[Jacob-list] Polioencephalomalacia

[ARTHUR PARTRIDGE]

--Previous Message--

>Thanks for the heads up. While at the AGM, in fact about 15 minutes before

>my talk, I received a call from one of my my brothers who cared for our

>flock while we were away that one of our yearling ewes 'was down', lying

>flat with her head back. Since I couldn't check her myself, I told him to

>call the local vet. He was delayed getting there due to a previous call on

>a cattle dystocia; he gave her banamine and B complex vitamins, but she was

>dead the next morning. I surmise that she had the same problem you saw in

>your ram, but she didn't get timely treatment.

========

>From what I have heard and read, in the advanced stages the vet will insert

an IV (directly in the veins) solution of B-Complex vitamins and perhaps
something else.  If the animal recovers, there is the possibility of
permanent damage such as blindness.  Even in the advanced stages I would
first give a quick injection of B-Complex and then call the vet or in my
case take the sheep to the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital in nearby
Pullman, WA.  Now if I see a sheep wobbly on it's feet, it gets a shot of
B-Complex.  I'm not waiting for the 'star-gazing' symptoms.

One other point about PEM,  when it occurs only one sheep is affected, not
the entire herd.  If the entire herd is wobbly on their feet it would not
be PEM, maybe they just tapped into a misplaced keg of beer  ;-)

Cathy Partridge
Moscow, Idaho