Sheep ate cherry leaves

[norseofcourse]

I had a large cherry branch come down in the pasture yesterday, it had been hanging on the tree for awhile and the leaves were pretty dried up already. My ram and ponies who were in the pasture didn't bother it, it's a big pasture and plenty of other stuff to eat. I let the ewes in today thinking since the other ones hadn't touched it they wouldn't either till I could get it out (big mistake I know now...), and they found it and started eating the dried leaves, I got them away from it as fast as I could with some corn and put them back in their pasture, I can't tell exactly how much they ate.

I called the emergency vet my sheep vet refers to, and he was really nice, but he said they don't keep the antidote on hand because they see so few cases of it, and said the symptoms usually come on pretty fast, and said if the leaves weren't freshly wilted they're not as toxic. It's been over two hours now and they're still acting ok, but I'm still worried. Has anyone had sheep eat cherry leaves and show symptoms and if so, how fast? Or eat some and still be ok?

Edited to add: 3 hours now and they still seem ok...

 

[bonbean01]

No clue...but hoping nothing comes of it!!!

 

[norseofcourse]

Thanks bonbean - nearly 4am now and they're still ok. I'll finish cutting up the limb and get the rest of it out of there in the morning. Glad it's Sunday so I can keep checking on them. The vet said if they were ok in the morning they'd probably be alright, but I won't stop worrying for a while longer.

 

[Animallovers1]

I am not a sheep person but am crossing my fingered for you

 

[elevan]

It's been about 10 hours since your last update....how are they doing?

 

[norseofcourse]

Thank you everyone for your concern!

They were ok in the morning, and I kept an eye on them during the day; feeling ok with how they were doing I went to a friends house this evening. I got back just after dark and went out to feed and check everyone - and Brosa - the youngest, the smallest - was acting strangely. She was restless, and walking kind of weird. Walking into her mother and kind of pushing her in a circle. Walking with her head down. Then she'd drop and lay down for a little bit, then back up walking restlessly. She didn't come up to me for petting like usual. Her mom was acting slightly restless too, but not like Brosa was. I watched the other two and they seemed fairly normal. I took Brosa some apple leaves and she ate them out of my hand.

The websites said staggering and incoordination were signs of cherry leaf poisoning, she wasn't quite stumbling, but something wasn't right either. I was about to come in and call the vet again when I got close enough to her left side and shined my light on her and saw something in her wool... several... bees? No, a closer look, they were yellow jackets! My guess is she laid down on a nest and some got in her wool and couldn't get out? My gosh, how many had she had on her? Had she gotten stung? I got some of my ponies fly spray and sprayed her lightly - the only restriction on the bottle was don't use on cats, so I hope it was ok on sheep. By the time I got the fly spray, there were only two left on her I could see, and I got those off. She was soon acting much calmer, and came when I called her and ate more apple leaves.

I just went back out to check on them, and they were all laying calmly in the barn, but I checked Brosa and found two more yellow jackets. I got one off and killed it, then couldn't find the other one. I think she'll be ok - and now I have a yellow jacket nest in their pasture I have to find and kill. But at least I think they're over any danger from the cherry leaves.

 

[20kidsonhill]

the leaves have to be at a certain stage of wilting to do the damage, Sounds ilke your leaves were too crispy.

 

[elevan]

Egads! Yellow jackets stuck in their wool? That would be pretty scary. Good luck finding the nest and dispatching it!

 

[bonbean01]

X 2!!!!! I have kind of long wild hair, more so in humid weather and even just an ordinary fly caught in my hair makes me look like I have some kind of poisoning

Sounds like your sheepie isn't poisoned from the cherry leaves...I read that they are when they wilt, but not dry and crunchy. Do not envy you looking for the yellow jacket nest and getting rid of it!! Do not get bit yourself!!

If you find it...not sure this is good advice or not...saw on Duck Dynasty the way to get bees calm is with smoke ... a rag soaked in oil to smoke on a long stick...worth a try?

 

[BHOBCFarms]

I don't know how to help you, but I didn't know about Cherry leaves and sheep! I have a cherry tree in my orchard!!!! I will have to be careful until the new pasture fence goes up. I hope your sheep make it!