[Jacob-list] Having Touble with Older Ewe

[Gotothewhip at aol.com]

Im going to try to keep this from becoming a novel!  Ive owned this  flock a 
little over 1 month, and have been out of sheep for over 10 yrs!
 
I had one of my old ewes (Abby) who is 13 this year... Have a rough  week.  
Thursday night, she wasn't interested in eating. Knowing how heavy  bred she 
was, I figured Id watch her overnight and see if this was Ketosis or  lambing.  
We watched her on the camera... She was up and down all  night....
 
About 4:30 she seemed to start labor... Not pushing very hard, but obvious  
contractions.  At 5:30 I went to the barn to check things out.  She  had the 
sack *with about 1/2 cup of bloody water in 2 bubbles hanging out... No  feet or 
anything.  I palpated her.. Everything seemed normal.. so I let her  work for 
15 min or so.  I just had a feeling Id berter re check her, and  upon a more 
detailed palpation, I found the front feet of 1 lamb, and the head  of another.
 
I re-arranged the lambs, and pulled the head of the lamb with his feet out  
...He kept pulling it back behind him.  
 
At some point I felt a tear in tissue.  And seconds later the sack  spewed.  
I grabbed the lamb by his nose and directed him out.... She didn't  seem to 
help by pushing very much.  The 2nd lamb was MUCH smaller and  slithered out 
immediately.
 
She got both lambs cleaned up and I got her teats stripped of plugs.   The 
first few squirts were really chunky... and her clostrum was VERY  thick.
 
She drank nearly 1 gallon of warm water with Karo Syrup in it.  She  was 
actively caring for them and nursing well.
 
About 4pm I notice she seemed wiped out, and listless.  I took her  temp and 
it was 104.5.
 
I called the vet and explained the situation...  And said I was  concerned I 
could have torn the ewe.  She advised 6cc of Pen-G and 1cc of  Banamine. I 
gave her 30 cc of nutra-drench
 
The next morning (Friday) her fever was UP to 105.5  I dosed her  again with 
the banamine and Pen-g and Nutra-Drench.  She also seemed to  just want to lay 
down... and was not eating at all.
 
I went to work (as a Vet Tech) and the Vet advised me to give that evening  
5.5cc of Baytril on top of the Pen-G and Banamine and we also gave her 10g  of 
Probios.  I did a light uterine flush with 1/2 gallon of a betadine  solution 
and the Nutra drench.  Her temp was down to 103.9.
 
Saturday morning, the temp was down to 102.5 she had NO INTREST in any type  
of hay or grain.  I got more aggressive and dosed her with 1/4 of a cattle  
tube of Keto Gel and also of Calcium Gel She got more Probios, We went down to  
once a day of the Pen-G, twice a day of the banamine.  I haltered her and  
took her and her lambs to the lawn. She did nibble at the grass lightly.   Sat 
Night we dosed her with the banamine, probios, and both gels.
 
Sunday Morning she seemed VERY depressed.  Still not eating at all and  
drinking very little.  We gave her the Pen G, Banamine, Probios, Both Gels,  and 
gave her 100ml sub cu of Lactated Ringers (An Iv Bag) and added in 6ccs of a  
Vitamin B complex. 
 
We also noticed that the lambs were getting more sleepy, and she was  
stomping her feet at them.  We supplemented them every 6 hrs with 5 oz of  milk 
replacer.
 
If I can get in an appointment I am taking her in to another vet today who  
is more familiar with sheep..... 
 
But am curious if anyone has any insight.....



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