Please Help! Sick Ewe

[countrygirl.]

Hi,
I am a new sheep owner and I have a ewe that is just over a year old. She had twins in April. She has been panting and she has a fever. She seems to be off balance and when stepping is bending her ankles so that she is stepping onto the tops of her feet. She corrects herself but is stumbling a lot. She is also a bit bloated, but Im not sure that has anything to do with it. I have given her penicillin and trimidox. I started to notice that she was acting odd on Sunday. Her feet are not overgrown and are not injured. Since then her temperature has gone down a bit, but her stumbling has gotten worse.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Ella

 

[TAH]

Hi,
I am a new sheep owner and I have a ewe that is just over a year old. She had twins in April. She has been panting and she has a fever. She seems to be off balance and when stepping is bending her ankles so that she is stepping onto the tops of her feet. She corrects herself but is stumbling a lot. She is also a bit bloated, but Im not sure that has anything to do with it. I have given her penicillin and trimidox. I started to notice that she was acting odd on Sunday. Her feet are not overgrown and are not injured. Since then her temperature has gone down a bit, but her stumbling has gotten worse.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Ella

I will tag on some people hew can help
@Ponker
@Roving Jacobs
@luvmypets
@Baymule
@norseofcourse
@purplequeenvt

 

[babsbag]

@Sheepshape

 

[norseofcourse]

Honestly I'd have the vet out, and take note of any other symptoms - eating, drinking well? You've checked her feet for signs of hoof rot? How high is her temperature? You don't say where you are, has it been especially hot lately? Are the twins still nursing or is her milk drying up? Any feed changes lately? How is her body condition (thin, decent, fat)? Color of inside of her eyelids (should be dark pink to red)? Make sure to have her worming and vaccination history for the vet, too.

Good luck with her, let us know how it goes, and if you have any pictures we'd love to see them.

 

[Sheepshape]

I'd get the vet,too,Ella
Has she got a snotty nose?....if so. chest infection/pneumonia is no.1 on my list with the stumbling as a result of general illness.
Has she had access/been eating mouldy hay/silage etc.?......in which case listeriosis.

There are lots of other things which could be making her ill and a veterinarian who can examine her is in the best position to know.

Good Luck.

 

[Ponker]

I have to concur; get the vet involved. She sounds pretty sick. I hope she recovers quickly. Please, let us know what the vet tells you. Don't wait, get her examined asap.

 

[purplequeenvt]

Like everyone else has said, get the vet out ASAP.

My first thoughts would be pneumonia, heat stress, or parasites. Or some combination.

What is her body condition like? How long has she been like this?

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings @countrygirl. and welcome to BYH. Sorry your sick ewe brought you to us. I think everyone before me already pretty much covered it... yup, Vet call sounds like the best shot. Hope your sheep recovers. Please let us know the outcome. Hope you'll stick around regardless.

 

[countrygirl.]

Thanks so much for your help everybody. My dad is actually a vet, but he specializes in cows. His first suspicion was pneumonia so that is what we are currently treating for that. I spoke to the vet that specializes in sheep at the clinic and he also said that pneumonia was the most probable and that the stumbling could just be a part of it. Thanks again everybody, I will keep you updated. If you could keep the suggestions coming, I would really appreciate it.
Ella

 

[countrygirl.]

I'd get the vet,too,Ella
Has she got a snotty nose?....if so. chest infection/pneumonia is no.1 on my list with the stumbling as a result of general illness.
Has she had access/been eating mouldy hay/silage etc.?......in which case listeriosis.

There are lots of other things which could be making her ill and a veterinarian who can examine her is in the best position to know.

Good Luck.

Thanks so much for your help!
Her nose isn't overly runny, but I'm currently thinking that pneumonia is the most probable. She doesn't have any access to mouldy feed. When I first noticed her illness, she was breathing very fast, but her breathing has normalized a bit so she seems to be improving.
Thanks!