[Jacob-list] nosebleed question

[Penelope]

I don't have a good answer on how much blood is significant.  I had a 
thought on judging it -- years ago while reading a midwife list one 
person posted about judging the volume lost and having experimented 
with spilled red liquid in various amounts.  I suspect she set up 
something red that had a somewhat similar viscosity to 
blood.  Splashed around it looks like a lot more than in a nice neat 
measuring cup.  And whether it's in a puddle on the floor or soaked 
in to something also makes a difference judging.

I'm also thinking that the person, or sheep's overall constitution 
would make a big difference on the wooziness -- I finally stopped 
donating blood because it knocked me out for days afterward.  And I 
haven't been as small as 125lbs since college.  Anemia could make a 
difference though.  Or other health.

I don't know one to get, but I'd say it might be good to have a good 
veterinary manual on hand.  I have Goat Medicine, which I'll use to 
get a rough idea of basic information for sheep.

Your bloody nosed ewe sounded like she was getting better, which was 
good.  Ours lamb in the field, so I don't run in to the reintegrating 
problem.  We had two stay in the barn after lambing this year because 
we actually had snow at lambing time (having snow at all is rare), 
and it was deeper than the lambs bellies.   They lambed in the field 
and came in later though.

Good luck with yours.  I hope you get better answers than mine!

At 11:33 3/31/2008, Brenalan Farm wrote:

>In followup... does anyone know how much blood loss is significant 

>for sheep of various sizes? I have thought, but don't know, that 

>they'd be like people- where someone weighing about 125 lbs can 

>spare a pint without much more than passing wooziness, and that that 

>is about 10 or 12% of total blood volume. I looked up some charts 

>that estimate human blood volume at about 80 cc (1/3 C) per kilogram 

>(2.2 lb) of person. So maybe an 80 pound sheep is approaching 

>problems around 1/2 - 1 C.  It would be handy to have a sense of 

>where that line between serious and not serious bleeding lies. I 

>know there is a tendency to overestimate blood loss when alarmed! I 

>always try to visualize quantity in terms of some familiar container 

>instead of just how big an area got red. And was told to be familiar 

>with normal color of eye membranes and gums to make "field" 

>estimates of adequacy of red blood cells. Thanks in advance!

>

>Brenda

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--
"...Shine my life like a light..." (the indigo girls)

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Penelope Jacob mailto:pcj at efn.org or mailto:penelope at dreamsandbones.net

The circle is open but unbroken.

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