Ewe; difficult diagnosis.

[glensman]

We have a three year old ewe about five weeks off lambing, she is carrying two but not heavy and is in good condition. A few days ago she started moping about in the pen while the rest were feeding silage, she is also keen on going for regular sips of water. I gave her a high energy/vitamin, mineral drench the first evening which helped a bit, but not a cure. She is eating for a brief period and then stepping back, moping about looking a bit sad and drinking every so often. She comes forward to eat meal (concs) but only nibbles really. She doesn't really fit the bill for any of the obvious problems, any ideas.

 

[Downtrodden Dad]

Antibiotics and metacam and hope for the best, could have dead lambs inside her making her sick.

 

[Agrivator]

Calcium injection plus Twin-Lamb drench on two successive days?

 

[Skintagain]

I turn them sorts out into a paddock near the shed with an anti biotic usually and keep an eye on them

 

[Johngee]

Yes, twin lamb drench, calcium then turn her out.

 

[glensman]

Yes, twin lamb drench, calcium then turn her out.

We were planning to put her out shortly if things don't improve with the next treatment option. She's not behaving like a ewe down on calcium but it's worth a try.

 

[cheviot53]

Pneumonia ? treated a ram 2 days ago with exact same symptoms ,no hard breathing and only small temp rise Draxxin and back to normal now

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Antibiotics and metacam and hope for the best, could have dead lambs inside her making her sick.

This one ^^

 

[glensman]

This one ^^

It's possible but unlikely given her behaviour, I'm leaning more towards a deficiency. I put a salt lick in this evening and she's very interested in it much more so than the rest.

 

[GreenerGrass]

She sounds uncomfortable (for now as an unknown reason), as a first step I would take her temperature and give her some metacam as others suggested. Important to keep her functioning.

 

[Still Farming]

Acidosis with Silage maybe,?

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

I had one do similar a week or so ago, she moped about , still kept eating a bit , but looked quite wide and seemed full of fluid , her wool also started to come out. We gave her pretty much everything but eventually she started to smell which confirmed what we suspected. I hoped she might abort the lambs and recover but she died instead.

 

[spark_28]

id say dead lambs too. sounds like shes in discomfort more than anything

 

[Woolless]

Antibiotics and metacam and hope for the best, could have dead lambs inside her making her sick.

Plus one.

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

@glensman how is the ewe doing ?

 

[glensman]

@glensman how is the ewe doing ?

She's on the road to recovery. We saw her licking at the wall, so we bought a salt/mineral lick and put it in an empty crystalyx tub in the pen. She was by far the most interested in it and has been steadily improving since.

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

That's good. Let's hope she keeps improving.

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

@glensman how is the ewe doing now ?

 

[glensman]

@glensman how is the ewe doing now ?

She's pretty much back to normal. The magic salt/mineral block did the job. It's a new one on me, the rest are healthy as trouts and the ewe in question was always in good body condition as well.

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]