[Jacob-list] mystery case

[dave & katrina]

Thanks to all who responded to our mystery case. Of the suggestions sent, if it was genetic, it sounded to me most like Lysosomal storage disease, but it is tough to know...probably time will tell.  Although Debbie's suggestion of something a kin to Down's syndrome in humans struck a bell...she really was not a smart animal!  Neither parent is at our place any longer, so I am curious more than anything. This list has been so helpful with info...so much to learn, so little time! I have been enjoying the exchange of information. Thanks for sharing. Katrina
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Betty Berlenbach 
  To: dave & katrina 
  Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2001 8:31 AM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] mystery case


  HI, Katrina,

  You didn't mention or I didn't get clearly, whether this seems to you a congenital problem.  If so, it would seem that she's just going to be this way.  Unless they want to pay for medical intervention, possibly surgical, which seems a bit sillly.  

  The water idea may be key.  Or maybe she just had the flu.  Or maybe this is the beginning of the end.  

  If they want to do something positive, perhaps they could add some urinary tract strengthening herbs to her feed--dandelion, gravel root (Joe Pye Weed), cleavers, I will look it up in my book, if you don't have an herbal book.  If you don't, by the way, it is a good resource to have:Juliette de Baircli Levy's book on Herbal Remedies for animals.  Let me know if you want me to look it up.

  I guess it couldn't hurt if this isn't a congenital thing, to do a 10 day course of some antibiotic geared toward urinary infection...a call to a vet should be able to secure a name and the dosage.  And should be free.  (Except for the meds,)
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: dave & katrina 
    To: jacob-list 
    Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 7:06 PM
    Subject: [Jacob-list] mystery case


    To those detectives out there...I have a case here that could use a little insight.  This year we gave 4 cull lambs (mostly wethers) to my brother as a house-warming gift for his new 10-acre pasture.  One of these lambs was a little ewe lamb that I had been watching while she was here... something just seemed weird about her, so I took her out of the breeding stock.  She seemed to be always squatting, sometimes peeing, sometimes not.  She was very submissive so it is hard to know if this was phys or showing her acceptance.  She was also on the dumber side. (*smile* Well, it's true!)  Didn't seem to be too much of a problem so I sent her along with the group and told him to watch her.

    A week later, his wife called and said the lamb was down, sometimes tried to get up but then went in circles. One time she thought the lamb was convoulsing. They mentioned it looked like her hind leg(s) were bowed or out of joint, (although they are not used to sheep and this lamb did seem to look bowed when she squatted) 

    As a side note, this ewe lamb was laying near a fence and when my brother's dog come up barking on the other side of the fence, they told us the other lambs all came over to her and pawed at her to get her up and out of harms way. 

    We thought she would probably die, but a day later we were told that she was up and seemed to be hanging out with the other lambs. There was not any interference that I know of... That was a few days ago, haven't heard anything since, which probably means she is the same.

    Side info:  If urinary tract was a problem, it could have been made worse by the fact that the water on the property was a creek that the lambs did not venture out to very often.  They finally just put out some water.  Don't think there was a diet change, she was on pasture here and there, unless types of grass or something poisonous was a factor.  The dog was penned out of the pasture, so chasing was not a factor.
    Any thoughts?
    Katrina Lefever
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/jacob-list/attachments/20011127/51438973/attachment.htm