My new ewe lamb is sick

[Goat Whisperer]

I'd love to know why! Does she have any articles on it?

 

[Green Acres Farm]

I'd love to know why! Does she have any articles on it?

I don't think so, but she has written a lot. She is very knowledgeable and has a very knowledgeable vet, so I just do whatever she says.

Here is an article she wrote on parasites:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/worms-and-coccidia-in-goats-zbcz1411

 

[Green Acres Farm]

Isnt ivermectin plus hard on the liver? I know it is dangerous in dogs, because of that.

 

[babsbag]

Talk about confusing. I read that the cattle wormer is ok for sheep and then I found that it isn't but I can't find Ivermectin Plus in any other formula. I found the same dosage that you did; 1cc/110 lbs injected. I read that it going to sting and that the sheep may act like its dying. They say not to give it orally, not sure why unless flukes detach like worms and the animal can bleed out. I can't believe that there is less information for sheep than there is for goats.

Hopefully some sheep people will chime in here.

 

[Ponker]

1cc per 110 pounds sounds VERY low, but sheep metabolisms may be different than goats.

Marilyn is the only one struggling with this specific problem. My other girls are fine (thank heavens!) and my boys are fat and happy. I used Cydectin for my dewormer this year and it worked fine. And yes, goats and sheep have very different dosages for the same product. Usually goats are dosed at a much higher rate than sheep. <- typically

I am going to try the Ivomec Plus for the Clorsulon that is mixed with the ivermectin which is the only other product available in the USA for treating liver flukes. I'm grasping at straws here but perhaps these flukes are Valbazen resistant.

I am very open to other diagnosis' based on her symptoms. She's not showing that she's in any pain. I do know that sheep are prey animals and hide pain for as long as possible. She's chewing her cud, laying in the shade with the others, running to me when I come for a visit, jostling with the others at the feeder and manger at feeding time... nothing to give an impression she isn't feeling well. Its her physical symptoms that have me worried sick. She's much smaller than the others her same age, I can feel her belly bulge at her ribcage line, her wool is coming out where she is stretching, and according to the FAMACHA scores she's at a five (dangerously anemic). Even though I did manage to bring her back from the bottlejaw, she hasn't really come out of the scary anemic zone. Her eyes have cleared up along with the bottle jaw. I'm going to try for some photos today.

If there is something else that could be going on that I am missing, please feel free to suggest something to check, something to try, a test I can have run... I feel like I'm running out of time with her.

@babsbag I found somewhere deep in the internet, information about giving the Ivomec Plus orally. I'm not sure about the dosage or the route of administration. I wish there was more to go on or a vet that would tell me how to do this. Well, a vet that I had faith in. Maybe Pipestone will get back to me.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

How many eggs were on the slide? You said you used the Mcmasters slide, this is more accurate then a normal slide/float (the kind you use for dogs, cats, etc.).

How is her appetite? If she isn't eating well I'd be giving probiotics and B-complex. I think you said you are already doing the B shots.
Does she like molasses? Giving some blackstrap molasses in some water might help her a bit. I haven't had to give iron supplements, but if you have a safe iron injectable that would probably be good.
I don't know much about sheep, but this is what I'd do with a goat.
I think I read that you can't give redcell to sheep, but I don't know. You might want to look at that too. Hoping you get something back from Pipestone

I would start her slowly on something like alfalfa and calf manna. These will hopefully give her an extra boost until you can get the parasites taken care of.

 

[Bossroo]

I would consult with your nearest University Veterinary Medicine Pathology Department and talk to their Pathologist ... describe the symtoms and what you had administered and ask for their advice.

 

[Green Acres Farm]

Yes, redcell has too much copper and maybe selenium for sheep.

 

[babsbag]

For the dosage everything I read said 1cc/110 lb but I found it given both orally and SQ with warnings about both ways, typical.

I also read that neither of those drugs will work on juvenile liver flukes so maybe that is why the Valbazen didn't seem to work.

 

[Sheepshape]

I'm so sorry to hear that your Marilyn is sick and your vet so unhelpful.
DO make sure she is treated for liver fluke (and all your other sheep if you are in or your lambs came from a fluke-endemic area).
It seems alike we have a lot more products available for fluke over here (probably because we have such a damp and miserable climate!). Valbazen is one trade name for albendazole. If fluke is a major problem then I use closantel (trade name Flukiver over here)....more toxic than some other flukicides, but very effective. Triclabendazole is also pretty effective if it is available.

It really is horrid when vets are so heartless. Our local vets are good. They ask for a mixed faecal sample from 10-12 lambs and charge £10 (that's about 10$ since the moves to Brexit!) and will analyse and let you know the results the same day.

I DO hope she gets better.