3 week old Gulf Coast Native Lamb

[Bridgemoof]

Oh my gosh she is adorable Sandy! Just precious! It sounds like you are well informed on what is going on with her medically, and I understand the waiting game and the anxiety and worry that goes along with that. You know I am praying she makes it!

 

[RemudaOne]

I was never allergic to poison ivy/oak. Till I went out one day just after shaving my legs!! I got it around both ankles...... I couldn't believe it. Bought all of the recommended remedies, spent a fortune. The very best thing I found was in my tap! I found that running the hottest water I could stand over my ankles caused it to quit itching. Apparently, it confuses your nerve endings and they are more concerned about the hot water than they are the poison ivy. I don't really understand how it works, but it really does. If it starts itching again, go do it again. It was the only way I kept my sanity until it healed up. For the area on your face, you could hold a hot, wet wash cloth to it. Good luck!

My mom got it on her bum once...... miserable!

 

[ZoeytheLamb]

Thank you Bridget! She is such a darling, pictures really can't show how cute she is!

How is Lottie? Taken any pictures lately? I would love to see her, honestly she is the cutest!!!

Hi too to RemudaOne! P. Ivy on the bum! OMG! What agony!!!!
I am afraid I one of those folks that is very allergic- it seems to run in my family. Years (centuries ago it seems) my Dad was burning the stuff and my sister had the smoke blow against her skin- and it gave her a terrible rash.

Yes, I have been doing the really hot water on my many spots- it's like a delicious pain to feel it. I've tried the home remedies of warm paste of baking soda- that did nothing for me. Caladry clear lotion is the only thing that has been helping. When you get hot and sweat, those bumps really start to hurt! I work in costume at the museum and today out in the sun, the itching started in earnest! What a relief to get home!

But does eating poison ivy hurt sheep? Zoey ate some the other day- but so far no sighs of any problems. We are using a salt and vinegar solution on the poison ivy and it is gradually killing it- but trying to keep her away from it until it is gone is tough- she beelines over to it everyday.

Also Zoey's temp yesterday evening was 102.8! That's the lowest is has been in quite awhile!

Sandy

 

[Bridgemoof]

102.8!!! That's great! I hope it stays that way.

From what I've read about poison ivy, it is a-okay for sheep to eat. So let her eat it if she likes it, and you will get rid of it at the same time!

There is a list I have of poisonous plants for sheep, and that is not on it either. Ragweed is, and our farm is loaded with it. But they don't seem to want to eat it anyways. You may have to worry about the plants in the list below, because more of them are common in the suburban backyard. Oh great, I just noticed sugar beet tops are toxic, and I've been feeding them to my sheep ;-/ Lottie ate them, but didn't get sick. I've also seen her eating mushrooms and she hasn't gotten sick. I've read oak leaves are toxic, but they are not on this list. I think some of these things they have to ingest a very large quantity to make them sick.

Here is a list of poisonous plants to sheep:
Acorns
Angel trumpet (all parts)
Azalea (all parts)
Bittersweet (leaves, fruit)
Black Bryony
Bracken
Buckthorn (all parts)
Caladium (all parts)
Castor Bean (all parts)
Chinese Lantern (all parts)
Chrysanthemum (all parts)
Creeping Charlie (all parts)
Daffodil (bulb)
Delphinium (all parts)
English Ivy (all parts)
Foxglove (leaf, seeds)
Geranium (all parts)
Gladiola (bulb)
Hemlock (water dropwort)
Holly (all parts)
Horse Chestnut (flower, sprout, seeds)
Horsetails
Hyacinth (bulb)
Iris (all parts)
Jerusalem Cherry (leaf, unripe fruit)
Laburnum
Lily of the Valley (all parts)
Lupine
Mistletoe (all parts)
Monkshood
Mushrooms (all parts)
Narcissus (all parts)
Nightshade (all parts)
Oleander (all parts)
Peony (roots)
Philodendron
Potato (sprouts, vines, unripe tubers)
Ragwort
Rhododendron
Rhubarb (leaf, roots)
Green Hellebore
Stinking Hellebore
Sugarbeet tops (FRESH)
Trumpet Lily (all parts)
Vinca Vine (all parts)
Wandering Jew (leaf)
Yew (IMMEDIATELY toxic)

 

[ZoeytheLamb]

Hi Bridget!

What a valuable and important list of harmful plants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much! She has been eating the leaves of the Iris plant!!! So far no harmful signs of it hurting her- but I'll keep her away from them.
And English Ivy too! She hasn't shown any interest in the ivy, but we do have that in places in our yard.

Our backyard is more like a pasture than a backyard- we have very few shrubs or plants. After having 3 large Lab dogs in 10 years- they landscaped us out of a lovely yard!

Zoey appears to be doing really great- calm, happy and doing all the things I guess a lamb should do. BUT that temp jumped back up two days ago- up to 104.9! She had been running around and playing in the backyard- it hadn't been that hot of a day- our weather has been so much cooler lately. I took her temp again a couple of hours later and it was back to 102.7.
So I didn't put her back on the antibiotics. And since then her temp has stayed in the 102 range. I really got worried when the temp was so high- I brought her in and made her rest. She seemed fine- not lethargic, she appeared to feel fine while her temp was so high. Before when her temp was in that range she was really lethargic- almost comatose.

Could she have had stroke if the temp had gotten higher??? She had been playing as I mentioned- but no racing or running around and the outside temp was in the 70s. So I wonder when the summer heat gets high- when she plays, will her temp really shoot up?

She is eating more grass, leaves and sheep food. She doesn't have any real interest in the alfalfa hay. Each week she depends less and less on the milk replacer and shows so much more interest in eating like a sheep.

Oh, and I took her over to a friend of mines house- her son has just gotten out of the hospital (he was hit by a car- a real miracle he survived) and Zoey and I went for a short visit with them. Zoey had a blast! She was so sweet and enjoyed the outing. She doesn't mind going for trips in the car.

Thanks again Bridget for the list of plants- I am going to print it out and put it on the fridge.

A hug to you from me and a nose butt from Zoey!

Sandy

 

[ZoeytheLamb]

EMERGENCY!

Help! Zoey is ill- not sure what is wrong. This past Thursday evening (really 12: 00 am Friday morning) she was given her bottle of milk as usual, she appeared happy and fine- then at 4:00 a.m. I went to check on her and she was lying asleep on her bed and it was difficult to wake her. Once awake she was groggy, and she refused her bottle. Since that 12:00 a.m bottle she has not taken more than 2 ounces of milk replacer and today is Saturday!!! She has nibbled a bit on grass- but refuses any feed or hay.

I called the vet and asked her if this was the beginning of the end for Zoey- she said it may not be her earlier problem (suspected abscess) but something else- as her temp has not risen- it is in the 102.9 range (her norm usually 103). We gave her another dose of Nuflor antibiotic and the vet gave us some other vaccines and an oral dose of something that smelled like turpentine.

After giving her the oral stuff Zoey has been acting weaker. She is alert, but doesn't want to move around much. I have tried giving her electrolytes by syringe and she has taken a few ounces of it- plus about an ounce of milk.

She has been urinating and defecating as normal. On palpitating her stomach area she shows no sign of it hurting. No swelling.

I am so puzzled- she has been doing so great- this came on so suddenly.

I am so worried and so scared. Please, if any body has any suggestions- please write!!!!

Sandy

 

[bonbean01]

I have no clue...but sending you a hug...doesn't help much, but am thinking of you!

 

[ZoeytheLamb]

Thank you- please keep Zoey in your thoughts and prayers.

She is very sleepy, I think she may be dying. I'm trying to stay calm and not let her know I am upset.

It means a lot to get your hug, thanks

Sandy

 

[Bridgemoof]

Oh no, this is bad. I wish I could help, but there is nothing that I can do. If there is any chance you can get the vet out there....

I can't imagine what would be causing this turn for the worse. You've done everything you can for her, you've been such a good mother. I'm sending hugs your way too and to poor little Zoey.

 

[jodief100]

Start a new thread under emergencies- that way you might get someone's attention who knows something about sheep. I don't. I am so sorry.