Ram died this morning; pneumonia

[NachoFarm]

I don't know what to say. The ram we bought two weeks ago died this morning of pneumonia. We brought him home, he was here for a week, we then lent him to a local neighbour of ours to breed her ewes. He was having trouble she said. They brought in the vet who gave him antibiotics but obviously it didn't work.

I'm feeling horrible and blaming myself, could it have been caused by the stress of being moved twice in a week? Should I be worried about my ewes? Is it contagious? Is pneumonia common in sheep?

My husband is going to be so furious because he didn't want to lend him out so soon after we got him, but I really did think it would be fine.

 

[RemudaOne]

Stress can definitely be a factor, but don't beat yourself up. Sometimes the symptoms are so subtle that by the time you realize it, it's too late. So sorry about your loss, it's always so hard....

 

[NachoFarm]

Is it contagious? Could he have picked it up at the other farm? He's been there since November 1st, would he have been exhibiting symptoms prior or was it definitely something that started at the other location? Could the rest of our flock be at risk? They've offered to replace him which is nice of them but I almost don't feel like they should because it wasn't their fault either, I know they were taking good care of him.

You're right, this does suck.

 

[Southern by choice]

so sorry for your loss.

 

[terrilhb]

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[bonbean01]

So sorry...and I have no clue if it is congtagious or not

 

[Alice Acres]

Some pneumonia's are contagious, some aren't.
Sheep also show very little outward signs that they are ill until they are VERY ill. It's a survival thing. There's even a saying to the effect that the only sick sheep is a dead sheep. :/

If I had to guess, I would say the stress of all that moving and also breeding ewes strongly contributed to his becoming so sick and also dying.

Rams need to be conditioned and fed well before breeding season, because it is so hard on them. They get so active, and hormonally fixated that they all lose weight and look pretty ragged if used with a large flock. They also literally don't eat properly, as they are focused on breeding.

So if your guy had 2 moves, and was being used for breeding, it likely was a big part in his illness.

I'm so sorry, this is a really painful way to learn

 

[Southern by choice]

Just wanted to let you know I googled is pneumonia contagious in sheep and found this...

[PDF]
Pneumonia In Sheep And Goats Final - Veterinary Extension ...
veterinaryextension.colostate.edu/.../...

I can't figure out the actual link but if you google look for this article, it is very good. There are many others that looked good too.

Hope it helps.


ETA- while I was typing this Alice Acres responded and she knows what she's talking about, she has sheep. I don't so that is why I googled.

 

[NachoFarm]

Some pneumonia's are contagious, some aren't.
Sheep also show very little outward signs that they are ill until they are VERY ill. It's a survival thing. There's even a saying to the effect that the only sick sheep is a dead sheep. :/

If I had to guess, I would say the stress of all that moving and also breeding ewes strongly contributed to his becoming so sick and also dying.

Rams need to be conditioned and fed well before breeding season, because it is so hard on them. They get so active, and hormonally fixated that they all lose weight and look pretty ragged if used with a large flock. They also literally don't eat properly, as they are focused on breeding.

So if your guy had 2 moves, and was being used for breeding, it likely was a big part in his illness.

I'm so sorry, this is a really painful way to learn

The initial move was on October 27th, which was a three hour drive. We only have three ewes, so he wasn't expected to breed a large flock. Would he not have been in breeding condition when we picked him up? He's been used for breeding at their location for two years so I would imagine they would know what they're doing. The next move was on November 1st, five minutes away where there was a flock of five ewes. With all the transporting that people do of animals for shows does the amount of movement he experienced seem like something that would have caused this?

Is there not a type of pneumonia that presents only in 2-4 year old sheep, something that has been in the lungs since they were lambs?
What can I do for my ewes now to protect them if they were exposed to something contagious?
Is there any idea what a necropsy costs from a vet?

I hate the learning curve.

 

[RemudaOne]

When you're talking about the stress of a move, you're not only talking about the actual trip. He also had to deal with a change of environment from the seller to you, then from your place to the next persons environment. He is also dealing with adapting to two new and different flocks. The stress can bring down the immune system and allow the illness to gain a foothold. I would say he probably was ill before he went from you to the other folks but may not have been exhibiting any symptoms at that time.

Watch for animals lagging behind the others when they come for feed, breathing heavily after minimal exertion and watch to make sure everyone is actually eating. You can also take all of the ewes temperatures to see if they are normal. Google pneumonia in sheep and read up on it. I lost a young ewe to it earlier this year. I weaned her by taking her to a friend's place. Stress of weaning coupled with stress of new environment was enough to suppress her immune system.

ETA: Obviously, I won't be weaning off the farm again....