[Justin]

Went out to do the morning feed yesterday and found one of our 4 weaners dead in the ark.

A few weeks ago, he'd been a bit wheezy but, after a few days, seemed to recover completely. Figured it was just a chest infection. Then, a couple of days ago, he'd started wheezing again. As before, it didn't seem to put him off his food or stop him running up with the others when it was feeding time so I figured I'd give it a couple of days and see how he got on.

Then, yesterday morning, he was dead. First time I've had any animal die before slaughter, so pretty upsetting. Obviously I've spent yesterday and today wondering what I should have done differently, should I have called the vet out? etc.

Pondering on the vet, I was thinking about when I get a chest infection. If I go to the doctors, they'll either give me a course of antibiotics and I'll get better in 5-7 days or tell me to go home and take it easy and I'll get better in 5-7 days. I figured at the time that I'd see what the pig did as I don't want to automatically jump to giving unnecessary antibiotic straight away. I'm guessing this time it turned into pneumonia. Poor pig.

Feel pretty rubbish about it all. I was chatting to my neighbour yesterday as he's a sheep farmer and he said that getting the vet out is usually around £200, which is what we paid for all 4 of our weaners so I guess you have to balance some of these things out.

Never needed to call a vet for livestock before as we only have chickens and, for the last couple of years, some pigs. In years to come there'll be sheep and possibly a couple of alpacas too. A vet obviously won't just hand out antibiotics to me to keep on hand unless they come out and visit. I know for farmers it seems to be different as they all seem to have various meds on hand on the shelf but I'm not sure how it would work for smallholders. I guess you need more experience to know when to give them etc.

Be interested to hear other people's views on it or what they do or keep on hand for this sort of thing.

[Fleecewife]

I know what you mean Justin.  When an animal is destined for slaughter, you know all its life that that's what going to happen to it, but when it dies unexpectedly, that's more difficult to deal with.


The vet call-out fee seems enormous - here it's about £30 I think, although we've not needed a visit recently.  If your animal is OK to move, then it's much cheaper to take it to the vet, rather than the vet coming to you.  So a trailer or the back of an enclosed pick-up is fine, as long as you lift the animal in gently.


For meds on hand, we do always keep AntiBiotics - one long acting penicillin based, the other LA oxytetracyclin, but this is for sheep - for pigs the drugs needed may be different.   In a previous life I was a nurse, so our vets were happy to let us keep the AntiBs at home, and to decide when to use them.  We always buy from the vet, including the syringes, needles and sharps box, partly so we are supporting an important local business, but also so the vets know they are our vets and will respond promptly if needed.
We rarely use the AntiBs, but they are there for an emergency - which will inevitably occur at 11pm on a Saturday.  We don't keep pigs any more, just sheep and poultry.
How about arranging to visit your vet to discuss a health plan for your animals, and raise the question of keeping certain things on hand at home, and see what she or he has to say?

[Penninehillbilly]

Sorry to hear this Justin, always upsetting whatever the reason.
I keep goats. Vet quite happy to sell me Pen and Strep, and Alamycin. Without going and looking at the bottle I think Alamycin mentions respiratory problems.
I only use stuff if needed, ive noticed some (possible on american sites) seem to jab with allsorts. Talk to your vet, always worth keeping something in, just make sure you fill your records in if you use anything.
Surely the £200 must include all the treatment given, not just the fee.

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

What a sad thing to happen for you Justin. In reply to your 'what do others do' question, there will be very experienced advice for you here. I have very little experience and only 6 pet sheep but I did recently have to use a farm vet for the first time for one of them.
At the advice of this forum, I had already registered my sheep with a farm vet before I ever needed any vet advice or visit. Just so that when and if I did need them, I was already on their system. They took quite a few details at that point and were very helpful. They also told me they wouldn't be able to provide me with advice or drugs for my sheep, without having seen them at least once. After that, if appropriate, they would be very happy to provide me with free advice over the phone at any time (including outside normal working hours) and to either post or put up for collection, any drugs that might arise from such a conversation. They said that they try to keep costs down for clients wherever possible but if they deem a visit necessary, they won't prescribe without one. This all sounded very reasonable and reassuring to me, so I was very happy to pay for this first visit (a total of £125 inc VAT which included the call out, exam, advice, antibiotic injection, painkiller injection and a can of antibiotic spray for the cupboard incase I need it,  and a lot of very helpful general advice together with an eye cast over my other sheep). The vet also reminded me to ring at any time if I was ever worried or wanted advice as it was free over the phone. This has left me feeling a lot more confident about contacting them in future, without feeling like I will be ripped off. If you say wher you are, someone here may be able to recommend a vet practice for your livestock?  hope this helps.

[Justin]

Thank you for all the replies, that certainly gives me things to think about. I expect that, as we only keep the pigs for a few months, it wouldn't be common to have a vet out to give them a once over as you don't really expect to have many things go wrong in just a few months. If/when we have sheep or more animals that live on the farm year round, it would make more sense to have an annual visit from the vet to create a management plan for their health.

I'm registered with the vet at our local Mole Valley and will have a chat with them next time I'm in about visit costs and what would be the best course if something happens in future.

[angie]

Hi Justin sorry for your troubles, what part of Devon do you live in, north/ south?

Angie

[harmony]

Sorry for your loss.


I am not quite certain what you mean by being registered with a vet at Mole Valley? They are feed merchants are they not? Register with a vet. They should only give you medicines when they feel you are confident to know why you are using them how to.


Any animal with a wheezy chest needs to see a vet and be treated appropriately. There are chest infections and chest infections. Your doctor wouldn't ignore pneumonia, I hope.


Don't take your neighbour's quote on a vet's visit costs do some homework.


Do you need to look at the ventilation in your ark?

[pharnorth]

In the Devon area Mole Valley runs a full blown Vet service. That is not the same as the on line service which is nation wide. So it is a proper Vet!

[Justin]

Hi Justin sorry for your troubles, what part of Devon do you live in, north/ south?

Angie

Hi Angie,

we're in Yarnscombe, not far from Torrington, up in North Devon.

[angie]

Hi Justin,
We are just out of Torrington as well.
Can highly recommend  Torch vet's, they have several practices in the area,always willing to give advice for free over the phone. They have even delivered medication to a vet in Torrington to save me going to South Molton or Biddiford to collect them.

Hope all is going well for you

Angie

[sabrina]

Very sad and horrible for you but when it comes to babies its best in my book not to wait. they can go down hill so fast. My vet is about £27 for a call out but I can also take any animal to them. Been know for him to lamb a ewe in the trailer in the car park.