[Blacksheep]

we had an older thin ewe go very weak and wobbly and at one point not be able to get to her feet, this was about 3 or 4 weeks before she lambed - having been scanned as barren we put it down to her aging, arthritits etc and brought her up to give her extra feeds. I thought she should be put down, however we kept her going with small feeds and molasses she then started to just about be able to get up again, but still looking very weak and wobbly, however she could then go out for some grass in the day, after a few days of picking up she started to lamb (!) producing 2 lambs, one very lively smaller one and the other a biggish lamb with a spine deformity which had to be put down. Could hardly believe this, obviously very little udder showing. She seem okish after lambing although quite weak she was eating plenty of energy feed but then got very weak after a couple of days and stopped eating and being able to get up. She didn't show a great response to calciject but included magnesium sulphate in her drench, as well as malt extract, liquid vitamins, glucose, honey and garlic mix and she has made an amazing recovery from looking virtually dead on Sunday to getting up and running away when she sees me with the drench by Monday night - now tucking into her food again.  We bought her some grass pellets which seemed to help tempt her to eat when her apertite was depressed, also soaked sugarbeet is quite a good feed if they are used to eating it. She hardly looks wobbly at all now but I am going to keep giving her an energy drench every day for a little while yet. We have kept her lamb with her and she is managing to feed him, would definately not have kept 2 on her, so hopefully we can continue to keep him with her now.

[Tam]

No we havn't injected Calciject - she has been having twin lamb drench every 4 hours, last night we put 2 bottles of water down her throat, gave her a double shot of twin lamb and penicillin injection - this morning she got up and went to the water trough by herself and drank.  She's still very poor, but we may be getting somewhere.  I will look into Calciject now - thank you.

[Tam]

Bought some Calciject, but spoke to someone first before injecting it - if a ewe has magnesium deficiency she will be frothy around the mouth and thrashing her legs about - injecting calciject when they don't need it can kill them.

[Blacksheep]

Did a reply Tam and then had internet connection problems so its gone!
Yes you have to be careful you don't overdo magnesium if you inject, your ewe's case could be complicated by milk fever too though and hence the calciject which covers for calcium deficiency emergency situation as well as providing some magnesium (grass staggers) trouble is both can be linked with twin lamb disease ie if they are not eating they can soon have a deficiency situation where they are producing lots of milk or a deficiency of either mineral can trigger twin lamb - as said I would speak to your vet about symptoms and any further appropriate treatment. Its good that your ewe is showing some recovery - this in itself suggests maybe not milk fever as she would rapidly deteriate without treatment, I just really wanted to highlight in a similar situation what we would do ie a ewe go down soon after lambing with multiple lambs we probably wouldn't waste anytime with calciject as you don't get long to do this if the deficiency is the cause of the problem so wanted to let you know this, also we would give supportive energy/vitamin support drenches as you are doing.
Hoping your ewe makes a good recovery now she sounds as though she is picking up

[Tam]

Am really glad I found this forum - (I'm not very good when it comes to computers) - everyone's advise and experiences are really useful to know.  Thanks to all, esp Blacksheep.  Ewe is no better but no worse, I think the next couple of days will be the decider.  The two triplets that are left are doing well on the bottle now - they do still have a drink from mum a couple of times a day, but it's hard to know how much milk they are getting from her - she tries to stand long enough to feed them.

[Madcow]

ah, bless the ewe for still trying to feed her remaining triplets, mothers instinct to look after her young, even thou she's having a difficult time herself.
Do hope she pulls through, she seems a good mother, good luck to you all 

[SallyintNorth]

Bought some Calciject, but spoke to someone first before injecting it - if a ewe has magnesium deficiency she will be frothy around the mouth and thrashing her legs about - injecting calciject when they don't need it can kill them.

Last year our vets produced a really useful one-sheet guide to Staggers in Ewes.  I haven't asked them but I'm sure they won't mind my reproducing it here.

Before Lambing
is usually due to a lack of calcium caused by taking in too much magnesium
Administer 50ml No 6 (blue top) below skin
If not up in 2 hours, administer 50 ml No 2 (green top) below skin
If further treatments are required, use No 2 (green top)

Any ewe which goes down before lambing can develop Twin Lamb Disease.  These ewes need a twin lamb drench as a precaution and watched closely in case they develop signs.  If signs appear, drench aggressively and give vitamin injections.

After Lambing
is usually a true lack of magnesium
Administer 50ml No 6 (blue top)
This can be repeated up to 4 times.

Note that all injections must be warmed to body temperature before being given.

(The numbers and bottle top colours refer to the Dunlops bottles.)

[Tam]

Just as an update - a second ewe went the same way as the first, but both have now made significant progress towards getting better - put their lambs back with them this morning - the second ewe has taken hers back fine, but the first with the two remaining triplets has been pushing hers away.  I'm not sure she's going to accept them now.  That's the good news, bad news is we lost a ewe and her lamb yesterday - she had ring womb and we had to call for help and when the lamb eventually came out, the ewe prolapsed badly.  Four more to go and we can look forward to a nights sleep again.

[lamb_whisperer]

we've had bad years of that - we used glucose drenches from CWG's but more often than not, lost the ewe.  This year they have been feed fodder beet as well as ordinary feed, haylege, mineral licks etc.  So far, not one displaying any signs ... might have helped the situation

[Tam]

They have had mineral licks for the last few months including a special one for the ewe and unborn lamb and are fed extra course ration and hay through cold spells - the first ewe is going downhill again.  The vet said we were doing everything right with the energy drinks and rehydration.  I think the ewe is determined to achieve the sheeps one lifetime ambition - I am determined she won't!

[Tam]

My final post on this topic(!) - both sick ewes seem absolutely fine now, taken back their lambs and looking after them well.  All above are out at grass in glorious sunshine. Phew!

[rbarlo32]

we have a oldish ewe 7 in special care with what we think is either twin lamb desise or hyercalcimeia treated with an antibiotic and 50 ml of calcijet and drenching her with 50ml of ketoaid. She seems a little better. pushing high suger feeds and watching her carefully. Are we missing anything.

[SallyintNorth]

A vitamin shot wouldn't hurt - Combivit or similar.  You can even give one daily until she rallies if you want.

[Tam]

We used a calf rehydration mix (bright orange drink) - this stopped any scouring and seemed to give the ewes a new lease of life.

[SallyintNorth]

Bought some Calciject, but spoke to someone first before injecting it - if a ewe has magnesium deficiency she will be frothy around the mouth and thrashing her legs about - injecting calciject when they don't need it can kill them.

Last year our vets produced a really useful one-sheet guide to Staggers in Ewes.  I haven't asked them but I'm sure they won't mind my reproducing it here.

Before Lambing
is usually due to a lack of calcium caused by taking in too much magnesium
Administer 50ml No 6 (blue top) below skin
If not up in 2 hours, administer 50 ml No 2 (green top) below skin
If further treatments are required, use No 2 (green top)

Any ewe which goes down before lambing can develop Twin Lamb Disease.  These ewes need a twin lamb drench as a precaution and watched closely in case they develop signs.  If signs appear, drench aggressively and give vitamin injections.

After Lambing
is usually a true lack of magnesium
Administer 50ml No 6 (blue top)
This can be repeated up to 4 times.

Note that all injections must be warmed to body temperature before being given.

(The numbers and bottle top colours refer to the Dunlops bottles.)

:bookmark: hypocalcaemia etc, calciject / Dunlops