[Jacob-list] Sheep Falling Over and Unable to Get Up

Melody critterland at bendcable.com
Sat Jan 22 19:47:46 EST 2005


Ethylene glycol is the highly toxic, quickly fatal component of antifreeze.  Propylene glycol is the chemical used instead in the so-called "pet safe" antifreezes.  While it is not completely non-toxic, it does have valid applications in veterinary medicine, and is frequently used in toxemic cattle and as treatment of ketoacidosis, "milk fever" and toxemia of pregnancy in small ruminants.  It should only be used under medical guidelines, not given indiscriminately or long-term without veterinary supervision, but it has saved the lives of many animals (Including one of mine!)  
We have to remember, too, that what is highly toxic to one species does not necessarily affect others the same way.  I don't know if propylene glycol would be used even by a vet for a dog or cat; it is common practice with sheep and goats and cattle. 
Melody at CritterLand
Redmond OR
  \
  Why would you want to give your sheep "Propylene Glycol"? Have you looked at the ingredients to the antifreeze that we all put in our automobiles?  It contains "Propylene Glycol"!  Most everyone knows that if a dog eats or drinks antifreeze it will kill them or make them extremely sick (when we lived in Colo. people used to bait stray dogs by putting antifreeze on fresh meat, w/ the purpose of killing the dog).  Maybe I'm just simple but I certainly wouldn't want to give my sheep "Propylene Glycol"!

  Abigail Brown
  Shiloh Farm
  Petersburg, IN
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