[Jacob-list] Hypocalcemia/Toxemia/etc

[Chovhani]

Very sensible advice. For my situation, I'm assuming acidosis, knowing what
happened last week, yet not finding any bloating, I'm more looking at
complications from the binge, i.e. rumen damage. The only reason I also
considered the hypcalcaemia comments is simply that my girl IS due soon, and
it occurred to me I could be dealing with more than one issue.

The problem I have, and I know others have, is that I CAN'T get a vet's
diagnosis. I've been trying since Friday to get a vet out here, but it seems
they more "important" things to do. I agree that diagnosis is the key, and
with symptoms being so similar it's easy to treat for one thing when you
could be on the wrong course altogether. That's the reason I joined these
lists, to get the benefit of others' experiences, especially those of you
with YEARS of experience that no book can replace.

So, just to add another to the mix...while in the feed store, (where they
have never HEARD of Nutridrench or Cal Plus Gel, ah the joys of not living
in the USA.....) it was suggested I try Certo (Fruit Pectin) as a diarrhea
remedy.

I also found an extremely good website:
http://www.case-agworld.com/cAw.LU.nutr.html

It offers a suggestion in the case of acidosis "Electrolytes and buffers"
but doesn't go into any detail. Bearing in mind the problem I have with
obtaining anything in this area, what ARE these electrlolytes, and does
anyone have a mail-order supply of all these items they could recommend for
the future? Even if I end up losing this ewe, I'll be damned if it'll happen
again.

Melanie
http://www.geocities.com/onionperogie
http://earthhome.tripod.com



----- Original Message -----
From: <Jacobflock at aol.com>
To: <melanie.boxall at sympatico.ca>; <Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 2:36 PM
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Hypocalcemia/Toxemia/etc


Fred Horak here.  I noticed the discussion on these two problems and wanted
to be sure you didn't leave other problems aside.  We have not had any
experience with either (specifically diagnosed by the vet) but we try to be
very aware of our ewes during the last six to eight weeks of pregnancy if
any
behavior (symptoms) of these or other problems should arise.  Symptoms for
acidosis, stress related abortion, herniated abdomen, and even constipation
may be the true diagnosis.

Toxemia is often seen before birth, hypocalcemia more often after birth.
Toxemia is related to diet and energy intake, lack of water, and multiple
lambs.  Sometimes an aggressive ewe or group of ewes will crowd out a
"slower" ewe and bring on toxemia by depriving the ewe of forage, feed and
water.  (We may have a case of a ewe or two crowding out another one of the
ewes right now and moved the weaker ewe to her own pen for extra care.)

Hypocalcemia is more often seen just before or shortly following lambing.
This is related to calcium shortage.  The ewes demand for producing milk,
the
lambs demand for bone builders.

Not having experienced a specific diagnosis of either toxemia or
hypocalcemia, but having seen symptoms requiring action, I would be
reluctant
to jump to a specific diagnosis of either problem without some outside help
from a vet.

The symptoms for both, as well as acidosis (bloat from too much feed),
abortion, constipation can start out the same; the ewe stands separate from
the flock, not moving with the flock, off on her own...dull depressed,
perhaps you could walk right up to the ewe...there may be muscle problems
(often for hypocalcemia it is tremors or shaking, for toxemia it is often a
lack of muscle in the rear legs).  For acidosis the legs are usually
stretched out in front and back; constipation can look like acidosis.

For toxemia (often too little feed/forage energy), look closely at the nose:
runny "gooby" nose. At the mouth, foam at the mouth.   Then smell the
breath.
 If you smell anything like nail polish, paint thinner, or airplane glue,
the
smell is caused by ketones and this is really bad.

For hypcalcemia (not enough calcium) watch for teeth grinding, no cud,
drooling and a lot of swallowing.  If the ewe goes down she may start to
vomit in the down posture.  Hypocalcemia hits the swallowing muscles...thus
oral doses are not good.

Symptoms can  sort of look the same depending on the progess of the disease
but the symptoms suggest further diagnosis.  A vet check for a diagnosis is
always in our regimen even though the vet doesn't see that many sheep.

The key to the ewe's recovery depends on the diagnosis and progress; for
toxemia the ewe can swallow mollasses water and eat feed...for hypocalcemia
the ewe can't swallow as the disease progresses.  One can be treated orally
the other must be treated with subcu shots.

I went along way around the barn to say that one should be careful when
diagnosing problems from overlapping/confusing symptoms.  I think the
clearest symptoms are too often the terminal period of the problem.  Early
observation of symptoms may be confusing so the vet resource is always the
safer course to help identify the curative action.

Fred