# Need ideas for what's wrong



## desertdragonflymagic (Nov 28, 2022)

A few months back we discovered there was something wrong with our male sheep. We found him laying on his side, not moving and barely breathing. He passed before we could figure out what was wrong. We've had no problems before or since, until recently. We woke to discover our goat and another sheep seemed to be suffering from the same thing. They were laying on their sides, not moving and barely breathing. The goat almost sounded like he was trying to make a growling sound from his throat. After much research online, I tried giving them baking soda water and tried to massage them, thinking maybe it was a problem with their rumen but neither of them made it. What am I missing and what can I do if this happens again? Or maybe stop it from happening again?


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## farmerjan (Nov 28, 2022)

Get an animal posted so the vet can look inside and see what looks like what.


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## SageHill (Nov 28, 2022)

We can all second guess -- I'd guess something they ate. But a vet and a necropsy is your best bet at finding out and preventing it in the future. A friend of mine lost a young-ish ewe suddenly - it was fine one day and dead the next. She took it to the university for a necropsy. It was nothing she did - the ewe was full of cancer.


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## desertdragonflymagic (Nov 28, 2022)

Unfortunately, we live super far from a vet and would also like to avoid that cost if possible. If they are eating something toxic, is there something I can do?


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## Mini Horses (Nov 28, 2022)

Do you have a State lab nearby?  Their vets will do a necropsy inexpensively and that includes disposal.  You can ask your area ag rep to come walk the property for poisonous weeds.  But if being exposed to sufficient food/forage, most will nibble and leave it. 

 Do you have snails around, a pond, a lot of deer, etc?  I'm thinking lung worms, liver flukes, etc.   

while there is expense to discover the issues, what did it cost to lose 3 animals?  Do you have more being exposed?


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## desertdragonflymagic (Nov 28, 2022)

Mini Horses said:


> Do you have a State lab nearby?  Their vets will do a necropsy inexpensively and that includes disposal.  You can ask your area ag rep to come walk the property for poisonous weeds.  But if being exposed to sufficient food/forage, most will nibble and leave it.
> 
> Do you have snails around, a pond, a lot of deer, etc?  I'm thinking lung worms, liver flukes, etc.
> 
> while there is expense to discover the issues, what did it cost to lose 3 animals?  Do you have more being exposed?


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## desertdragonflymagic (Nov 28, 2022)

No snails, deer, or pond here. We live in the desert so I'm not sure what else to cover? We do free range them for a few hours each day? There are free ranging cows that roam around, but not at or near our property.


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## SageHill (Nov 28, 2022)

desertdragonflymagic said:


> Unfortunately, we live super far from a vet and would also like to avoid that cost if possible. If they are eating something toxic, is there something I can do?


My friend had to drive to the University to get the necropsy- 6-7 hr drive one way. It was worth the health of the rest of her sheep to take the trip. 
The only thing you can do is isolate and keep them - better all the sheep and goats, to a barn or corral where you feed them and they can’t graze. If they get better then there is something out there - BUT you won’t know what.


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