# HELP!!!! Weak Orphan Lambs (Update)



## she-earl (Feb 9, 2010)

We picked up two orphan ewe lambs that are one-day-old at the most.  They were left go too long before we were asked to take them.  The one cries when you pick her up and sounds a little bit raspy when she breathes.  The other one is weak but can stand for a little bit.  We are trying a bottle, medicine dropper, etc. to get milk in them with very little success.  We have them on a heat mat for pigs, puppies, etc.  Would it be OK to give them just a minute amount of pencillin to give them a boost?  Please give me any advice because I don't think it looks overly positive for them.


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## aggieterpkatie (Feb 9, 2010)

Are they warm?  Can you tube them?  If they're not nursing, and they're cold, you need to get them warm before you feed them.  If they're already warm and not nursing, you need to tube them and get something in them.  You may need to call a vet and ask about the raspy breathing.  Can you get some Ultra Start (a colostrum supplement) to give them?


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## she-earl (Feb 9, 2010)

They are a little bit warmer now than when we picked them up.  I put them in a washbowl of warm water and changed it several times.  They are on an animal heat mat with a sheet over them to conserve warmth.  The one has peed and pooped and can stand a little bit.  I have gotten them to each drink a little bit from the bottle and will keep trying.  We are trying to stimulate them by rubbing them.  I have PM'd someone on BYC and they thought it OK to use pencillin.


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## aggieterpkatie (Feb 9, 2010)

Sometimes when they nurse from the bottle they sound a bit raspy. Are you sure it's not just that?  They're pretty young to already have pneumonia.


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## Roll farms (Feb 9, 2010)

Pen should be ok, but I'd be giving them 1-2 cc ea. of B vit, and a couple tsp of Nutri Drench for sheep....along w/ getting some colostrum or goat / cow milk in the as soon as their warm enough to digest it....via a tube if necessary.

Good luck!


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## jhm47 (Feb 10, 2010)

Those newborns can be pretty hard to save when they get weak, cold and rundown.  Very few of them survive.


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## she-earl (Feb 11, 2010)

We lost the first one after only about seven hours.  The other one which we thought was weaker got stronger.  However, she died this morning.  She had a fever which we were using antibiotics for and then last night before i headed to bed she was scouring.  It was a disappointment but I know we did everything we could to try and bring them around.  Thanks for your inputs.


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## nsanywhere (Feb 11, 2010)

its such a hard thing to loose the babies. Sounds like you did everything you could for them. I'm so sorry for your loss :-(


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