Hi everyone. I've been a long-time watcher/reader but felt the need to post with a question.
We have two rescue ewes. Both are old (about 12). We didn't know they were that old when we decided to accept them, but there was talk of them going to market...so here we are. The smaller one has had multiple issues (vet visits...lots of money for 'free' sheep) but is finally doing good. The bigger one is the one I'm having questions about.
She has always been very happy to see me coming with the feed bucket. Otherwise she stays away from humans...pretty wild. We call her loca chicha blanca (crazy white girl). Friday she ate most of her food but left some. Unusual for her. Saturday night she ate about half of her usual amount and left it. I even wetted and mushed the feed in case she had tooth pain. She ate some more but left some. Last night she barely touched it. I gave her a pain pill because she just looked like her she was hurting (no swelling around her mouth or face). About an hour later she was up grazing.
What little I've been able to find to read about old sheep and teeth is that it's pretty common for them to have issues. What I'm trying to find is something that is easy for an old girl to eat but will give her the needed roughage she needs for her tummy.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm also trying to do this without incurring another large vet bill. My vet is wonderful, but funds are limited.
We have two rescue ewes. Both are old (about 12). We didn't know they were that old when we decided to accept them, but there was talk of them going to market...so here we are. The smaller one has had multiple issues (vet visits...lots of money for 'free' sheep) but is finally doing good. The bigger one is the one I'm having questions about.
She has always been very happy to see me coming with the feed bucket. Otherwise she stays away from humans...pretty wild. We call her loca chicha blanca (crazy white girl). Friday she ate most of her food but left some. Unusual for her. Saturday night she ate about half of her usual amount and left it. I even wetted and mushed the feed in case she had tooth pain. She ate some more but left some. Last night she barely touched it. I gave her a pain pill because she just looked like her she was hurting (no swelling around her mouth or face). About an hour later she was up grazing.
What little I've been able to find to read about old sheep and teeth is that it's pretty common for them to have issues. What I'm trying to find is something that is easy for an old girl to eat but will give her the needed roughage she needs for her tummy.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm also trying to do this without incurring another large vet bill. My vet is wonderful, but funds are limited.