[Jacob-list] thin ewe update

[Tom and Judy Riddolls]

so i have got many responses to my thin ewe so will update you all.

she is still acting healthy and spirited.  I assume that when the weather 
gets cool (as it is here) they start getting aggressive? all my ewes are out 
butting each other, one wether even hopped over the fence to get away.  so 
she is not acting tired.

observations and symptoms, (or lack of).
-thinning build, i have noticed her front shoulders now look narrow.
-eating a lot, and bawling for food constantly (more than a few months ago)
-normal stool, no diarrhea
-a slight limp in the front legs, maybe my imagination and could be from the 
rocky terrain we live on
-no hard udder when it was full
-both lambs grew well, although one wether (with a HUGE head and horns) is a 
little scrawny
-no abssesses, no cuts or injuries that i have seen
-no teeth grinding or tenderness when probed anywhere
-no frothing mouth
-a slight watery eye, but i can't tell if more than normal, not dripping or 
anything, slightly teary
-a quick breathing, shallow, like a dog panting
-BUT no lack of energy, routinly gallops over to me when i come to the gate

so with all that
I can' find a disease that matches, OPP should have seen more coughing and 
general lethargy, MV would have a hard bag and stunted lambs, Johne's 
disease seems to make for weak sheep at the end often (but not always) with 
diarrhea.  Mandy was passing solid stool even when on her side hours from 
death.

Here is another something i forgot, last february we lost two rabbits that 
had the identical symptoms, even the way they died, sprawled about, 
apparently disoreinted, like they were drunk.  They were not weak so much as 
thin to the point of skeletal.  Could it be related,  What about anthrax?

The vet is also stumped, as i want to bring in a registered and costly ram, 
i am thinking of having the sheep's stool sent off and tested, though this 
takes months...
tom

_________________________________________________________________
Buy what you want when you want it on Sympatico / MSN Shopping 
http://shopping.sympatico.msn.ca/content/shp/?ctId=2,ptnrid=176,ptnrdata=081805