I'm thinking internal parasites would cause the mucousy manure, esp. if she's grazing now.
3 week old Gulf Coast Native Lamb
- Thread starter ZoeytheLamb
- Start date
Bridgemoof
Overrun with beasties
So glad you got back to us. Believe it or not I think about Zoey every day and worry that she passed away since we hadn't heard anything.
She sounds like she is doing okay, why would the vet suggest putting her down? If she is acting normal for the most part, I wouldn't even consider that. Besides the fever, everything else sounds pretty typical. Has she been wormed as Sheepgirl suggested?
I know when Lottie started to eat grass for the first time she got a little diarrhea but it cleared up in a day or two. I think when new stuff is introduced into their diet, it may cause that to happen.
HANG IN THERE ZOEY!!!! I don't know what else to say, except if it was me I would not put her down unless she was suffering. Are you sure your thermometer is accurate, are you shaking it down before you take it? Just a silly question, but thought I'd ask.
She sounds like she is doing okay, why would the vet suggest putting her down? If she is acting normal for the most part, I wouldn't even consider that. Besides the fever, everything else sounds pretty typical. Has she been wormed as Sheepgirl suggested?
I know when Lottie started to eat grass for the first time she got a little diarrhea but it cleared up in a day or two. I think when new stuff is introduced into their diet, it may cause that to happen.
HANG IN THERE ZOEY!!!! I don't know what else to say, except if it was me I would not put her down unless she was suffering. Are you sure your thermometer is accurate, are you shaking it down before you take it? Just a silly question, but thought I'd ask.
- Thread starter
- #33
ZoeytheLamb
Chillin' with the herd
Hi Bridget and SheepGirl!
I can't tell you how much it means to me that both of you care for Zoey and keep helping me with ideas and information. This has been such a complex and scary journey in caring for her- and really you two have been the only hopeful folks I've talked with.
The vet is convinced that Zoey has an internal abcess and that the constant high temp is proof. But if that is true- then I would think Zoey would have gotten sicker when she came off the antibiotics? She's been off them for two weeks tomorrow (Monday April 29th) and her temp remains around the same 103.4
I use (and the vet too) a digital- and they both gave the same readings.
Since Zoey started eating grass more regularly she has not been grinding her teeth (about two weeks ago). She's happy and certainly growing. That first bout of mucous stools was really awful- the next week, when it happened- the stools were loose, but with much less mucous. This last time (on Sat.) her stools were loose with just a tiny bit of mucous. So once a week she has loose stools- and progressively less mucous each time.
This weekend she has been more nervous- crying a lot. Her appetite comes and goes- she's still eating good, but just not as much as on Friday.
The museum where I work- and where Zoey came from, they are convinced something major is wrong with her- they haven't seen her since she was born, but they all think she's not going to make it. All this talking with them and with the vet gets me so worried. They think I am wrong in keeping her alive. Plus they think I have ruined her by "making a pet" out of her. Honestly, I hate to whine, but this keeps me awake at night worrying about how I have either been keeping her alive too long or that I made her into an animal that doesn't fit in either world- with humans or animals.
She is 59 days old. She has just in the last two weeks started eating grass, alfalfa hay and in the last 4 days nibbling on sheep food. I'm sure that she will be slower to catch onto doing what the average sheep does- since she has had no contact with sheep since she was a few hours old. But am I creating an awful life for her???? Where she doesn't fit anywhere?
I wrestle with these thoughts all the time- but when I look at her sweet face and those precious blue eyes, I'm so glad she is alive. Am I being selfish? She is very dependent on me- I don't want to be the only person she loves- that would be so hard when I have to let her go.
I asked the vet about parasites and she said that Zoey wouldn't be gaining weight like she is if she had worms.
I can never thank you enough for caring about Zoey and helping me so much. You two have been the lone voices that have offered hope.
Any and all advice is so VERY welcome and such a comfort to me!!!! Thanks so much!
Sandy
I can't tell you how much it means to me that both of you care for Zoey and keep helping me with ideas and information. This has been such a complex and scary journey in caring for her- and really you two have been the only hopeful folks I've talked with.
The vet is convinced that Zoey has an internal abcess and that the constant high temp is proof. But if that is true- then I would think Zoey would have gotten sicker when she came off the antibiotics? She's been off them for two weeks tomorrow (Monday April 29th) and her temp remains around the same 103.4
I use (and the vet too) a digital- and they both gave the same readings.
Since Zoey started eating grass more regularly she has not been grinding her teeth (about two weeks ago). She's happy and certainly growing. That first bout of mucous stools was really awful- the next week, when it happened- the stools were loose, but with much less mucous. This last time (on Sat.) her stools were loose with just a tiny bit of mucous. So once a week she has loose stools- and progressively less mucous each time.
This weekend she has been more nervous- crying a lot. Her appetite comes and goes- she's still eating good, but just not as much as on Friday.
The museum where I work- and where Zoey came from, they are convinced something major is wrong with her- they haven't seen her since she was born, but they all think she's not going to make it. All this talking with them and with the vet gets me so worried. They think I am wrong in keeping her alive. Plus they think I have ruined her by "making a pet" out of her. Honestly, I hate to whine, but this keeps me awake at night worrying about how I have either been keeping her alive too long or that I made her into an animal that doesn't fit in either world- with humans or animals.
She is 59 days old. She has just in the last two weeks started eating grass, alfalfa hay and in the last 4 days nibbling on sheep food. I'm sure that she will be slower to catch onto doing what the average sheep does- since she has had no contact with sheep since she was a few hours old. But am I creating an awful life for her???? Where she doesn't fit anywhere?
I wrestle with these thoughts all the time- but when I look at her sweet face and those precious blue eyes, I'm so glad she is alive. Am I being selfish? She is very dependent on me- I don't want to be the only person she loves- that would be so hard when I have to let her go.
I asked the vet about parasites and she said that Zoey wouldn't be gaining weight like she is if she had worms.
I can never thank you enough for caring about Zoey and helping me so much. You two have been the lone voices that have offered hope.
Any and all advice is so VERY welcome and such a comfort to me!!!! Thanks so much!
Sandy
bonbean01
Herd Master
You are doing great for her Sandy...you are giving her the best and only chance she has...these little ones do steal our hearts and I also have been checking for updates...hang in there and I hope this all works out super great...but if not...remember you gave her a chance! 
Bridgemoof
Overrun with beasties
Dear Sandy,
I think you are doing a great job with Zoey. I am glad you are giving her a chance.
First of all, I don't think 103.4 is dangerously high. Every time I've taken my sheep's temp it has been 103 normally and 104 if they haven't been feeling well. Never lower than that. She's eating normally, pretty much pooping normally, except the mucous occasionally, which just could be changes in her diet. She basically seems healthy to me and I don't see any reason to end her life.
Secondly, I would treat her for worms regardless of whether or not it has anything to do with her poop. I've been talking to several people and one vet says the worms are very bad this year in Virginia due to the mild winter and suggest worming every 10 days. If you haven't wormed her, in my opinion you should.
Thirdly, I don't have anything kind to say about the people who you work with at the museum who just left the lamb to die. I would ignore anything that they suggest or say.
Fourthly, is your vet a regular farm vet? Does he/she treat sheep regularly? I know you said there were not many sheep in your neck of the woods, and I was just wondering if the level of veterinary care was suitable for your sheep. Are there other vets in the area that perhaps could examine her?
Lastly, the moral issue of keeping her alive and her dependency on you, that's a tough thing to weigh heavily on your mind. I went through and am still going through the same thing with Lottie. Lottie is out there now with the other sheep, but she is still somewhat dependent on me, and she is definitely not a full part of the flock. She is a bit of a loner. BUT, she is strong willed and independent, more so than the others. She seems content, not unhappy, and she will continue to thrive. I do treat her like a pet although she is out with the rest of the flock and seems to be doing well with it.
Now having said all that and putting in my two cents, I have to tell you I lost a lamb this past week, Lottie's twin brother Buster. Let me just tell you how heart broken I am and how hard it hit me. He was the stronger of the two and we don't know what went wrong. It's a long story, but it ended sadly. So my opinion on caring for you lamb is pretty much worth about a grain of salt.
Anyways, I hope that you continue doing what you are doing for Zoey and don't let the naysayers make you feel guilty. You are giving her a fighting chance, and she deserves that. You should sleep well at night knowing you are helping her.
Bridge
I think you are doing a great job with Zoey. I am glad you are giving her a chance.
First of all, I don't think 103.4 is dangerously high. Every time I've taken my sheep's temp it has been 103 normally and 104 if they haven't been feeling well. Never lower than that. She's eating normally, pretty much pooping normally, except the mucous occasionally, which just could be changes in her diet. She basically seems healthy to me and I don't see any reason to end her life.
Secondly, I would treat her for worms regardless of whether or not it has anything to do with her poop. I've been talking to several people and one vet says the worms are very bad this year in Virginia due to the mild winter and suggest worming every 10 days. If you haven't wormed her, in my opinion you should.
Thirdly, I don't have anything kind to say about the people who you work with at the museum who just left the lamb to die. I would ignore anything that they suggest or say.
Fourthly, is your vet a regular farm vet? Does he/she treat sheep regularly? I know you said there were not many sheep in your neck of the woods, and I was just wondering if the level of veterinary care was suitable for your sheep. Are there other vets in the area that perhaps could examine her?
Lastly, the moral issue of keeping her alive and her dependency on you, that's a tough thing to weigh heavily on your mind. I went through and am still going through the same thing with Lottie. Lottie is out there now with the other sheep, but she is still somewhat dependent on me, and she is definitely not a full part of the flock. She is a bit of a loner. BUT, she is strong willed and independent, more so than the others. She seems content, not unhappy, and she will continue to thrive. I do treat her like a pet although she is out with the rest of the flock and seems to be doing well with it.
Now having said all that and putting in my two cents, I have to tell you I lost a lamb this past week, Lottie's twin brother Buster. Let me just tell you how heart broken I am and how hard it hit me. He was the stronger of the two and we don't know what went wrong. It's a long story, but it ended sadly. So my opinion on caring for you lamb is pretty much worth about a grain of salt.
Anyways, I hope that you continue doing what you are doing for Zoey and don't let the naysayers make you feel guilty. You are giving her a fighting chance, and she deserves that. You should sleep well at night knowing you are helping her.
Bridge
- Thread starter
- #36
ZoeytheLamb
Chillin' with the herd
Hi!
Honestly, I can't tell you how much hearing from all of you has helped me- my gosh, what would I have done if I had never found this forum!!!! Bless each and everyone of you! As I said before I have no experience with sheep at all and to hear from you that have them is an invaluable resource.
First let me say- Bridget I am so sorry about Buster. I can only imagine how you must feel. You gave him the best of care and made his days on earth happy. Really, like you said, that's all we can do is our best. Imagine what Buster's life would have been without you- you made a difference. I send you a big hug, bless your sweet heart.
To answer the questions all of you have raised about the vet- here's what I know- The vet I have been using is the ONLY farm vet that is in our area (she has 3 other vets helping in the practice- she has consulted all of them about Zoey). Her part of the practice is on cows, goats, sheep and llamas. She said that Zoey's temp is too high (Zoey's temp has run the range of 102-104 during the 60 days of her life) and since all the antibiotics she has been on haven't made a dent in bringing it down- the vet is convinced that an internal abscess is the cause.
When Zoey first showed signs of illness (she was 2 days old) her fever was 104. She was very lethargic, a time or two I thought she was dead. Within 5 minutes of her first antibiotic injection, she was up and walking around. Thus we began the cycle of injections- she would perk up after each injection- then at around the 4th day after the shot, she would get lethargic again and she would get another injection...etc. etc....
Now in the last 2-3 weeks she has broken the cycle by her temp staying in the 103 range and NOT getting lethargic- and she has not had an injection in 2 weeks. So good sign, right?
Zoey stays inside major parts of the day and she sleeps all night in the house. We spend long hours outside and she eats grass (and she loves leaves) and basically plays and enjoys herself. I bring her inside and she takes her naps. She drinks her bottle about every 4 hours (during the night she can go 4 to 5 hours) she drinks about 1 cup of milk replacer at each feeding. Now that she is choosing grass, hay and grain more each day I am lessening her milk- and she doesn't seem to mind.
She loves our dog Max, but Max is old and she pesters him- she wants to play and he just wants to be left alone. So I am the peace maker and have to babysit when the two are together.
There have been some problems with a few of the other lambs that have been born around the same time as Zoey at the museum I work at. The cause I heard was "genetics"
One ewe died and her orphan is being bottle fed (by other staff members) and there is another baby lambkin that is very tiny and frail. All of these lambs that I have mentioned are females. The frailest of the lambs is so tiny, you can see her hip bones so plainly- but she is spunky and runs and nibbles on grass already! I helped with feeding her last week and it appears she has something wrong with her tongue- and doesn't suck properly. But she is surviving, each time I go to work I worry she is gone, but she is hanging in there.
Zoey stays in the kitchen by herself while I am at work (two days a week). I work in the morning, come home at lunch and feed her and let her romp in the yard, then back in the house she goes and I am gone another 4 hours. I hate leaving her, but I have to work. Other than that, I stay at home with her. My husband has been very understanding- he loves her too. He has become the grocery shopper and errand runner for us so I can stay with Zoey.
If she has parasites, wouldn't they be evident in her stools? It sounds gross, but I constantly check her stools- and so far I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary - except the mucous as mentioned earlier.
If she gets dewormed- would that be risky since she has already had digestive issues???
Oh, and another thing- I mentioned in an earlier posting that she was so nervous this weekend (that started when she developed the loose stools on Sat.) She would panic if my husband or I left her alone for just a second- she would cry her panic cry- then yesterday afternoon she got over the nervousness and today has been very calm.
I am so puzzled at what the next step should be- since getting your posts- I am convinced it would be wrong to put her down- I need to give her a chance and if she becomes a quasi pet sheep then at least she is alive!!!! One step at a time... Looking too far ahead gets me in trouble- that's when I start to panic and get so concerned for her.
I've never met all of you- but you have become my friends and your advice is so important to me! Again, thank you all so much! And Bridget you are in my prayers that the hurt and pain of losing Buster will heal. I wish we lived closer to each other- I would love to take you out to lunch or to get some ice cream!
I'll try to post some more pictures of Zoey. Thanks again, my friends!
Sandy
Honestly, I can't tell you how much hearing from all of you has helped me- my gosh, what would I have done if I had never found this forum!!!! Bless each and everyone of you! As I said before I have no experience with sheep at all and to hear from you that have them is an invaluable resource.
First let me say- Bridget I am so sorry about Buster. I can only imagine how you must feel. You gave him the best of care and made his days on earth happy. Really, like you said, that's all we can do is our best. Imagine what Buster's life would have been without you- you made a difference. I send you a big hug, bless your sweet heart.
To answer the questions all of you have raised about the vet- here's what I know- The vet I have been using is the ONLY farm vet that is in our area (she has 3 other vets helping in the practice- she has consulted all of them about Zoey). Her part of the practice is on cows, goats, sheep and llamas. She said that Zoey's temp is too high (Zoey's temp has run the range of 102-104 during the 60 days of her life) and since all the antibiotics she has been on haven't made a dent in bringing it down- the vet is convinced that an internal abscess is the cause.
When Zoey first showed signs of illness (she was 2 days old) her fever was 104. She was very lethargic, a time or two I thought she was dead. Within 5 minutes of her first antibiotic injection, she was up and walking around. Thus we began the cycle of injections- she would perk up after each injection- then at around the 4th day after the shot, she would get lethargic again and she would get another injection...etc. etc....
Now in the last 2-3 weeks she has broken the cycle by her temp staying in the 103 range and NOT getting lethargic- and she has not had an injection in 2 weeks. So good sign, right?
Zoey stays inside major parts of the day and she sleeps all night in the house. We spend long hours outside and she eats grass (and she loves leaves) and basically plays and enjoys herself. I bring her inside and she takes her naps. She drinks her bottle about every 4 hours (during the night she can go 4 to 5 hours) she drinks about 1 cup of milk replacer at each feeding. Now that she is choosing grass, hay and grain more each day I am lessening her milk- and she doesn't seem to mind.
She loves our dog Max, but Max is old and she pesters him- she wants to play and he just wants to be left alone. So I am the peace maker and have to babysit when the two are together.
There have been some problems with a few of the other lambs that have been born around the same time as Zoey at the museum I work at. The cause I heard was "genetics"
One ewe died and her orphan is being bottle fed (by other staff members) and there is another baby lambkin that is very tiny and frail. All of these lambs that I have mentioned are females. The frailest of the lambs is so tiny, you can see her hip bones so plainly- but she is spunky and runs and nibbles on grass already! I helped with feeding her last week and it appears she has something wrong with her tongue- and doesn't suck properly. But she is surviving, each time I go to work I worry she is gone, but she is hanging in there.
Zoey stays in the kitchen by herself while I am at work (two days a week). I work in the morning, come home at lunch and feed her and let her romp in the yard, then back in the house she goes and I am gone another 4 hours. I hate leaving her, but I have to work. Other than that, I stay at home with her. My husband has been very understanding- he loves her too. He has become the grocery shopper and errand runner for us so I can stay with Zoey.
If she has parasites, wouldn't they be evident in her stools? It sounds gross, but I constantly check her stools- and so far I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary - except the mucous as mentioned earlier.
If she gets dewormed- would that be risky since she has already had digestive issues???
Oh, and another thing- I mentioned in an earlier posting that she was so nervous this weekend (that started when she developed the loose stools on Sat.) She would panic if my husband or I left her alone for just a second- she would cry her panic cry- then yesterday afternoon she got over the nervousness and today has been very calm.
I am so puzzled at what the next step should be- since getting your posts- I am convinced it would be wrong to put her down- I need to give her a chance and if she becomes a quasi pet sheep then at least she is alive!!!! One step at a time... Looking too far ahead gets me in trouble- that's when I start to panic and get so concerned for her.
I've never met all of you- but you have become my friends and your advice is so important to me! Again, thank you all so much! And Bridget you are in my prayers that the hurt and pain of losing Buster will heal. I wish we lived closer to each other- I would love to take you out to lunch or to get some ice cream!
I'll try to post some more pictures of Zoey. Thanks again, my friends!
Sandy
bonbean01
Herd Master
Hey Sandy! You are doing great!!! Now the next thing I'm going to type here as a suggestion may make you and your husband and your dog want to smack me...
Have you considered taking in another lamb? Thinking the company when you aren't home might be good for her. Sheep do like company and it may actually be good for her...ummmm...more work for you I know...but just a thought I had. No separation anxiety when you can't be there...perhaps this is a dumb idea, but I think I'd try it...but then I do spoil my sheep terribly...LOLOL.
Have you considered taking in another lamb? Thinking the company when you aren't home might be good for her. Sheep do like company and it may actually be good for her...ummmm...more work for you I know...but just a thought I had. No separation anxiety when you can't be there...perhaps this is a dumb idea, but I think I'd try it...but then I do spoil my sheep terribly...LOLOL.
Bridgemoof
Overrun with beasties
Yeah! Yeah! Clearly Zoey needs a buddy!
I looked high and low for another bottle baby for Lottie. I did end up getting Fluffy, but she wasn't a bottle baby. They never really bonded. Fluffy's brother's came the week after her, and they are all close as can be, but not with Lottie. Fluffy was raised by her mom and the rest of their flock. she's always been a bit on the wild side, all of them are. It's taken this long for Fluffy not to run away from me when I get close. So, they clearly were raised differently. I think another bottle baby would work, you said the museum has spawned a few more bottle babies, so maybe you can put them together.
I have been trying to read up on that navel ill, and I guess apparently navel ill and joint ill are the same or related, but you said the joint ill is gone? On one forum a person wrote about how their vet drained the navel abscess, there was lump there filled with pus. Does Zoey have a lump on her navel? Does she have joint problems? (You may have said in an earlier post, I can't remember).
You can read what they were talking about here: http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/vforum/showthread.php?t=6640
I wish someone with more experience would jump in here as opposed to me. Anybody have experience with navel ill? I'm just trying to figure out what the outcome is here if she is not responding to antibiotics. Will the abscess continue to grow and affect her other internal organs? Is that what the vet is concerned about? I'm educating myself at the same time you are getting help I hope!
I looked high and low for another bottle baby for Lottie. I did end up getting Fluffy, but she wasn't a bottle baby. They never really bonded. Fluffy's brother's came the week after her, and they are all close as can be, but not with Lottie. Fluffy was raised by her mom and the rest of their flock. she's always been a bit on the wild side, all of them are. It's taken this long for Fluffy not to run away from me when I get close. So, they clearly were raised differently. I think another bottle baby would work, you said the museum has spawned a few more bottle babies, so maybe you can put them together.
I have been trying to read up on that navel ill, and I guess apparently navel ill and joint ill are the same or related, but you said the joint ill is gone? On one forum a person wrote about how their vet drained the navel abscess, there was lump there filled with pus. Does Zoey have a lump on her navel? Does she have joint problems? (You may have said in an earlier post, I can't remember).
You can read what they were talking about here: http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/vforum/showthread.php?t=6640
I wish someone with more experience would jump in here as opposed to me. Anybody have experience with navel ill? I'm just trying to figure out what the outcome is here if she is not responding to antibiotics. Will the abscess continue to grow and affect her other internal organs? Is that what the vet is concerned about? I'm educating myself at the same time you are getting help I hope!
- Thread starter
- #39
ZoeytheLamb
Chillin' with the herd
Hi!
Great minds do think alike!
This morning I was just thinking along those same lines.... about getting another lamb... Boy, would hubby have a fit!:/ He has been so patient with Zoey and all the tremendous cost and care she has required, but I have a feeling he would have a double duck fit if he came home and saw another lamb in the yard!
The museum does have two bottle babies- the strongest one is called Peanut, she is doing rather well- but I think she has health issues too. She doesn't look healthy to me, but she is growing. The second bottle baby is so tiny, she breaks my heart every time I see her- she is so thin. She's a brave little thing, and is trying so hard to live. She has difficulty sucking and really will only take less than an ounce from a bottle- no matter how hard everyone tries to get her to feed. They feel she is getting something from her mother- but clearly she is terribly underweight. The bottle baby Peanut is a bit of a loner- but she has a buddy in one of the other lambs, so that is good.
So many issues about getting another sheep for Zoey- as I mentioned in earlier posts- we live in town... and we aren't suppose to have livestock... so if anything was ever said I would say I am just fostering her- but if I get another sheep, I think that would cause a lot of trouble. Fortunately, we have a giant double lot backyard and it's totally fenced in and we have tall privet hedges that surround the fence- Zoey has lots of room to run around in.
Oh, and today was a milestone for her! She manufactured her first real sheep poo! Since I have had her, mostly her poo has been soft and milky like pudding- today it was the pelleted looking dark brown kind like I see the sheep at the museum leave behind. Each day I notice she is eating more and more grass. Today too she has been eating more and more of her grain- instead of just playing with it.
Oh, her joint ill is gone (thank Heavens for that!)! Navel Ill can lead to Joint Ill- the infection goes to the bones. She was noticed to have Navel Ill at just a few days old- when I first took her to the vet - the base where her cord attached to her stomach was very hard and protruded- it felt like the size and width of the mouth of a garden hose. No pain on palpitation. While on her first round of antibiotics she began to limp on her right back leg, and when standing still she wouldn't put any weight on it. Back to the vet we went, this time she was given a stronger antibiotic. By the next day she was able to walk fine with no pain. In the following weeks, she would favor that right back leg- but only for short intervals. The swelling on her belly gradually shrank and was all but disappeared by 4 weeks of age. I checked her belly just yesterday and the swelling is still fine.
I asked the vet where she thought the abscess might be in her body and she said it would most likely be somewhere up the GI tract- but only surgery could tell. She said surgery would not be an option for Zoey- that she would have to be sent to Va. Tech for surgery- and that would be way beyond our means. So she said it would have to be a wait and see game- wait and see if that temp skyrockets after she finished her 5th round of antibiotics. So that is one reason this has been such a nail biting time- just waiting, and waiting...
Another reason I watch her so closely - and monitor every little cough and wiggle she makes- is I so fear that really high temp coming back. I have on hand another round of antibiotics in case her temp rises. The vet said if it does go up, the best option would be to put her down.
She said since abscesses don't have a blood supply, antibiotics rarely help. She speculates that when Zoey was born, when her cord broke at birth from the mother- it lay on the dirt and the cord was still "sucking" for those few seconds after birth and as it lay in the dirt, bacteria entered her body. The abscess on the other hand, may have already been formed or forming while she was in the womb. She was not born in the lambing shed- she was born in the pasture in the wee hours of the morning before the staff had arrived.
Also Zoey's mother is 16 years old! She had mastitis - which she appears to have recovered from. Zoey's twin sister is doing fine- she had a rocky start too in the beginning and everyone thought she wouldn't live. She appears to be bigger than Zoey. Zoey is small and has delicate features- small face, little nose and her legs are very slim. Her legs are perfectly straight, no curvature from the Joint Ill. She never had knobby knees like so many of the lambs at the museum have.
Today Zoey is doing great- very calm, eating well- running and jumping and playing. I hate to think she is a ticking time bomb- that that abscess could suddenly flare up. My prayer is that it is shrinking and will dissolve. Does anyone know what happens with internal abscesses and how they go away? Or will this be something that will stay with her all her life???
Zoey is social, I guess that's the word. She's not afraid of people, dogs or cats. She appears to be getting shyer as she ages, but she has no problem with being petted - she loves getting the base of her ears scratched and her nose rubbed. When she sees people at first she is stand offish, then if they don't rush her, she warms up to them. If she is relaxed she loves to put her face up to yours and smell your face and your breath- she will nuzzle your face as if she is memorizing it.
If I can remember how I will post a recent picture of her. Thanks my friends for being so patient as I prattle on about her!
Sandy
Great minds do think alike!
This morning I was just thinking along those same lines.... about getting another lamb... Boy, would hubby have a fit!:/ He has been so patient with Zoey and all the tremendous cost and care she has required, but I have a feeling he would have a double duck fit if he came home and saw another lamb in the yard!
The museum does have two bottle babies- the strongest one is called Peanut, she is doing rather well- but I think she has health issues too. She doesn't look healthy to me, but she is growing. The second bottle baby is so tiny, she breaks my heart every time I see her- she is so thin. She's a brave little thing, and is trying so hard to live. She has difficulty sucking and really will only take less than an ounce from a bottle- no matter how hard everyone tries to get her to feed. They feel she is getting something from her mother- but clearly she is terribly underweight. The bottle baby Peanut is a bit of a loner- but she has a buddy in one of the other lambs, so that is good.
So many issues about getting another sheep for Zoey- as I mentioned in earlier posts- we live in town... and we aren't suppose to have livestock... so if anything was ever said I would say I am just fostering her- but if I get another sheep, I think that would cause a lot of trouble. Fortunately, we have a giant double lot backyard and it's totally fenced in and we have tall privet hedges that surround the fence- Zoey has lots of room to run around in.
Oh, and today was a milestone for her! She manufactured her first real sheep poo! Since I have had her, mostly her poo has been soft and milky like pudding- today it was the pelleted looking dark brown kind like I see the sheep at the museum leave behind. Each day I notice she is eating more and more grass. Today too she has been eating more and more of her grain- instead of just playing with it.
Oh, her joint ill is gone (thank Heavens for that!)! Navel Ill can lead to Joint Ill- the infection goes to the bones. She was noticed to have Navel Ill at just a few days old- when I first took her to the vet - the base where her cord attached to her stomach was very hard and protruded- it felt like the size and width of the mouth of a garden hose. No pain on palpitation. While on her first round of antibiotics she began to limp on her right back leg, and when standing still she wouldn't put any weight on it. Back to the vet we went, this time she was given a stronger antibiotic. By the next day she was able to walk fine with no pain. In the following weeks, she would favor that right back leg- but only for short intervals. The swelling on her belly gradually shrank and was all but disappeared by 4 weeks of age. I checked her belly just yesterday and the swelling is still fine.
I asked the vet where she thought the abscess might be in her body and she said it would most likely be somewhere up the GI tract- but only surgery could tell. She said surgery would not be an option for Zoey- that she would have to be sent to Va. Tech for surgery- and that would be way beyond our means. So she said it would have to be a wait and see game- wait and see if that temp skyrockets after she finished her 5th round of antibiotics. So that is one reason this has been such a nail biting time- just waiting, and waiting...
Another reason I watch her so closely - and monitor every little cough and wiggle she makes- is I so fear that really high temp coming back. I have on hand another round of antibiotics in case her temp rises. The vet said if it does go up, the best option would be to put her down.
She said since abscesses don't have a blood supply, antibiotics rarely help. She speculates that when Zoey was born, when her cord broke at birth from the mother- it lay on the dirt and the cord was still "sucking" for those few seconds after birth and as it lay in the dirt, bacteria entered her body. The abscess on the other hand, may have already been formed or forming while she was in the womb. She was not born in the lambing shed- she was born in the pasture in the wee hours of the morning before the staff had arrived.
Also Zoey's mother is 16 years old! She had mastitis - which she appears to have recovered from. Zoey's twin sister is doing fine- she had a rocky start too in the beginning and everyone thought she wouldn't live. She appears to be bigger than Zoey. Zoey is small and has delicate features- small face, little nose and her legs are very slim. Her legs are perfectly straight, no curvature from the Joint Ill. She never had knobby knees like so many of the lambs at the museum have.
Today Zoey is doing great- very calm, eating well- running and jumping and playing. I hate to think she is a ticking time bomb- that that abscess could suddenly flare up. My prayer is that it is shrinking and will dissolve. Does anyone know what happens with internal abscesses and how they go away? Or will this be something that will stay with her all her life???
Zoey is social, I guess that's the word. She's not afraid of people, dogs or cats. She appears to be getting shyer as she ages, but she has no problem with being petted - she loves getting the base of her ears scratched and her nose rubbed. When she sees people at first she is stand offish, then if they don't rush her, she warms up to them. If she is relaxed she loves to put her face up to yours and smell your face and your breath- she will nuzzle your face as if she is memorizing it.
If I can remember how I will post a recent picture of her. Thanks my friends for being so patient as I prattle on about her!
Sandy
- Thread starter
- #40
ZoeytheLamb
Chillin' with the herd
I hope I remember correctly how to add pictures to my posts.
Here is one of Zoey taken yesterday and the closeup of her face was taken today.
Picture 1. http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/6666_1.jpg
Picture 2. http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/6666_2.jpg
You can see she is eating leaves in the first picture- she loves leaves- and oddly enough she likes Poison Ivy leaves too...! Which I found out much to my dismay...
We have been spraying a non-toxic poison ivy killer on the stuff and so far it is working and she is also staying away from it. I have blotches on my arm and face.
I'm going to post a question about Lambs eating Poison Ivy- is that normal????
Sandy
Here is one of Zoey taken yesterday and the closeup of her face was taken today.
Picture 1. http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/6666_1.jpg
Picture 2. http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/6666_2.jpg
You can see she is eating leaves in the first picture- she loves leaves- and oddly enough she likes Poison Ivy leaves too...! Which I found out much to my dismay...
We have been spraying a non-toxic poison ivy killer on the stuff and so far it is working and she is also staying away from it. I have blotches on my arm and face.
I'm going to post a question about Lambs eating Poison Ivy- is that normal????
Sandy
