Lamb with broken leg high up almost in shoulder, how to strap?

[TelesnaAg]

I have ewes and lambs on agistment, dont ask been not fun...

Anyway a lamb must have been trotted on in the truck, broke front rh leg high up almost in shoulder.

I go around them even though its not my job, and he's been getting worse, limping and looked to be sore in back legs as well, so i grabbed him and put him with my 2 pets, because he was always sitting i assumed the mom abandoned him. Weather been wet and ordinary.

Anyway i got vet out tonite who ive had before and i would class as ordinary. Said put lamb down before i even explained any of the relevant info.

The lamb is healthy and carrying good weight, can get around no worries when needed. Eats fine.

I have just given 2nd shot of penecilian, has improved in back legs ten fold, i suspect just cold and in pain. The rh front oeg up near shoulder has had a wound thats healed and id say got infected, still swollen and hard and has a small sack of fluid,

Only reason vet said put down as hard to brace up there, she also said my other 2 pets who i treated wouldnt live or amount to anything, they are both thriving.

I have strapped leg with bandage as high up as i can go but needs something better.

Any suggestions? I see all manner of deformed legs etc strapped with great success, so if i can calm infection down and swelling and brace this it may have a shot of healing,

I was thinking a foam long beer bottle holder to slide up there and strap.

Hes in the pets hut and has started nibbling grain, so that will cut down some miles he needs to travel for food.

Cheers, Ant...

 

[Paul E]

If it's broken and you don't want to put it down, all I can suggest is a long course of painkillers and leave him in a small pen as quiet as possible, and be prepared for a long wait.
IME it'll always be seriously lame on that leg, but should come right to some extent.
I wish you luck - I think you'll need it!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Should of put it in the freezer before you jabbed it

 

[bitwrx]

Should of put it in the freezer before you jabbed it

Nail, head.
I know virtually nothing about sheep, but I know an animal with a broken leg is a welfare issue, unless it can properly be treated. I'd expect the cost of proper treatment to vastly outweigh the economic value of the animal. (In my view, something lashed up with a stubby holder probably isn't a proper treatment, but I don't know anything about sheep, so maybe it is?)
If the animal is killed humanely, there is no longer a welfare issue. But there could have been some lamb chops, if you'd not jabbed it.

 

[TelesnaAg]

Something like this if i can get right strapping.

Ant...

 

[Gulli]

Put the poor thing out of its misery, it'll be in a hell of a lot of pain with a break there, which will likely be why it's going off its back legs.

Your only option if you keep it is to restrict its movement as much as possible and put it on a course of anti inflammatories. It'll never be able to walk properly on that leg.

Do the right thing by it

 

[TelesnaAg]

Scotty is heaps better this morning, this break is 2 weeks old now.

Swelling has gone down alot as he doesnt need to do any miles now to get a feed.

Hes nibbling grain now as the other 2 pets get grain each day.

He gets up no worries and has a chew on grass in the pen.

Ill strap tonite and keep his medicine up and monitor closely.

Lambs in pain will sit with head down amd ears flat, eyes glazed, this guy is up and bright and alert.

I do not worry about economics.

Ant...

 

[TelesnaAg]

My Henry had a broken front leg plus a severly strained rear hamstring after shearing, he has recovered fine and is now booming and full of mischief.

He was selenium deficient amd Leo was cobalt deficient, after 2 jabs they have improved out of site. Leos dry ears and brisket cleared up straight away and they both gained weight.

If i took the vets advice theyd both be dead, now they live better than kids in Africa.

Sometimes you need to give them a chance and put in the effort.

A pic of Leo showing off in his pen.

Ant...

 

[andybk]

had one lamb last year broke leg high up when dog turned him a bit sharp on hard ground , gave pain relief strapped leg right up tight to body (so was on 3 legs ) was eating fine so kept in small pen ,kept pain relief up for few weeks , about a month later we removed strap he was a bit stiff for a week or so , but cant tell him from others now , walking properly and all , glad i resisted temptation to shoot him now . That said if he looked unhappy would have done the right thing .

 

[Sharpy]

If the animal is not in pain do your best for it.
If the animal is in pain with no prospect of being pain free you must put it out its misery.

 

[RushesToo]

I have ewes and lambs on agistment, dont ask been not fun...

Anyway a lamb must have been trotted on in the truck, broke front rh leg high up almost in shoulder.

I go around them even though its not my job, and he's been getting worse, limping and looked to be sore in back legs as well, so i grabbed him and put him with my 2 pets, because he was always sitting i assumed the mom abandoned him. Weather been wet and ordinary.

Anyway i got vet out tonite who ive had before and i would class as ordinary. Said put lamb down before i even explained any of the relevant info.

The lamb is healthy and carrying good weight, can get around no worries when needed. Eats fine.

I have just given 2nd shot of penecilian, has improved in back legs ten fold, i suspect just cold and in pain. The rh front oeg up near shoulder has had a wound thats healed and id say got infected, still swollen and hard and has a small sack of fluid,

Only reason vet said put down as hard to brace up there, she also said my other 2 pets who i treated wouldnt live or amount to anything, they are both thriving.

I have strapped leg with bandage as high up as i can go but needs something better.

Any suggestions? I see all manner of deformed legs etc strapped with great success, so if i can calm infection down and swelling and brace this it may have a shot of healing,

I was thinking a foam long beer bottle holder to slide up there and strap.

Hes in the pets hut and has started nibbling grain, so that will cut down some miles he needs to travel for food.

Cheers, Ant...

Only you know if you've done the right thing. The vet was trying to do the right thing too.
On average the vet is right, it looks on average that you are right too. They are not mutually exclusive.

Different folks different strokes. If the animal suffered no pain and it gave you joy, don't stop.

 

[TelesnaAg]

Only you know if you've done the right thing. The vet was trying to do the right thing too.
On average the vet is right, it looks on average that you are right too. They are not mutually exclusive.

Different folks different strokes. If the animal suffered no pain and it gave you joy, don't stop.

If he doesnt improve he will be put down, but he needs a chance, my others had a couple months of discomfort now have the rest of there lives enjoying life, and they are happy. All it took was effort amd some money. They csm from my stores i bought which i near on doubled my money in 5 months, so the cost to save 2 is miniscule, plus on my new farm i will not being mowing lawns all the time, thats the boys job!!

Ant...

 

[DanM]

@TelesnaAg

you have two options for the fractured lamb leg- one is a spica or body splint, where you will need a piece of wood long enough to run from the ground to the shoulder blade. I find bamboo works well as it is strong and light.

The technique is described here: https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?pId=11181&catId=30093&id=3852277.
The alternative is the Velpeau sling, which is described in the attached bandage book.

Obviously none of these techniques are for sheep as such, but there very rarely are, and I find dog techniques tend to adapt to well.

Lambs bones heal rapidly, as they are so young. I think 3 weeks in a spica/body splint and 4 weeks in a Velpeau sling should do it (longer with the latter as the forces will move the ends of the bones further apart).
View attachment 4505.BandageBook.pdf

 

[TelesnaAg]

I have strapped him up for now, i think as the break is 2 weeks old, some mending has been done but the infection hasnt helped the process, hopefully the penicillin will get that under control. I will get metacam tomorrow to try calm some swelling.

He is suckling my fingers as he probably only had his mom abondon him a few days ago so tomorrow i will wean him back onto light mix of milk, this will help him fill up and move less, maybe sleep a bit more.

Hes starting to like grain so will go steady with the crush mix the other 2 have each day. I also mix a few faba beans i every day for the boys and they love em. Leo goes nuts over faba beans!

He can still get up, go outside and get some grass, he grazes then sits and eats, if hes out with the other 2 when there grazing he seems to sit up and like it.

I often wonder about as soon as there is a bit of pain kill it mentality, imagine if we applied that to humans or everyones pet dog or cat? Yet when a lamb needs a chance, too much to ask?

Alot of humans i class as pieces of sh*t, an over valued species if ever there was one.

Ant...

 

[egbert]

Nail, head.
I know virtually nothing about sheep, but I know an animal with a broken leg is a welfare issue, unless it can properly be treated. I'd expect the cost of proper treatment to vastly outweigh the economic value of the animal. (In my view, something lashed up with a stubby holder probably isn't a proper treatment, but I don't know anything about sheep, so maybe it is?)
If the animal is killed humanely, there is no longer a welfare issue. But there could have been some lamb chops, if you'd not jabbed it.

ah....not always the case.

a lower front leg break in a sheep is generally best left to its own devices, and usually untraceable after very few days. It's higher up that the problems start.

 

[TelesnaAg]

Front lower limb breaks heal pretty fast as above. Henry broke his, hes has some major selenium defeciency issues from when he was young, so it took a bot longer than normal, last 2 months its now unnoticeable. And he is now living very much the high life by sheep standards. Him and Leo stick together like brothers.

Poor sheep handling techniques is whats caused this boy his injury. Some peoples penny pinching ensures they have to penny pinch to survive.

Ant...

 

[bitwrx]

ah....not always the case.

a lower front leg break in a sheep is generally best left to its own devices, and usually untraceable after very few days. It's higher up that the problems start.

I did say I knew nothing about sheep.

 

[egbert]

I did say I knew nothing about sheep.

It is uncanny, and pretty improbable. I once watched a cheviot ewe snap a leg like a carrot as she ran down the ramp when being taken to winter lodgings.
She ran off with it swinging free.
Within days, - and I was under instruction to leave her quiet- you wouldn't know which sheep it was.

I'm not sure it works with human legs so well.

 

[TelesnaAg]

Scotty is on the improve, no doubt the metacam helps with pain, bit the sweilling is going down, the fluid sack is getting smaller, he had another penicillin this morning.

Loves his grain, not overly keen on milk but drinks it.

Takes himself outside and grazes then sits for a bit grazing then shifts to new spot so has good appetite, also is drinking water.

Id say this lad has a very good chance at a decent recovery and will take up a position on the Telesna lawn mowing team.

Ant...

 

[CollCrofter]

Fair play to you. I was always under the impression that if a sheep as much as sneezed is Ausie-land it was dog food

You've put this much effort into him, no point giving up now. Good luck