What could be wrong with this ewe?

[appychick]

Re-read your post,if your ewe has not been exposed to a ram since 2 days after birth,most likely she is not bred. Most ewes are seasonal breeders and breed once a year but certain breeds can breed 2 times /year on proper nutrition. But if she is a Romanov,she may breed anytime of the year I think . Research the breed & see if it is similar to your ewe. Also know it is impossible to find a vet with expertise on sheep,let alone one that will work with sheep......I have been vet asst. for 20 yrs & owned sheep all my life so know all about vets & vet-sheep relationship....... Unless you can find a vet specializing in sheep,usually all they can do for you is a giant bill.

 

[Stse586]

I would worm her with another wormer like moxidectin. I've had some resistant worm show up after working with only ivermectin for a couple of years. As for the pot belly, most of my sheep look quite round when they are on pasture, but she does look on the very big end especially when she looks small else where. After you press on her gums, does the blood refill fast?

 

[Stse586]

P.S. you can use a horse moxidectin wormer tube. Just remember the sheep does is half of the horse dose, so only use 75 lb horse dose for a 150 lb sheep.

 

[MuckBucket]

Ok great thanks, I will worm her with Moxidectin and see if that helps her. I know with horses they take a long time to gain their weight back, is it the same with sheep? Also to shear her will I have to purchase an expensive clipper or is there another method?
Thanks a ton! This is so helpful.

 

[sourland]

OK, I don't know a heck of a lot about sheep, but I'll take a shot at this. She was run down when you got her. She very evidently put a lot into her lambs. They are in beautiful shape. I'm thinking she's fairly old. Her teeth may not be in good shape and perhaps she is not fully digesting whatever she eats. I'm GUESSING that age may be a significant factor here rather than parasites.

 

[arabianequine]

Is this safe for pregnant animals? I have not heard of it before.....until I knew if she was pregnant or not I would not use it.

 

[welsummerchicks]

IF she has a big parasite load worming her could kill her. I still recommend a vet see an animal that is panting on little to no exertion, huge pot belly, what looks like underline edema, etc.

 

[appychick]

Caution using moxidectin on this ewe as a very wt. sensitive drug . Can you weigh her for an accurate dosing of dewormer or any medication she may need? I would be more inclined to use Valbazen as it has correct label directions for sheep & will treat tapeworms if you have them in that area which others don't treat unless off label use. Usually tapes are a problem as rarely treated for.....

Wool-If she is a hair sheep ,not sure of the value ? After you decide whether or not she has wool or hair-contact a spinner & ask if the coat would be valuable for spinning? And if so,many spinners would gladly shear your sheep for the fleece. Some hair sheep shed but never had any experience with this breed/hair type of ovine so not sure if they shed cleanly or in patches.....

I didnot understand the situation you rescued the ewe & litter from.....Was it a breeder or a kill facility ? If it was a reputable breeder type situation,& they thought she had a problem & was no longer useful as a breeder to them,most likely she has a problem as breeders usually hang on to their animals as long as possible and care for them the best they can as it is their income to do such ! Did you mouth her ? Age can be determined by tooth wear thru 4 yrs.,thereafter they are considered smooth mouth & accurate age cannot be determined.

And be sure to pursue whether or not your ewe is ruptured. If you ewe is ruptured & in pain ,not always the kind & humane route to maintain her life . Most breeders experienced with ruminants could probly help you with that determination if you can't find a knowledgable vet. There must be some animal breeders in your area that you can contact to help you out .....

 

[MuckBucket]

I looked into the Moxi dewormer and found it too be to risky for my lil' gal at this point. I will put a call into a couple people I know that have sheep but really there's not a lot of sheep breeders her in Tucson, most of them are raising hair sheep because they don't get the heavy wool. Is there a site I could look into on how to tell her age? I know how to age a horse by its teeth, are sheep essentialy the same?
As for her history.....She came from a lady that buys unwanted sheep, goats, chickens, and pigs from people that no longer want them or have no use for them. She is strictly a butcher facilty but its not a humane one. Her place is filled with animals and death, rotting hides, piles of fat, and blood pools everywhere. I cannot go out to her property without rescuing at least one animal. I wish I could help them all but thats not possible. When I went to go get Adel and her babies they were in a tiny pen, maybe 4x4? and there were four newly be-headed rams heads beside her pen, talk about stomach wrenching! The owner said that Adel had given her triplets for the past four years and thats the only reason she hasn't butchered her. However with this last birthing she was unable to nurse all three and one died, therefore she was moved from the keeper pen to the butcher block. This women has no respect for animals and just makes money off of them, she doesn't care if they are sick or hurt, its a sad situation.
On a happier note: Thanks for the info I will start making calls about her wool and her possible health issues.

 

[arabianequine]

I know for a fact that Valbazen should not be given if pregnant. Especially in early term of pregnancy. I would suggest having her looked at or even call a vet to see what they think.