Sheep People-Advice Please!

[NateinFL]

Quote:
I wormed her with Ivermectin several weeks prior, and Safeguard 2 days before the vet came out. I gave her some warm cream of wheat and she actually stood up for more! So that's something. But when she lays back down she just kinda flops her head back. Something is bothering her in her head, she kept shaking her head and holding it to the side as she was eating up the cream of wheat.

Besides the Vitamin B Complex, I was wondering if it would be okay to giver her Red Cell. My friend Kelly has some for her horses, has anyone heard it being used on sheep before?

 

[Kelly G]

If it's safe for sheep - it's yours! I'll get it to you tomorrow!!

That's great news that she stood up! That's a definite improvement...she probably flopped back down from being exhausted from the effort.

The head shaking....great...another symptom.

I have a friend who has Gabby's winter blanket (actually a foal blanket, but the perfect size for sheep/goats...if you'd think she'd benefit/tolerate it.

We have a little good news here, too - we didn't have to put Cheers to sleep. The new vet put her on a protocol that is working better than I could have hoped!

 

[Beekissed]

Polioencephalomalacia
(PEM, CCN, polio, cerebrocortical necrosis)
Polioencephalomalacia is a disease of the central nervous system, caused by a vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency. Since the rumen manufactures B vitamins, polio is not caused by insufficient thiamine, but rather the inability to utilize it. The most common symptom of polio is blindness and star-gazing.

Polio most commonly occurs in lambs that are consuming high concentrate diets. Polio can also occur in sheep that consume plants that contain a thiamase inhibitor. Polio symptoms mimic other neurological disease conditions, but a differential diagnosis can be made based on the animals' response to injections of vitamin B1.

 

[NateinFL]

Quote:
That's GREAT about Cheers Kelly! You are seeing just like me how much of a difference a vet can make. M has a pretty thick winter coat coming in but if it gets really cold the next few weeks and she's still sick, I might need to borrow it. Hopefully someone on here knows about the red cell.

 

[TDM]

Quote:
It would be nice if you gave a reference instead of plagiarizing.

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
I wormed her with Ivermectin several weeks prior, and Safeguard 2 days before the vet came out. I gave her some warm cream of wheat and she actually stood up for more! So that's something. But when she lays back down she just kinda flops her head back. Something is bothering her in her head, she kept shaking her head and holding it to the side as she was eating up the cream of wheat.

Besides the Vitamin B Complex, I was wondering if it would be okay to giver her Red Cell. My friend Kelly has some for her horses, has anyone heard it being used on sheep before?

red cell is a question for the vet, i haven't used it. a search on line might yield some info...

Ivermectin is just about useless in a lot of areas, most areas the worms are resistant to it.

safeguard works in some areas, but not in others. only 2 ways to find out... ask your vet if they know, and do a pre-treatment fecal and a post-treatment fecal. if you're getting a 98% reduction, it's working.. anything less and it's in the 'restistant' or 'developing resistance' categories and it's time to try something else.

standing up is good!

about her head, is she arching her neck back and looking up, slow motion? showing her teeth (lower lip not closing or upper lip pulled back)? is she head shaking like she's got water in her ear (fitful, flopping rapid action) or slow action, more continuous?

I've seen sheep slow arch, showing teeth / lips pulled back as a reaction to pain, and as a neurological reaction to poisoning and rumen acidocis. not a good sign, in general. slow head shake might be in that category too.

rapid movements, as if too weak to hold her head up, or ear flapping as if trying to get flies or water out of her ear, could be weak or dizzy or tired from not enough oxygen, or ... don't know.

still, you've got some good signs too, so unless Dr Sara has some other ideas, short of a transfusion, all you can do is continue with supportive care and hope she can do the rest.

 

[NateinFL]

Quote:
Thiamine is actually listed in the nutritional Sheep Drench I have her on

 

[cassie]

It may not be enough. Google polio in ruminants and see what the dosage of thiamine is necessary to treat it. It has been so long since I have had to deal with it I have forgotten.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I was wondering if it would be okay to giver her Red Cell.

Red Cell has WAY too much copper for sheep.

I'd be giving her Vitamin B daily, along with Iron Dextran, and about 1/2 lb of grain or sheep pellets along with all the good hay she wants.

If she appears dehydrated you can either give Calcium Gluconate SQ, or this drench:

Electrolyte Solution
1 Qt Water
½ tsp baking soda
1/4 cup Karo Syrup or Black strap molasses
½ tsp salt

I *respectfuly* disagree on a couple of things.

Please do anytime you think I'm mistaken.
I don't always think of everything, and I don't always get it right every time

we've got quite a bit of drug resistant worm issues in MO, we're down to two wormers that are working here, and only one that can be given to pregnant or lactating ewes.

I know resistance can be a big problem, but this sheep has had three different ones in the last few weeks.

I imagine her stomach is severely irritated and she needs a little time for things to settle.

I know even my most tame animals don't like to be held and have things forced down their throats, even if I talk sweet to them first LOL

Vets who REALLY know (or care) about sheep are extremely rare, so shepherds have to just be prepared to do much of it on their own.
I'm lucky to have one who DOES know almost all there is to know, due to the fact that one of the largest sheep operations in the country is just down the road from where she lives, and she has worked with them for years​

 

[zzGypsy]

thanks bear, as usual I get to learn something from you. iron dextran and your electrolyte recipe.

and as she's not eating on her own, I'd probably still be doing hay pellet/cream of wheat slurry until she's at least consuming a couple of cups of feed on her own.

we've done saline solution and dextrose subQ as well... I actually prefer drench by mouth instead of dextrose as it can cause adhesions, so I consider that when deciding. saline's fine though, it's a good suggestion.

Nath, you might talk to Dr Sara about getting saline and learning how to load her up sub-q. in MO you can get saline at the feed store, in CA you had to have a perscription, don't know if it's available OTC where you are. the subq process isn't difficult, but you'll want some training before you try if you can get it, just so you know you're doing it right. ask about dextrose as well, you might be able to do less feedings for now if you're giving dextrose, but you'll want to ask about dose, and it may be perscription only as well.