# Premature lamb, advice needed please.



## Sumi (Apr 23, 2014)

I'm posting this on behalf of a friend. Her ewe gave birth to a preemie lamb about a week ago and the little one is not out of the woods yet. Here's a summary from my friend:

_"Here is the rundown on Gracie...

Lambing due date April 27th... she came April 15th, cold below freezing night, hypodermic, barely breathing when we found her, birth appeared fine, ewe stable. 

She received colostrum within the first 24hrs, her mama had none we had to get some. She passed the meconium , was fairly stable and was within the couple days switched over to a lamb milk replacer.

We noticed she was lacking control of her legs and weaker so concluded she had constipated, we tried castor oil and then moved to an enema. That worked cleared things out, her sucking ability is not the best, however she is not dehydrated urinates normally and it's of proper colour. (My mum is a lab tech, so knows this stuff well lol)

She has been given her vit e and selenium shot. Her mama is perfectly fine, ZERO complications whatsoever.. this is her first lamb though, the rams 3rd. No infection of navel, was treated(iodine) and cut properly .

She ate better last night and finally this AM has had a movement on her own, no blood, nothing to cause concern in that either. She is still weak, has control of her legs and slight with her head, floppy though but alert and aware of her surroundings._

_I think that covered it lol She's in our house, so stable temps and we often hold her and is covered to keep chill away, no fever has ever occurred either."
_
The ewe, unfortunately, gave up on the lamb and she's being kept in the house and looked after my friend and her family. Is there anything else she can do for her?


----------



## BrownSheep (Apr 23, 2014)

It sounds like you have all of your bases covered.

I would suggest adding electrolytes if you're only getting a minimal amount of milk into her, but you said she is hydrated so it really is optional.  If she has and further digestion issues probiotics can be administered by giving her yogurt.


----------



## Sumi (Apr 24, 2014)

Thank you so much. The yoghurt, I'm thinking the easiest would be if she dilutes it and gives it to her in a bottle? How much could she give her safely in a day?


----------



## Sheepshape (Apr 24, 2014)

Well done, and keep going.

A few years back i had seriously prem twins  (about 3 weeks early) born to an ill ewe. They didn't stand for a couple of weeks, had very sparse fleece growth and couldn't suck. Clearly mum couldn't manage them.

They were tube fed for the first week,wore sweaters,and  were kept in the house.

After a week they could stand and suck,after two weeks they were fully mobile and didn't need there sweaters and were able to go to the shed after 3-4 weeks. Both went on to become healthy adults.

they are a lot of work (and very clearly you have already done a lot of work) but the end results can be very worthwhile.

Good luck to you and your baaaby.


----------



## Sumi (Apr 24, 2014)

Thank you, sheephape! Here is the little one:


----------



## Sheepshape (Apr 24, 2014)

Gorgeous....both of them!


----------



## BrownSheep (Apr 24, 2014)

Very pretty.

We administered it plain using a small syringe. I think we did about 5 cc once or twice a day till their stools returned to normal. Sorry, for the vagueness its been a couple of years since we've had a lamb need any.
This flyer suggests mixing it at one part yogurt to seven parts milk.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...y4DYDw&usg=AFQjCNF2oOw0qcwC7X8ODNTb1JpPD_AYQg


----------



## woodsie (Apr 25, 2014)

what a cutie...good luck, sounds like you are giving her the best in care!


----------



## Sumi (Apr 26, 2014)

Hi all, I'm afraid Gracie didn't make it. She passed unexpectedly yesterday afternoon, after showing signs of finally improving. Her owner and the vet are unsure of the cause. 

Thank you again for your help and advice, it was much appreciated!


----------



## norseofcourse (Apr 26, 2014)

I'm so sorry


----------



## woodsie (Apr 26, 2014)

I am so sorry, its so hard that desite all our efforts, sometimes it just isn't enough.


----------



## woodsie (Apr 26, 2014)




----------



## Sheepshape (Apr 27, 2014)

Oh, I am SO sorry.....she could not have been in better hands. You did all you could for her. Maybe she was just too premature to survive.

Lambs are quite fragile at times. I also lost a lamb that I had treated for joint ill yesterday. She took weeks to to finally fade.


----------



## Sumi (Apr 27, 2014)

Sheepshape said:


> Oh, I am SO sorry.....she could not have been in better hands. You did all you could for her. Maybe she was just too premature to survive.
> 
> Lambs are quite fragile at times. I also lost a lamb that I had treated for joint ill yesterday. She took weeks to to finally fade.


I'm so sorry  We'll win, we'll lose some. We just have to keep trying, hey? It's the winners that make this wonderful, sometimes sad, hobbies of ours worth it.


----------



## Fireflyfarms (May 21, 2014)

HI, just wanted to say thank you for all your help. *I* am that friend with the lamb, we continued on and had our final Lamb May 9th kinda funny 2mths to the day we started, first lamb was March 9th  lol

He progressed well, got a bit stuck so we did a slight assist, kinda funny total opposite of the night Gracie was born.. quite warm and mama was tiring fast. He's now almost 2wks and thriving. We still morn the loss of our Gracie, we got no other ewe lambs this year. I look at next lambing season with slight suspicion and hopes our poor Molly has a thriving lamb..


----------

