Sheep Bloat

[jdarling]

I know there have been several discussions about what causes bloat, etc., but I don't see anything about how to treat it. A friend of mine just called me and it sounds like she's got an older ewe lamb who is bloating. I remember my old trainers would take a dog and run the bloating sheep to get the gases moving or something and that would help. Is this true? Is there more she can do? Or should she not make the sheep run?

 

Thanks.

Jodi

[Clem]

I know there have been several discussions about what causes bloat, etc., but I don't see anything about how to treat it. A friend of mine just called me and it sounds like she's got an older ewe lamb who is bloating. I remember my old trainers would take a dog and run the bloating sheep to get the gases moving or something and that would help. Is this true? Is there more she can do? Or should she not make the sheep run?

 

Thanks.

Jodi

 

Jodi, Sheep have a to tendency to bloat on legumes, especially when they haven't been feeding on them. Keep a 2 oz. bottle of Therabloat on hand. It can be found at your ag store or at the vets. Drench with 1/2 bottle for an adult and 1/4 for a lamb. It does seem to help to keep the sheep up and walking. Also if it is going ta be a problem get some bloat gaurd block and feed free choice while the sheep are on the feed that is causing the problem. Good luck, Brent

[bcnewe2]

There are lots of bloat remedies. Depends on what type bloat they have.

The one we have most experience with is frothy legume bloat. The remedies that have worked for us in the past has been drenching with mineral oil to cut some of the froth. Gently tapping on the belly to get some of the gas expelled. I've actually tubed a couple young lambs to let the gas escape. I've never ran a bloating sheep to get things moving because I'm pretty sure they'd go into shock with all the exercise. I've walked them around a stall but that didn't do much. With the legume bloat we’ve run into, they’re usually only bloated on one side of the belly. I don’t remember what side it is.

 

I had a ram bloat by gorging himself on chicken food. We did the mineral oil, and baking soda drenches and other odd remedies but what helped was an enema to get his bowels moving again.

 

To prevent legume bloat, I leave my sheep out all the time so they won't feel the need to gorge themselves or giving a small amount of dried hay before turning them out.

 

Not sure about other kinds of bloat but those are things that have worked for us. There is also a product that you can buy but I've never had it when I needed it.

 

I did have a young ram that kept getting into the LGD food, he finally bloated (that was how I knew what was happening to the dog food) but we were unable to save him.

 

Good luck

Kristen

[jdarling]

Thanks you guys. She lost the sheep, but I am finding the topic very informative.

 

Jodi

[Bill Fosher]

The last thing I would do with a bloating sheep is run it.

 

As Kristen has pointed out there are many different causes of bloat, and how to handle it is going to depend on what's causing the condition. Keeping the animal up and moving makes sense, but stressing the animal isn't going to help.

 

Clostridial diseases such as enterotoxemia caused by Clostridium perfringens can cause bloat, but you usually just find the lamb dead. The time from the onset of bloat to death is very short; seldom more than half an hour. The only time I've ever pulled one of these back from the brink was when we were having a few of them, and I was ready with antitoxin at the first sign of distress.