[Jacob-list] Re: Jacob-list digest, Vol 2 #149 - 1 msg

Wed Jun 2 12:59:49 EDT 2004

Hi,

Make sure any goopy soft tissue is cleaned out.  The important thing is to
keep it clean (assuming that the bleeding has stopped at this point). 
Other options that I'm aware of for helping with stopping bleeding is
flour (which was suggested by my vet, but IMO makes more of a mess than is
needed), yarrow leaves crushed and applied to the wound (also acts as an
antiseptic), and homeopathic phosphorus (I usually use 30c with the sheep,
with the phosphorus, I would wait at least a half hour in an emergency and
then repeat if there was no change) - pressure is what the Red Cross
recommends, noting that they are assuming an ambulance is on its way.

He probably won't die of stress or the horn breaking off.  I would try to
put him in a rather small pen (lambing pen maybe??), but halter breaking
rams is really helpful.  I try to avoid hanging onto horns whenever
possible - they are great handles, but holding onto them, pulling on them,
etc, seems to cause the sheep to behave worse.  Halters are great.

There is risk of infection - it's important that you keep up with this -
keeping it quite clean.  Pus is likely to form as any sort of
hay/grass/dirt that gets in it will cause it and that it is connected to
the sinuses.  I would suggest watching it for a few days, using whatever
wound stuff you use (bacitracin, calendula spray is very helpful with
these sorts of things).  I would also HIGHLY recommend the homeopathic
remedy calendula.  I gave my ram one 200c dose and his horn cleaned up and
healed up extremely well.  You can order it directly from a homeopathic
pharmacy (I use Northeast Homeopathics in Acton, Mass.).

Yes, the bleeding would have stopped and he would not have bled to death -
at least that has been my experience.  Broken horns look awful, but they
are okay.

The horn cells are still there, likely, and so something will likely grow
back, but it probably won't look so dramatic.

I hope this is helpful.  You did well.  Take a deep breath and have a cup
of tea.  He will heal.

Best,
Kelley

>Questions:
>1)  Are there other options for stopping the bleeding?   I sent a search 
>party out for a styptic pencil, but hubby lost his years ago.
>2)  What is the best way to restrain these guys when they need medical 
>attention.  We tried holding legs up, then putting him on his side, but
>he was 
>always one wiggle away from getting free.  I hesitate to use too much
>force as I 
>don't want him to die from stress while I'm trying to save him!
>3)  Do I need to do anything else?  Is there a risk of infection?  He 
>probably won't let me within a mile of him, but I could try.
>4)  Since the outer horn was broken off, but some type of inner horn (my 
>terminology) remains, is there a chance it will grow back since he's only
>3 months 
>old?  
>5)  Would the bleeding have stopped before he bled to death as the vet
>said?  
>Sure didn't seem like it to me.
>
>Thanks.  It has been a long evening.  Seems everything happens when I
>have 
>something boiling on the stove. 
>
>Kathey
>Sweet Georgia Valley Farm
>
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><HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT  SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10
>FAMILY=
>=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Hi y'all:<BR>
><BR>
>About four hours ago (seems like 16) one of our four horned ram lambs
>(the o=
>nly one with beautiful horns) completely broke off his right upright
>horn.&n=
>bsp; When I saw him a few minutes after it happened, he looked like he
>had b=
>een in a car wreck - blood was everywhere and on everyone.  After
>much=20=
>cursing, begging, and chasing, we managed to corner him and let him calm
>dow=
>n while we called the vet.  Even after an hour and a half, he was
>still=
> bleeding horribly (running over his eye, down his chin, into his mouth,
>eww=
>, eww, eww)  Husband was useless at this point.  At sight of so
>mu=
>ch blood he had his head between his knees.  Vets only advice was to
>ap=
>ply pressure until it stopped.  It took 3 of us to hold him down,
>while=
> I cleaned him up  enough to see what was what and applied pressure.
>It=
> seems the outer horn was broken off, but the soft inner horn remained
>which=
> was spurting blood from the tip. It took about 30 minutes to stop the
>bleed=
>ing using spider webs and pressure.  He is resting now with Mom, and
>ho=
>pefully will survive, which is more than I can say for my clothes. 
>And=
> my daughter now has a nice story for "what I did on my summer
>vacation."<BR=
>>
><BR>
>Questions:<BR>
>1)  Are there other options for stopping the bleeding?   I
>se=
>nt a search party out for a styptic pencil, but hubby lost his years
>ago.<BR=
>>
>2)  What is the best way to restrain these guys when they need
>medical=20=
>attention.  We tried holding legs up, then putting him on his side,
>but=
> he was always one wiggle away from getting free.  I hesitate to use
>to=
>o much force as I don't want him to die from stress while I'm trying to
>save=
> him!<BR>
>3)  Do I need to do anything else?  Is there a risk of
>infection?&=
>nbsp; He probably won't let me within a mile of him, but I could try.<BR>
>4)  Since the outer horn was broken off, but some type of inner horn
>(m=
>y terminology) remains, is there a chance it will grow back since he's
>only=20=
>3 months old?  <BR>
>5)  Would the bleeding have stopped before he bled to death as the
>vet=20=
>said?  Sure didn't seem like it to me.<BR>
><BR>
>Thanks.  It has been a long evening.  Seems everything happens
>whe=
>n I have something boiling on the stove. <BR>
><BR>
>Kathey<BR>
>Sweet Georgia Valley Farm</FONT></HTML>
>
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