of steriods. I've been giving it one dose of pen strep each morning on dose indicated on the label.

Yesterday it seemed to be doing well. Less circling, almost walking in some straight lines but still only turning anticlockwise in the direction it can see.

It's deteriorated today. Not standing as much. Barely walking. And of course the vets is closed.

Any ideas what I can try?

If it makes it to tomorrow morning is it worth trying to get some combivit incase it's some sort of deficiency as well?

I'm at a massive loss what to do now.

 

[cheviot53]

Did you discuss Listeriosis with your vet , if it is then massive dose's of AB but the odds are not good

 

[Nithsdale]

Agree, it is Listeriosis.

Penicillin is good, as is the steroids. It really needs a big hit of Penicillin (6 or 7ml minimum of Pen&Strep each day, not the 1ml to 25kg it advises) though, along with the steroids, early on to bring the sheep round.

 

[RedMerle]

I did indeed discuss Listeriosis with the vet. She gave me the long acting steriod and the pen and strep. I also had a look though here and at past posts and some of the past posts were not to go above the recommended dose for pen and strep because of kidney damage?

I assumed because the vet has printed the label with the standard dose and because the information sheet lists listeria and doesn't give an alternative dose rate that I might cause damage by going overboard. (Especially given the big dose of alamycin I gave on day one)

 

[Nithsdale]

Problem is it needs a big hit of Penicillin...
Iv heard the kidney damage thing before, but what do you do - Dose cautiously and she dies with suffering, or go big and hopefully cure it, then try and send her away cull before kidneys become an issue??...

 

[Al R]

Have you thought of Gid?

 

[RedMerle]

I can't see it being Gidd. She's blind in one eye and has a droopy ear that side.

I'm starting to wonder myself Nithsdale if this may become kill or cure dosing.

 

[bovine]

We need an initial high dose of penicillin. Straight penicillin is a much better choice (Depocillin or Ultrapen) as you could give the sheep a whole bottle and not cause harm. Prolonged high doses of Pen&Strep would be reckless.

 

[RedMerle]

If it makes it to tomorrow morning I'll call the vets again and see if they wamt to prescribe something different. It was them suggested the Pen and Strep. But I think I saw something somewhere about 3 days for a course of it.