Barb,
My heart goes out to you and your little sheep for all the trouble you've had, and your gentle, caring patience and persistence with trying to cure these guys. It reminds me of two Barbado wethers which became similarly ill about 3 years ago at my farm.
They were #8 and #35. They were part of my herding flock, and didn't have names; still, I loved them. They were not both sick at the same time. It was first one, and several months later, the other. The more I tried to care for them and cure them, the more attached I became to them. They both had loose poopy stool, and eventually lost weight and became weak. Like you, I tested them for everything. I spent uncountable dollars on vet bills. I wormed them with massive doses of everything on the market, trying each as my vet suggested. I also gave them continuous regimens of antibiotics (pennicillan, and later LA 200). Like your sheep, they were both gentle and sweet. And my vet, like yours, ruled out (through testing) everything that was contagious and a threat to the flock.
But yet, we could not cure these two little boys. And my vet also suggested that because of the lengthy bout with this illness, the digestive tracts of these boys was probably damaged to the point where they might not be able to heal at all. It is possible (probably likely) that I made each of them worse by my continued attempts to worm them. Eventually, they both died. And when it was all over, I grieved, not only that they had died, but that each one had suffered so much. I wish it could have been different.
In retrospect, if I could have seen the future, I would have euthanized each of these boys after the first few attempts at cures had no effect. But in reality, they each got a little better, and I could visualize that they might have a full recovery. Then they got a little worse, and I hoped that will just a little more care they would improve. So I have complete sympathy for you and your generous efforts with your two boys. What else can we do?
My sympanthies, and my sincere hope for their improvement, Mary Swindell
At 12:01 PM 3/10/2005 -0700, you wrote:
Message: 9 From: "Barb Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 09:18:31 -0800 Subject: [blackbelly] My Poopy Little Wether Reply-To: [email protected]
> Well, > I took one scared little sheep in a wire crate, to a small animal vet > clinic yesterday. They used to have a large animal practice until the > area urbanized. The vet is my buddy's boss, and is a parasitologist. > > The homely and gentle little sheep delighted the staff, and the doctor > was very tender hearted toward him. He checked the eye membranes, > good color. He listened to the heart. He listened to the rumen. He > took another fecal sample for his class to examine. > > He has done two "gold standard" fecals and ruled out giardia. He > listened to the entire history. Sustain III, Corid, Sulfadimethoxine, > Ivomec, Safeguard, Valbazen. > > He ruled out the dread, incurable wasting disease, "Johne's Disease" > (he has diagnosed Johne's in blackbellies in the past) because the > animal is too young. > > He took the animal's temp and it was over 104. But the little sheep > was terrified and hyperventilating. When the wether got home he peed > and peed and peed. > > This morning the animal was a normal 102.2. No infection. > > So what? Well, he could have a congenital problem, but that doesn't > explain the ram going loose. > > It could be environmental, but there are no toxic plants within reach > of their paddock. > > It could be an allergy to CORN! Discontinue COB > > It could be overconsumption of supplements - discontinue selenium > salt, minerals and kelp for 2-3 weeks. > > Or it could just be terrible damage done by a coccidiosis infestation > that is going to take a long time to heal. > > There is certainly improvement. the ram is "almost normal" (he's only > been affected a short time), and the wether is not making the liquid > splats. I see strings of goo that look like mucous from time to time. > My web surfing has taught me that that is actually fat, which cannot > be absorbed by the damaged intestinal lining. > > Carol, you mentioned Metamucil to clear up your cat's giardia. I > looked in my medicinal herb book last night and learned that psyllium > seed is not only a laxative, it is actually an excellent > anti-diarrheal! So I am going to put a bit in their feed, along with > the intriguing probiotic product I found at the feed store. > > They were okayed for turnout back onto the grass (which will loosen > them again probably). I'll probably know the results of the fecals > next Monday, but I'm sure it will be negative. > > I've sunk hundreds of $ into licking this problem - not for the sake > of the wether, but for the knowledge. The main thing is that I can > now feel safe from the dread Johne's disease. > > Another thing I learned through researching Coccidiosis, Johne's and > Giardia, is that once the diarrhea starts, the situation is > essentially out of control. The gut is damaged, it's not just > "upset". If EVER I get a case of diarrhea going again, before I > meddle with ANYTHING, I'll involve a vet. Treating one animal is one > thing, but treating a mob, maybe losing lambs, I can spend the $15 on > a fecal. It's far and away better than spending hundreds to clean up > a mess like this. > > Prevention? I want to get as far away from drugs as possible. I > don't know how possible it is to raise sheep without them, but all my > efforts will be targeted at maintaining a healthy gut and immune > system in my animals and trying not to let the "baddies" get a > toehold. > > It's been a difficult, expensive lesson, but an important one. > > Barb
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