Lady Baa Baa Bloated Yesterday

[Baymule]

Yesterday afternoon I let the girls out to graze in the yard. We have a lot of clover, it's going to seed, so let them have it. I sat outside with them and let them graze for 45 minutes. I gradually let them on the clovers to keep them from bloating. I also set out baking soda for them, they have mineral and dolomite lime. Lady Baa Baa didn't graze with the flock, she just stood around. That was not like her, so I just watched. When I out them up, they ran to the lot to get the feed I was rattling in the can. Lady Baa Baa walked slowly to the lot. Something was definitely wrong. Her sides bulged out, bloat. I got mineral oil and a drench gun. I caught and held her, BJ slowly gave her the mineral oil, stopping frequently to let her swallow, bite my finger and wiggle. Finally it was all gone.

When I have had a horse with colic, after drenching with mineral oil, I walked them. I walked the horse until he/she farted, pooped, farted some more, and got annoyed with me. Sometimes it took hours.

So I walked Lady Baa Baa. I got behind her and pushed her butt. She walked away and stopped, I pushed, she walked away and stopped, I pushed.....Around and around the lot, down to the hay bale, back to the lot, back to the hay bale. When she stopped and my pushing didn't get her walking again, I massaged both sides of her belly. That felt good, her lip quivered. She stopped to poop. Victory. Things were moving. I walked her for 3 hours. She pooped 8 or 9 times. Her belly went down a little, her eyes brightened up. She was feeling better. It was after 7, so I went in and threw us a quick supper together. I checked on her several more times, it was obvious that she felt better.

This morning she was back to her old self. I went over in my mind, what could she have bloated on? They have already been grazing, she didn't even graze very long. Finally it hit me, the birdseed! We have a bird feeder and the birds scatter a lot of feed. The sheep hit it, scarfing up whatever was on the ground. That must have been it. I almost lost my Lady Baa Baa to freakin birdseed on the ground.

 

[Mini Horses]

Glad she is now doing well !! Bloat is no fun.

You got a lot of exercise. Sheep and goats don't lead as well as a horse, do they? (Well, mine don't!)

When I had a horse show colic, I put it in the horse trailer for a short ride around. Quite often that worked faster than a walk. Anyone with a horse KNOWS -- clean trailer, short ride, poop happens! AND -- their favorite place to pee is the just cleaned and freshly bedded stall

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I put it in the horse trailer for a short ride around. Quite often that worked faster than a walk. Anyone with a horse KNOWS -- clean trailer, short ride, poop happens! AND -- their favorite place to pee is the just cleaned and freshly bedded stall

I was just about to say that, lol. Trailer ride is so much easier than walking, and walking, and walking....

 

[Mike CHS]

It pays to know what is normal with the flock.

 

[Baymule]

Sheep are so good at hiding illness, a sick sheep is easy pickings for a predator. Lady Baa Baa didn't act real sick, just a little bit "off". She just stood around, not doing much (besides preparing to blow up and die). I could have missed the signals and put her up for the night and found her dead the next morning.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

I physically burp my goats if they look bloated, if it's real bad they get peanut oil and a chase around to get that gas out.... can't imagine it showing up enough to see in a sheeps coat, great shepards know their flock

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

Good job Bay! I'm glad she is doing well!

 

[Sheepshape]

Baking soda is my 'run to' medicine....as a drench via the gun. Unusual in these parts as the pasture starts to grow very slowly (damp and cool climate). The worst bloat I had was a few years back when my girls found their way into the garden and ate the bean and pea plants plus cabbages, sprouts and cauliflower. Two or them looked pregnant again. Baking soda helped them, and they lived to belch another day. No home-grown produce that year apart from potatoes and courgettes ....they ate just about everything else...pumpkins, strawberry plants, and raspberry canes included.

Baymule....your resolve to cure the bloat is astounding....walking for hours to cure her. I would have done the same if it were needed. You're a great Animal Champion.