I hope a helpful rant

kirsten · #1 08/15/12, 01:22 AM

Betwixt this site and my sheep groups...I am not sure who is the greater culprit but I find it very discouraging when livestock owners post something to the effect of, " Help. My sheep are dying but I can't afford a vet." Now we know that you are necessarily hobby if you make that statement because other people just sell some sheep when they need money and we know that you are a small operation and most probably new to sheep.

Well, the greatest advice you will ever receive from anyone is to do everything in your power to find and create a good working relationship with a vet. Shop around, vet your local vets, see who is easiest to get along with and who will come running when you call before you run into trouble. Some one has to teach you and the internet won't cut it. Everything you pay to vets is money well spent in your first years of raising livestock. You are buying your education. Raising livestock successfully takes a lot of education and the vet is cheaper than the university. They also do payment plans. I once took 5 of my bottle lambs on 5 separate days to the vet in one week simply because I did not know anything when I started and had no idea what I was looking at. BUT I did know that something was wrong. Something wrong= vet visit.

I will let alone that if you can't afford to care for your livestock, you shouldn't have them. Because the truth is that some of you have them as pets and while I can see not selling your few ewes as pets... I never did get why some people leave ram lambs running around and then end up with ram pets or have wethers hanging around. If you find you are worrying about your bottom line, than prepare that bottom line in the way of market lambs and wether those buggers and get them to the sale barn. You will never have enough money to pay the vet for emergencies if every lamb born has to go to "a good home." Before I ever got sheep, a lady told me, "just love the ewes."

If we are economically depressed, than it behooves us to make the decisions that keep our heads above water- pets or not. I have, at times, sent my whole lamb crop off, didn't even keep any ewe lambs.

But the long and short and end of this is that you have to afford the vet. You have undertaken lives, be they any sort of life; they wholly depend upon you for their every need. They are totally your responsibility until you pass them on. And when things happen that are outside of your expertise, you either have to shoot the mistake or take them in.

I never understood why people sneer at going to the vet, especially older shepherds do that which is just terrible because it is the wisest thing a person can do when they are in over their heads. And the person willing to pay the vet is actually a good shepherd, they will be a good shepherd even if it means mac and cheese and ramen noodles for a week. I don't know of any real shepherd that wouldn't eat ramen for his sheep, especially a problem that affects a great number of his sheep. Every time you go to the vet, you are saving your future sheep, at the very least because you knew when to take them to the vet and not too late because they died or the treatment got very expensive.

I hope I am not offending anyone but I find this not being able to afford the vet just wrong for so many reasons. I am sorry but I do.

And why is it so widespread?
We all probably have to contemplate sending a few sheep down the road this year, in the drought areas anyways... join us.

Ross · #2 08/15/12, 06:18 AM

When i first started in sheep (after many years in cattle) I relied on my vet for everything. I treated it as an education. Certainly you will always need a vet, but it gets easier too. Since farming started farmers have relied on neighbours help too, its no different today except there are a lot less neighbours. This is the role this board fills in bringing people together to help each other. But we can not replace a vet on the farm looking at your problem.

Double C Acres · #3 08/15/12, 07:34 AM

I certainly agree that if you're gonna have livestock you need to be ready to pay for a vet as well. Because of my thread in the past week, I suppose my request for advice other than 'ask your vet', is probably what triggered this thread, and you are right on with your thoughts. I have a great vet who has given me much help in the past couple years since I've ventured into keeping livestock. However, he is an extremely busy man and I hate to bother him with every question I have. This is where I've been so grateful for this forum where I can ask questions of shepherds with many years of experience who may be able to help me and save me bothering my vet and having to pay a lot. Thanks for giving us newbies your time and expertise.

grandma12703 · #4 08/15/12, 07:37 AM

I agree especially if you don't know much about what you are doing. I grew up on a sheep ranch and have just began to get back into it. I have purchased quite a few sheep from folks over the past many months...some in decent shape and some in horrible shape. If you don't know what you are doing get a vet and ask lots of questions. We brought home a few older ewes (probably 4 years by what I can tell with the teeth). They had so much wool and it was during the 100 plus days. We sheered them immediately to find them so thin it was sickening. We wormed them (twice) and gave them some vitamin B and let them out on the grass. We daily feed a little grain being careful not to overfeed since they look like it has been a while since they have had any groceries. They are now (1month later) starting to look better and acting much better. We purchased some others who were so wormy it was sad. Now I know parasites have been bad this year and everyone is fighting them somewhat but this was over the top. Ewes probably around 2 years that were in bad shape. One with a limp that we were told at the sale was hurt in the trailer, however when we got them home found she had a hoof rot. We have doctored and doctored and finally it is doing better.

We are happy to say that everything we have purchased has made it and are looking good. We plan again to go buy what we can at the next sale and try to nurse back to health, however I only wish if you can't feed or care for the animals you make that decision early enough to try to save the animals, we were almost too late and these were actually good quality sheep.

grandma12703 · #5 08/15/12, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double C Acres

I certainly agree that if you're gonna have livestock you need to be ready to pay for a vet as well. Because of my thread in the past week, I suppose my request for advice other than 'ask your vet', is probably what triggered this thread, and you are right on with your thoughts. I have a great vet who has given me much help in the past couple years since I've ventured into keeping livestock. However, he is an extremely busy man and I hate to bother him with every question I have. This is where I've been so grateful for this forum where I can ask questions of shepherds with many years of experience who may be able to help me and save me bothering my vet and having to pay a lot. Thanks for giving us newbies your time and expertise.

I think asking questions of anyone with knowledge is a step in the right direction. You do at times need a vet but sometimes a good old sheepman can give you a great deal of good advice to put into action.

Not as much with the sheep as the goats since I had never raised goats but I got a lot of great knowledge and advice on here.

LibertyWool · #6 08/15/12, 07:54 AM

I have to say that even though I have had great vets (and am lucky to have several in the area), a vet doesn't mean the sheep/lamb is going to live. I have a better success rate than they do, in my experience. Yea, I only call them when it is serious or I need something that is not OTC, so they get the harder cases. And generally I know what they are going to do before they get here because I do use the internet, talk to people, read the merk vet manual, read books, done this before, etc.

So I've had the experience of paying several hundred dollars and the ewe dies. I've done the work myself and the ewe dies. Sheep are very good at hiding when something is wrong until they are really sick and then they go down hill fast (generally). I've also had success, both with and without the vets help. And I have struggled to determine what my vet policy should be. And that policy keeps evolving. Basically now, the vet only gets called if there is a flock health issue (ie more than one sick or dead) or some sort of surgery. Most everything else I can handle.

I agree that if you don't know what you are doing, a vet is a great way to learn. I also don't believe that anyone should be criticised in asking for help here. That said, it is incredibility hard to really know what is going on from a post, and so the advice may help or hurt and the person asking should take each suggestion and make their own informed decision (ie research). With a vet, they are there and can assess the situation much better than any person sitting on the other end of keyboard....

lambs.are.cute · #7 08/15/12, 10:11 AM

I agree with you but sometimes there just isn't a vet. Last time I called one of the local vets I was new to sheep. It was bloat. I caught it early enough to have saved the lamb. I correctly described the symptoms to the vet.

The conversation went like this (after describing the symptoms)

vet: "I don't know what it is. I can't tell over the phone."
Me: "Could you please come out"
vet: "I could but it just for a sheep."
Me: "well if you don't want to come out could I bring the lamb to the clinic"
vet: "you could but you'd upset the other animals. I'd rather you don't"
Me: "then what should I do?"
vet: "I'd leave it where it is. If it dies then you know something was wrong. I won't be a big loss it's only a sheep."

Sometimes the vets are just uncaring or don't know anything about sheep. I really really wish I had a vet around here that didn't think that sheep should just be left in the pasture to see if it would live or die.

kit · #8 08/15/12, 10:43 AM

Yes a vet is a wonderful tool if you are lucky enough to have one that will work on sheep... in cattle country though they just have no interest in sheep.

MDKatie · #9 08/15/12, 01:11 PM

I have seen certain people on forums ask advice, then poo-poo every helpful comment posted! THey wouldn't spend money on a vet, wouldn't go out of their way to buy the correct meds, wouldn't order them online, etc. If you don't want to trouble yourself with proper animal husbandry, then don't get animals!

kirsten · #10 08/15/12, 01:54 PM

No, Double C, it wasn't you. I even checked to make sure you didn't say that before I made this thread so you would not think that.

However, when you said a difficult first year in sheep, it reminded me of how so many of us start in sheep which make the beginning so hard: bottle lambs, cull animals and like the other poster said, sale barn animals. Not many people shell out big bucks for fancy problem free sheep to start. I certainly didn't. My first year I raised 11 bottle lambs to start my flock and the very first lamb I ever bought for $50, we had to shoot. I think this is a great way to start in sheep but I also think that everyone who does so must understand that occasional vet bills and advice are going to be the rest of the price of admission into sheep raising. It bothers me when posters say right out of the gate: no vet in their pleas for help.

That said, I absolutely feel things out online with other sheep raisers. Like Ross said, these are our new neighbors and support network and that is great. I love to read the problem posts and advice because odds are I will face similar problems one day in my flock. But when we have hashed it out backwards and forwards for 24 hours and there has been conflicting advice because obviously, we can't see the sheep, I really like to read what the person reports after they have seen the vet.

I know that vets can be difficult but assume that you will not be hauling your sheep into the surgery. My vet sees my sheep outside whether small ones in a cage, dead ones on a tarp in the back of my pickup, large ones in a trailer or stock rack. Vets are quite used to surgeries anywhere. I had a c-section this year done on straw bales. And it is not a bad thing if you have to educate your vet a little bit and also make suggestions. If your vet does not see a lot of sheep, you can get them interested in studying up on them and they have excellent resources for that. Once I had a case of entropian and the vet usually does sutures, I suggested the penn. under the eyelid and he said, "yes, that should work." So we did it and it did. I certainly did not want to shoot a lamb in the eye! Some stuff you read should be run by a vet, to see if it matches up with what he knows about drugs and so many things are cross species. I am really blessed because my vet will have hour+ long theoretical conversations with me when I don't have cases! He loves learning and pondering out difficult things and he is very good at math.

You have to convince your vets sometimes and explain to them when they say "it is only a sheep," that yes, it is only one sheep but that you plan a long future in sheep raising and that one sheep is never one sheep, it is all the sheep that come after it suffering from the same ailment and you need to become qualified to handle it in every case and you need his/her assistance to become that. If you approach them in the student to the teacher manner, they usually understand that. There is also Pipestone sheep vets where you can get vet advice for free, they help shepherds nationally.
No vet is perfect, that is why a partnership is advisable. And some treats, pies, eggs, meat don't hurt either! As thank-yous for all the phone calls without fees for them. Suck up! LOL

And yes, it does get easier and these boards help make it easier certainly. I just hope not to read any more where the person is dead set against going to the vet for any reason when they need to go.

Callieslamb · #11 08/15/12, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirsten

............ . Shop around, vet your local vets, see who is easiest to get along with ................
I will let alone that if you can't afford to care for your livestock, you shouldn't have them...................But the long and short and end of this is that you have to afford the vet.
hope I am not offending anyone but I find this not being able to afford the vet just wrong for so many reasons. I am sorry but I do.

And why is it so widespread?

Sorry, this struck my wrong nerve in several places. I understand what you are trying to say, but I think a little more allowance is needed before you make some of these blanket statements. In principle, I think you are basically right - if you are going to own animals, you need to plan on having a vet fee now and then. I am sure most people realize that. Your position would have more strength if some one individual were continually about not being able to afford vet services. If that were so, you'd do more good by approaching the individual. I don't see the habitual poster as what is happening here. I don't know what other forums you visit and can't speak to those. Criticizing in general terms only pushes people further away from trying to get the help they need. You would also have more strength in your argument if the people you are concerned about were also not providing proper food and shelter for their animals.

You assume that there are plenty of large animal vets for everyone to choose from. That isn't so. The only local LA vet I have is very willing to come and his very helpful- but he told me right up front that he knows very little about sheep. The one that's 79 miles away-that knows sheep- will come for $150 to step foot on the farm. If they have local calls to make, I'm last. And if the animal dies while in they are in transit, I still pay the bill. So it's a toss up and very likely, I'll call, pay and not get the service. I can't afford that. Maybe you can so you can pass judgment on me with my permission. Not all people live in the convenience of what your world seems to be and I don't think their not living like you should exempt them from owning animals.

You don't allow for personal emergency. We don't know if posters have had recent financially draining circumstances. Perhaps for years they have taken good care of their animals and then life strikes and they just really can't afford a vet fee TODAY. They are not required to give a six month personal or financial history to deserve our help. Give them a little allowance for that, please.

No, I don't have to afford the vet. That is for ME to determine. If I determine that my farm cannot stand the cost - that's my right. On one hand you are making fun of the small holder as not having enough business sense enough to know when to sell but also saying that it doesn't matter what you HAVE to afford that vet. So I'm a bit confused there. Perhaps I misunderstood? There are many circumstances beyond people's control that would put an animal in their care in it's proper priority. Not looking at your animals as a business is what makes pets of them. So while many here have pets, there are enough threads asking for help to make them paying pets to convince me that more are trying to run their animals as a business. So there we are back to that business thing again. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made. While the decision to not seek help might be made, I can't blame someone for coming here with the hope of saving an animal they deem they can't afford a vet visit on.

Many here are new to animal ownership. Decisions about their animals are a very emotional thing. They post in that manner. I have seen several people originally post that they can't afford a vet fee but later in the thread, with encouragment from people here, they do find a vet willing to help and find they can afford it. They then turn around and help us all learn by posting the results. I hope you account for that and read past the original posting.

I happen to have one of those dreaded 'extra' ram lambs running around my place. I will educate you as to why he's still here and why others might have them too. His fleece is worth $140 in Feb. 4 lbs at $35 per. That pays for his and his momma's and sister' keep for the year. Now if he's still here in March, you can reask me why he's here. Maybe I will think up another excuse because by then he won't be nearly as cute.

I think most people here give their animals as good of care as they can. I'd like to see people being encouraged rather than criticized for seeking help here when this is what the forum does best - leads people to the help they need. I think, if we followed up with an afterwards on some of the posts you are concerned about, you will find that some people quickly realize that they can't afford the animals they tried to care for. That's okay with me.

**bergere** · #12 08/15/12, 07:17 PM

In WA and OR, and I other places I have lived.... I had access to very good Vets that were willing to take care of the sheep and goats when needed.
Along with having livestock for years, and learning when I really needed a Vet, or when I can do things myself.

Here... I am in a dead area, a no man's land. I can't even get the horse Vet to sell me 1 rabies vaccine for the new ewe. I spent 4 hours calling every Vet in the local area. No one will do it.
There are no Vets in the area that do sheep/goats/cattle. Its crazy! I have never lived in an area like this....until now.

So I will be buying the 10 vial Rabies vaccine online.

The one Vet I did find, a distance away, that will do sheep and goats.
The lady is worse than useless.
She refused to Re- de horn young goats, who where disbudded improperly. She said the horns would bleed. Ya, well now, the horns are growing into their head. Not good.
Then she tells me because they are scurs, they won't have much blood. OK... a Vet that can't make up her mind? Nice...
She also will not toss sheep, so if you have a 200lb ewe you bought with very long hooves, she won't do it.
But she sure charges you for being on your farm.

Also have a beef with the people I have seen in the area with livestock... they don't take care of them.
Both the lambs and this ewe, two different "Breeders", it is incredible how they do not take care of their animals.
No vaccines, sick animals, never trim hooves... list goes on and on.
These kind of people, shouldn't have animals.
And they have no excuse, they were nearly 3 hours away from me, and have access to a good sheep/goat Vet.
(No that Vet won't come down here)

So some times, all people have is the Net. Not the best thing in the World but better than nothing and I always recommend a Vet if folks have one.

kirsten · #13 08/16/12, 02:10 PM

Callie, we were writing at the same time, so do read the post above yours.

That is really unfortunate, Bergere. Hard to believe that VA is like that. They know they have this problem. They are offering huge incentives for vets to live rurally and treat large animals now. But no vets catch your animals or flip them for you. I am only 5'4" and I have trouble flipping my bigger ewes and couldn't get a ram down myself. Is that really a point against her? Especially since she has little experience with flipping sheep?
I also see sheep with 6-8 inches of hoof growth going through the sale barn here, most limping- it really is despicable.

If I were you Callie, and I am in a sense, I have 2 vets by me, one is "the sheep vet" and the other is mine, take the one that knows little and is ready and willing to come like I did. We teach each other and come up with the answers. He looks things up, I run things by him, he pulls lambs when needed and they like pulling lambs a lot better than calves! and so much is cross species and they know all about crossing meds. and in truth, he knows more than he thinks he knows even though he hasn't dealt with many sheep. Even when mine retires and if I move far away, I will still call him and he will be glad. Vet science is vast and interesting and always new. I think you have a good opportunity with the guy near you. Vets are generally very intelligent and have a good appetite for learning, for study and improvement and guys are pushing products on them all day long and they attend seminars on parasitology etc..I think you could bring this vet into your fold.

**bergere** · #14 08/16/12, 04:00 PM

Only place I have lived, that is like this. Is really sad.

For that Vet... all she is good for is giving shots, if the animal is under control. I can give my own vaccines far cheaper, if that is all she can do.
She won't even de scur the goats, so those won't grow into their head.
Forget having her trim out feet.... since she won't toss.
I have never met such a useless Vet.
Though I have met two other Vets over the years, that were dangerous, and shouldn't be Vets.

My other Vets, really good ones in Oregon and WA.... if a sheep or goat needed to be sat on their backsides, they had help with them to do that.
If scurs or horns were growing into their heads, they would remove them.
They did Alpaca trims, cattle... what ever that needed to be done.
They where "Real" Vets.

Can see why there are very few goats and sheep in the area. There isn't a good Vet for them.

Callieslamb · #15 08/16/12, 06:23 PM

I work with my vet very well. We have a good relationship. He might not know sheep but he has a general idea of what kind of tests to run and where to go to find what we need. I've only had to use him on one lamb. I learned more about bloat here than from him. I won't admit to how much I spent in vet fees for a $10 steer this year. When we sell him at butcher time next year, we'll still be in the hole.

Not everyone has the same vet choices as you do. Nor the money behind them. One vet bill can remove any profit from a sheep. I had a little ewe lamb that kept bloating. I took her in 3 times to see him. Each time we worked to find what might be causing it. His final diagnosis was that she must have had something wrong internally. Okay- but it cost me $300 to learn that. Maybe that's smart in one way but not so smart in another. I did learn to stick that needle in her to relieve some of the pressure, but he's not the one that showed me. Someone here did. He wasn't in his office that Sunday evening. The last time I took her in he told me I was wasting my money. He was right. If you want to make a profit you have to make choices. Yes, we can learn a lot from working with a vet. But sometimes, calling that vet just isn't feasible or realistic.

Ross · #16 08/16/12, 08:10 PM

If you want to make a profit fast you'd better learn fast and a vet (who is willing admittedly) is the cheapest education you can buy!! I lost money for years!!

kirsten · #17 08/17/12, 01:14 PM

LOL Yes, we have all lost money on animals, especially the early years and we all will yet because ranching is inherently full of risk. Between the weather, the other animals bringing in diseases and parasites and mistakes on our parts and the markets... a lot can go wrong. Add to that fires, rats, predators, malpresented lambs, trees falling on buildings and of course, accidents and emergencies... It is true that sometimes you need to know when to get the gun.

I guess it depends on your sheep for removing profit. I had a $200 c-section done on a 2 year old this Feb. for non-dilation and she should be lambing mid-Oct. if my plan worked. But even if she lambs in the Spring, I know she has the very prolific genetics to make it up to me. She can catch up with trips and quads very quickly. And she might even produce more at times.

I feel for you Bergere. Thank God that we can buy most medications online. You need to find yourself a young lad who wants to make a few extra dollars and will come in on the big days like hoof trimming. Much easier with 2 people. My husband helps me or a young guy I know.

J.T.M. · #18 08/20/12, 10:23 PM

I ware my just a" hobbyist" badge proudly .Also , I can use google just as easily as my two area vets can .
You want to learn about sheep ... the kind of crap the vets can't teach ??? Get one of these ..... Work with your sheep everyday .In 6 months time you will be teaching your vet about sheep .

Shayanna · #19 08/22/12, 09:55 AM

I don't raise sheep myself, but I am considering it. I do raise goats, chickens and rabbits, strictly for family use. I sell just enough to pay for their keep and put some meat/eggs/product in our fridge/freezer. To be honest, my livestock are not my pets. Livestock is livestock. Centuries ago, and even today in a lot of countries, there aren't any vets, especially for livestock. They had shepherds. If an animal became diseased, you culled. You took care of your own animal. Now I am not opposed to giving a goat a shot of penicillin if it comes down with a cold, but when it comes down to it... So you shouldn't judge someone's care of their livestock based on ability to afford a vet. There are plenty of things you can often do for your animals yourself, and many home remedies that actually DO work. But beyond that, on a hobby farm is a 30 lbs of meat really worth 300 dollars worth of vet bills? I'm proud of my animals. Not a single one, aside from my dogs, which are PETS, has seen a vet and they are probably some of the healthiest animals you've ever seen.

KIT.S · #20 08/22/12, 12:40 PM

I'm also in Oregon, but we don't have sheep vets anywhere nearby. I called and called, but couldn't find a vet who would do anything about a prolapsed ewe, and although Oregon State Univ has a sheep program, when I called there the instructor said that sheep were too cheap to bother. That the the sheep wasn't worth the cost of a vet visit, so no vets were interested in learning about sheep!! Since farmers wouldn't pay the vet prices, the vets wouldn't spend the time to learn to help. Umm, if they knew what could be done for the animals, maybe they would be called out and paid. Vicious circle?

If the vets themselves admit to not having the knowledge, it's no use paying them to practice on your (cheap!!) sheep.
Kit

J.T.M. · #21 08/22/12, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shayanna

on a hobby farm is a 30 lbs of meat really worth 300 dollars worth of vet bills? .

I gotta admit , when I read about her $ 300.00 vet bill I thought to myself " that is one cool, unselfish person right there " .

MDKatie · #22 08/22/12, 06:39 PM

I spent about $250 on 2 different vet visits for a ewe who prolapsed. Had to get her stitched the first time, to keep the prolapse in. The second time the vet had to come out to stitch the side of her vulva because I didn't make it home in time to undo the stitch so she could lamb. She tore a hole in the side/next to the vulva and gave birth to 2 ram lambs. She healed up fine, but I didn't want to take the chance on breeding her again. Yeah, I guess I've only got a handful of sheep so it can be considered a "hobby", but I don't care to lose money on it either. I lost money on her. Gave her to some friends who will keep her as a pet. I don't have room or money for non-producing animals. Miss her like crazy, she was a good ewe.

What was my other option though? Shoot her? What a waste. I wouldn't have been happy with that outcome, and I'm sure she's happy living out her days grazing with buddies.

LibertyWool · #23 08/22/12, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDKatie

What was my other option though? Shoot her? What a waste. I wouldn't have been happy with that outcome, and I'm sure she's happy living out her days grazing with buddies.

Another option that I have used successfully is making a prolapse harness (Described in Ron Parker's The Sheep Book). It works very well. I have this one sheep, ok my favourite sheep, and she has prolapsed every single year, except for last year. I don't use baling twine, but use a smooth static rope instead (I do use baling twine to tie across the ropes under the tail and below the vulva). It's taken some time to perfect it, but it really does keep the prolapse in. She is 8 now and still pumping out good size twins. And I have tried to keep her open in the past, but she will have none of that.

J.T.M. · #24 08/22/12, 07:34 PM

I got to fess up ....... I don't exactly know what this thread is about ... I lost my glass' and am having trouble reading post . I just put together a sentence from here and there and try to work it out .

~ blush ~

MDKatie · #25 08/23/12, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LibertyWool

Another option that I have used successfully is making a prolapse harness (Described in Ron Parker's The Sheep Book). It works very well. I have this one sheep, ok my favourite sheep, and she has prolapsed every single year, except for last year. I don't use baling twine, but use a smooth static rope instead (I do use baling twine to tie across the ropes under the tail and below the vulva). It's taken some time to perfect it, but it really does keep the prolapse in. She is 8 now and still pumping out good size twins. And I have tried to keep her open in the past, but she will have none of that.

I ended up using a prolapse harness for her after the vet came out to do the stitch in her vulva. The problem was I couldn't get the prolapse back in by myself! She was pushing too hard and I couldn't do it. He had to give her a spinal block to get it back in. He taught me a few tricks I hadn't seen before, so I think I'll probably be able to do them now, if I had an extra set of hands.

LibertyWool · #26 08/23/12, 02:04 PM

When I'm alone and have to take care of a prolapse, I tie the ewe to the fence or wall and then stand on the other side so she can't move away. I lift the prolapse up and allow her to urinate. I may have to do this several times until there is enough room to put it back in place. The bladder falls down behind the prolapse and until they urinate, it won't go back into place. I wash it with warm water and then gently work it back in using one or both hands spread out flat. You can also sprinkle white sugar on it to help shrink it, but I've not had to do that even with cantaloupe sized prolapses. Eventually, you will be able to work it back into place and your hand will be inside her. It will eventually pop back into place. Not the most pleasant experience for the ewe or you, but it does work. And if she is still straining, you may have to put it back in a couple of times before you get the harness tight

KIT.S · #27 08/23/12, 06:16 PM

The vet I could get to talk to me on the phone said the sugar was to prevent infection as well as shrinking tissue and suggested drenching everything thoroughly in white granulated sugar. Also, if you can raise the ewe's back end up above her front - have someone hold her butt up in the air, or balance her over a hay bale after she urinates thoroughly, the prolapse will go back in better. There are plastic T-shaped prolapse harnesses available from our local farm store that are easier to use IMO than building one myself. Only problem was that my prolapse-prone ewe was a hair sheep and had no wool to tie the harness to. I liked the harness much better than sewing her shut, since it was something I could do myself. I can sew up a cut if I need to, but, well, ick. That area seems so delicate that I couldn't imagine the stitches not pulling out.
Kit

plowjockey · #28 08/23/12, 08:57 PM

My reality does not allow for a Vet.

Every Vet around here, won't touch a large animal (equine vets will only treat horses). The closest one (25 miles away) that will, costs $165.00 just to show up.

It used to be that Vets were smart and the farmer knew very little. That has all changed (Vets are still smart, though), with information on the Internet and books and the availability of animal medicines.

Concerning cutting and stitching, personally I'd have to leave it to the pros, I guess I could if I had to.

As others have stated, it is a business decision, on whether to spend $200, to save a $100 lamb.

J.T.M. · #29 08/23/12, 09:31 PM

My one and only visit to a vet was 2005 .My lambs came down with a bad case of scours .
The vet googled a few choice words , said I needed to add Albon to the water and charged me like $50.00 . I have never went back .

hillbilly123 · #30 08/24/12, 08:53 AM

I'm one of the people that ask allot of newbie questions on here, and I have to say that I find the advice very helpful and I am very appreciative of the guidance. This is the only network of people that I have found to be useful in teaching me howto raise the sheep. That being said, I have called the vet and spent money on treatments that I was worried about doing myself. Our local vet comes and and shows me how to do things, that by just reading about can cause some anxiety. Personally the combination of the experience that you folks share and having the vet show me howto do some of the things I am uncomfortable with really helps.

Please don't give up on us newbies, I think most of us are really trying to learn and are very appreciating of your wisdom.