New lamb had a rough birth and has sore swollen eyes.

[Badgers123]

Hi,
I have a new born lamb who had a very rough birth and her head was covered in mud when we first got to her, her eye lids are very swollen and red, which we think was due to her mum pushing lamb in a dry soil area and contaminating her eyes. We have done one saline clean, but her eye lids are so red and sore she can't easily find her mum to drink, what should we use to help take the swelling down? Many thanks in advance..

 

[neilo]

The swelling will go down with time. Make sure it’s tubed with colostrum and penned with it’s Mum and it’ll likely be suckling by tonight.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Just a tight birth most probably? Tongue swollen too?
How long has it been born? Presuming no infection and just from birth, it'll go down on its own in a day or so

 

[CopperBeech]

What they said l, it’s been hung head out for a bit. Get it tuned with colostrum and as long as it’s warm abs active leave her in a pen with mum

 

[Badgers123]

Thanks to every one who replied, baby is sore, stiff and exhausted. She is pushing to the left side when you touch her, when usually the push against your hand placed on their head, just have to give her time to mend. We upended mum and get a good feed of rich creamy colostrum into her. She's finding it hard to suckle from mum but takes a bottle very well, bless her. Her eyes are going down well after another good clean out, all we can do now is support her and mum who is being brilliant. Just hope there's no long term damage and only time will tell us that.

 

[CopperBeech]

I really wouldn’t worry too much. I’ve seen plenty of lambs over the years with heads like a football, eyes swollen shut and tongue so big that you have to stick your finger in their mouth so they can breathe. They all come good within a few days.

 

[Badgers123]

You are so right!! She is up and about, didn't want any thing to do with the bottle this morning and has a full tummy. She will have to kneel down all the time to drink, so will keep checking her, she's a very big single lamb, her mum might need stilettos or standing block!
I know it seems like I panicked, we only have a small group of sheep 16 in total counting our 5 new lambs, and still waiting for one more to pod, but all life is precious and we love this time of year.

 

[Longlowdog]

I know you want to do your best for the lamb but do not mollycoddle it too much. The temptation is to keep it full of milk but a little hunger will drive it to find milk. By no means let it starve but you do not want it to associate milk with people or an upturned ewe for a protracted period of time.
Like you I only have a small flock but lessons learned over the years mean I now treat the lambs as little sheep and not babies. They have to learn to thrive and to follow the amazing instincts that they have programmed in to them from birth. Confused lambs that like their mums company but associate people with milk are a real management nightmare when they begin to grow.

 

[Longlowdog]

I'm also guessing you have made sure it is swollen eyes and not entropion that is causing the swelling and discomfort.