6 week old lamb bloated

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6 week old lamb bloated
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Leddi

Joined: 31 Mar 2013
Posts: 5
Location: Aberystwyth

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 13 6:17 pm Post subject:

If the rumen puncture worked, it was free-gas bloat. It is pretty smelly, isn't it! Satisfying to hear all that gas whooshing out, though. With a bit of luck the pressure didn't do too much internal damage and the lamb will be fine. I would probably give it an antibiotic, though, just to cover the puncture wound (and possibly some metacam if it seems sore).

There is, however, another type of bloat - frothy bloat - which isn't quite so straightforward to treat. If the rumen puncture doesn't really work (if only a little gas comes out, and/or some frothy white stuff), get some vegetable oil into the lamb's stomach (syringe, or tube) - it works as an antifoaming agent. Try to keep the lamb moving to encourage it to fart and burp away the gas (sheep burp all the time - mine do, at least... usually in my face), and keep an eye on it to see whether the treatment has been successful - it may need to be repeated.

I begin training as a vet in September (as a mature student), and as part of my vet school application process I spent a few months helping out with the lambing at a local farm. I adopted a group of swci lambs (don't know what you call them in English - they're the orphaned & rejected lambs) so I spent a lot of time in the shed where all the swcis were kept (there must've been about 60-odd). I encountered a lot of bloat, since powdered milk, especially suckled ad-lib from a machine, makes them more prone to it. I've also read that it can be caused by hay, and that it's better to give lambs straw. Very lush grass can also be a cause in sheep of any age.

Anyway, I now have a flock of twenty two year olds, (none of which will be going anywhere near a dinner plate), who are teaching me a lot about sheepy matters.

I hope the little one stays happy and healthy.

maryanned

Joined: 14 Apr 2013
Posts: 16

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 13 6:40 pm Post subject:
Get them vaccinated for what they call black leg. That really helps with them not dyeing

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 13 7:21 am Post subject:
Hello Leddi, we are neighbours. We farm near Clarach. Whereabouts are you? We had a trainee vet working with us one year, very handy.

Leddi

Joined: 31 Mar 2013
Posts: 5
Location: Aberystwyth

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 13 1:41 pm Post subject:
Ooh, hello! I'm living with my folks near Trawsgoed at the moment, until I move to Liverpool in September. When did you have the vet student with you? If it was fairly recently I might know them, as I've met a few who've been seeing practice with John Downes (I work at his surgery). Is John your vet, or do you use Ystwyth? Nice to sort-of meet you!

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 13 4:16 pm Post subject:
We use Ystwyth. The vet was about five years ago and a distant family friend so not via the vets. We are in the middle of lambing at the moment. I'm feeling a bit soggy and windswept. The weather suddenly changed and the difference on the hilltops compared to down near the farm buildings. Good luck in vet school. Do hang around on the forum, we might need you.

maryanned

Joined: 14 Apr 2013
Posts: 16

Posted: Mon Apr 29, 13 3:48 pm Post subject:
Hey Leddi I have a new born lamb that her back feet are not developed right and I was thinking of making her little shoes or something. She walks but it is not easy for her. Any Ideas?

bathsheeba

Joined: 07 May 2024
Posts: 1

Posted: Tue May 07, 24 11:20 pm Post subject:

I used to bottle feed all my pet lambs and added Glenisk Bio Yoghurt to each bottle, which worked well against bloat.
This year I got a fancy schmancy electric ad lib feeder and paid a shed load of money for it and now I'm sorry. I did not use the yoghurt in this machine. One of my lambs died of bloat a few days ago and after reading up on it, it seems that warm milk formula can cause bloat and also that ad lib feeding is not good because the lambs can gorge themselves. Some good advice on line as to how to deal with this, including not letting the container get empty, as they will gorge when it's filled up again. Also got a recipe for making up a batch of yoghurt to add to it, so will be trying this. Am feeding them cold formula now and they seem happy with it. Anyone on the forum have a negative experience with the ad lib feeders?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46236
Location: yes

Posted: Tue May 07, 24 11:40 pm Post subject:
sheep do not like me, there are folk with lots of love for and experience with the wooly horrors i have a small amount of experience, almost all bad, unless the sheep is in the kitchen hi there, say hello in the introduce yourself bit, we are quite friendly

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