No, I'm not talking about humans. Instead, I'm referring to livestock animals with small ruminants such as my sheep and goat. This is a very common problem amongst flocks and I have learned the hard way the truth in that. Unfortunately, I have lost two of my baby lambs to it and my young billy goat. What is overeating disease? Well I have learned alot about it and I'm sure not nearly enough. Sheep and goats have a wide range of diseases and symptoms that you could write a book on them alone. But I am going to talk about the overeating disease called Enterotoxemia or Pulpy Kidney disease that has affected my herd. This is when large amounts of grain inside the ruminant promote the growth of lactic acidic bacteria, which increases acidity in the rumen and could lead to acidosis. This often occurs when sheep/goat devour too much grain too quickly, over indulge in a too lush pasture (particularly one that has too much alpha), or have a change in diet. Remember when changing feed to be sure to do it gradually or your flock could befall the same fate as mine as their digestive tracts need time to adjust to the change in diet. It can also be caused by a newborn lamb over drinking too much of mother's milk.
This is what Teresa, my goat breeder/turn-to-person-when-everything-goes-wrong says, "Overeating disease is also called enterotoxemia or "pulpy kidney disease". Classic symptoms are bloat then scours and death, but you don't always see all these symptoms in every case. It is the toxins that the microorganisms create in the animal's gut that end up killing the animal, sometimes within hours. But it is treatable - you may be advised just to get antitoxin and do your whole sheep herd. Can you call the farmer and find out what their immune status should be? ie. were they and/or their mothers vaccinated and if so for what?"
This last part is very important. I had no idea I had to worry about what the mothers of my little herd had been vaccinated with before giving birth. They should be vaccinated with selenium two weeks before birth as it passes down to the fetus. The mothers should also get a pre-kidding vaccination with "Tasvax 8" which protects against many things including enterotoxemia and tetanus. The kids get passive immunity through their mothers and the colostrum.
So that is all the medical jargon. And you are thinking what the heck is she talking about?! Let me tell you what had happened to my little flock. It all started with the first little lamb who appeared one day lethargic and didn't rush to the hay feeder when it was dinner time. I kept a close eye on her and noticed she was rather skinny and very weak. Not sure what it was, I separated her immediately and gave her some water, hay and a bowl full of grain. She ignored the hay but consumed the grain. I thought well at least she was eating. But she did not get any better. She continued to loose weight needless of the fact she nibbled now on the grain. We brought her into the house hoping to nurse her back to health but it didn't help. She died a week later all skin and bone. She had simply wasted away. I thought of calling the vet but what I had read was that owning livestock meant owing deadstock and that sheep was one of the most susceptible to diseases and death. So I chalked it off to a loss in our investment.
Then another lamb became ill. She started foaming at the mouth and began twitching and convulsing. I immediately separated her from the others and gave her only hay and water. The reason for this was because I was beginning to suspect the grain as just a few short days earlier our little billy goat had gotten very sick after consuming a large amount of grain. To explain, we had put him in with the lambs in a rush after he was getting picked on by the older goats and not being able to access the hay. I had forgotten about the grain until he started devouring it like there was no tomorrow. The feedstore assured me it was safe for him to eat. But he became very sick shortly after this. He got a bad case of scours, runny eyes, became droopy and lethargic and started to loose weight.
This is what Teresa, my goat breeder/turn-to-person-when-everything-goes-wrong says, "Overeating disease is also called enterotoxemia or "pulpy kidney disease". Classic symptoms are bloat then scours and death, but you don't always see all these symptoms in every case. It is the toxins that the microorganisms create in the animal's gut that end up killing the animal, sometimes within hours. But it is treatable - you may be advised just to get antitoxin and do your whole sheep herd. Can you call the farmer and find out what their immune status should be? ie. were they and/or their mothers vaccinated and if so for what?"
This last part is very important. I had no idea I had to worry about what the mothers of my little herd had been vaccinated with before giving birth. They should be vaccinated with selenium two weeks before birth as it passes down to the fetus. The mothers should also get a pre-kidding vaccination with "Tasvax 8" which protects against many things including enterotoxemia and tetanus. The kids get passive immunity through their mothers and the colostrum.
So that is all the medical jargon. And you are thinking what the heck is she talking about?! Let me tell you what had happened to my little flock. It all started with the first little lamb who appeared one day lethargic and didn't rush to the hay feeder when it was dinner time. I kept a close eye on her and noticed she was rather skinny and very weak. Not sure what it was, I separated her immediately and gave her some water, hay and a bowl full of grain. She ignored the hay but consumed the grain. I thought well at least she was eating. But she did not get any better. She continued to loose weight needless of the fact she nibbled now on the grain. We brought her into the house hoping to nurse her back to health but it didn't help. She died a week later all skin and bone. She had simply wasted away. I thought of calling the vet but what I had read was that owning livestock meant owing deadstock and that sheep was one of the most susceptible to diseases and death. So I chalked it off to a loss in our investment.
Then another lamb became ill. She started foaming at the mouth and began twitching and convulsing. I immediately separated her from the others and gave her only hay and water. The reason for this was because I was beginning to suspect the grain as just a few short days earlier our little billy goat had gotten very sick after consuming a large amount of grain. To explain, we had put him in with the lambs in a rush after he was getting picked on by the older goats and not being able to access the hay. I had forgotten about the grain until he started devouring it like there was no tomorrow. The feedstore assured me it was safe for him to eat. But he became very sick shortly after this. He got a bad case of scours, runny eyes, became droopy and lethargic and started to loose weight.
Then the day after we separated the sick little lamb, she went down on her knees and was unable to get back up. That was when we called in the vet. We couldn`t chance another loss in our investment. I am sad to report that far too many vets are not qualified for sheep or goats, as case in point in my situation. He had no idea what was wrong with them and treated them with what I had thought was wrong. Scary thought. Really, this is my first flock I am a far cry from an experienced farmer, particularly of livestock.
So he gave them a shot of penicillin and a vitamin deficiency injection and left me a couple of syringes full for a follow up in the next few days. The next day I found the little lamb close to death in a pool of her own diarrhea. And no change in the baby billy. I immediately called the vet. He had no idea what was wrong with them but advised me to give them some pepto bismol and some pedialyte as follow up in the afternoon. I went out and administered the pepto to both. Later in the afternoon, I went out to administer the pedialyte and found the little lamb dead in another pile of her own diarrhea. I was devastated and went back into the house to inform Farm Girl of the bad news. We decided not to contact the vet as there really was nothing he could do at this point.
The next morning we found the billy goat on his last breath. We decided to give him the second penicillin injection and crossed our fingers. Remarkably it worked! He started to show vast improvements. He began eating and drinking and regaining his weight. His eyes had cleared and the diarrhea eventually went away and he was back to regular pebble droppings. However, goat polio had taken over and he was unable to stand or eventually sit. Complete and utter paralysis had taken over the poor thing until eventually reaching his lungs and he died a painful death. He had been such a fighter and held on for so many weeks, we were really rooting for him but the disease (or the toxins left from the disease) eventually took his life.
It was during the last few days of my little billy's life that I contacted my goat breeder friend in a desperate cry for help as my vet had no idea what my little billy had when paralysis had taken over. It was through my own research that I discovered goat polio. She immediately recognized the symptoms of Enterotoxemia and advised me on how to treat the rest of the flock before the same fate befell any more.
What had happened? Why had this occurred in my flock? I had been completely baffled by this disease that took 3 of my little kids. It was nothing I was prepared for and unfortunately the old saying you learn from experience was my lesson. My first mistake was not asking the breeder what the lambs were vaccinated for and secondly what diet they were on before moving them to our farm. If I had done that, I would have done a gradual introduction into the grain instead of assuming there was only the one type of lamb grower. This also applies to hay. Be sure to feed them the same cut of hay or if not then to buy some from the breeder and slowly introduce the new cut into their diet.
However, you can still do everything right and enterotoxemia could still hit your flock. Sheep out on pasture are often found the next day dead in the field with bloated stomachs. It strikes quickly with deadly results. So keep a vigilant eye on your flock. If you suspect anything wrong, begin decreasing/eliminating feed or exposure to pasture immediately. Treat scours with pepto bismol and if that doesn't work purchase some Neorease and always have some on hand. It works wonders. If you notice your lamb or goat appears bloated, feed them a mineral oil from the kitchen. I use vegetable oil because that is what I have on hand. Bloat is caused by the gases in the stomach unable to break up and begin to accumulate in the stomach. If not treated, the results are deadly. The vegetable oil helps break up the gases. Separate the lamb from the others without any excess to feed or water for 20-30 minutes. She should begin belching on her own but if not then contact a vet asap. There is a procedure called stomach tubing but I don't recommend this if you don't know what you are doing.
Lastly, if possible, try to ensure a feeding rack or tray that enables everyone to get an even share of the grain. This is what really hurt my flock. I gave their grain in one open tray and the stronger, dominant lambs ate more than their share while the lesser dominant lambs did not get nearly enough. We feed each lamb and kid goat an individual feeding every day twice a day. It's time consuming but at least we know everyone gets the same amount of grain. However, I have a small flock so that is doable. If we had any more I would have to come up with a better feeding system.
It's been a frustrating and disheartening experience and I won't lie when I tell you had I contemplated bailing out and selling the remaining lambs but I put aside my fears and feelings of failure and asked for help. The number one lesson I learned. Never be afraid to ask for help. Hopefully, your vet will be able to steer you in the right direction but if like me, you have a vet that is as green to small ruminant livestock as you are, then find someone who has lots of years and experience in raising them. Thankfully, I had Teresa, a goat breeder of 40 plus years. She was a lifesaver and without her help and valuable knowledge, I could have lost a lot more sheep or goats.
So he gave them a shot of penicillin and a vitamin deficiency injection and left me a couple of syringes full for a follow up in the next few days. The next day I found the little lamb close to death in a pool of her own diarrhea. And no change in the baby billy. I immediately called the vet. He had no idea what was wrong with them but advised me to give them some pepto bismol and some pedialyte as follow up in the afternoon. I went out and administered the pepto to both. Later in the afternoon, I went out to administer the pedialyte and found the little lamb dead in another pile of her own diarrhea. I was devastated and went back into the house to inform Farm Girl of the bad news. We decided not to contact the vet as there really was nothing he could do at this point.
The next morning we found the billy goat on his last breath. We decided to give him the second penicillin injection and crossed our fingers. Remarkably it worked! He started to show vast improvements. He began eating and drinking and regaining his weight. His eyes had cleared and the diarrhea eventually went away and he was back to regular pebble droppings. However, goat polio had taken over and he was unable to stand or eventually sit. Complete and utter paralysis had taken over the poor thing until eventually reaching his lungs and he died a painful death. He had been such a fighter and held on for so many weeks, we were really rooting for him but the disease (or the toxins left from the disease) eventually took his life.
It was during the last few days of my little billy's life that I contacted my goat breeder friend in a desperate cry for help as my vet had no idea what my little billy had when paralysis had taken over. It was through my own research that I discovered goat polio. She immediately recognized the symptoms of Enterotoxemia and advised me on how to treat the rest of the flock before the same fate befell any more.
What had happened? Why had this occurred in my flock? I had been completely baffled by this disease that took 3 of my little kids. It was nothing I was prepared for and unfortunately the old saying you learn from experience was my lesson. My first mistake was not asking the breeder what the lambs were vaccinated for and secondly what diet they were on before moving them to our farm. If I had done that, I would have done a gradual introduction into the grain instead of assuming there was only the one type of lamb grower. This also applies to hay. Be sure to feed them the same cut of hay or if not then to buy some from the breeder and slowly introduce the new cut into their diet.
However, you can still do everything right and enterotoxemia could still hit your flock. Sheep out on pasture are often found the next day dead in the field with bloated stomachs. It strikes quickly with deadly results. So keep a vigilant eye on your flock. If you suspect anything wrong, begin decreasing/eliminating feed or exposure to pasture immediately. Treat scours with pepto bismol and if that doesn't work purchase some Neorease and always have some on hand. It works wonders. If you notice your lamb or goat appears bloated, feed them a mineral oil from the kitchen. I use vegetable oil because that is what I have on hand. Bloat is caused by the gases in the stomach unable to break up and begin to accumulate in the stomach. If not treated, the results are deadly. The vegetable oil helps break up the gases. Separate the lamb from the others without any excess to feed or water for 20-30 minutes. She should begin belching on her own but if not then contact a vet asap. There is a procedure called stomach tubing but I don't recommend this if you don't know what you are doing.
Lastly, if possible, try to ensure a feeding rack or tray that enables everyone to get an even share of the grain. This is what really hurt my flock. I gave their grain in one open tray and the stronger, dominant lambs ate more than their share while the lesser dominant lambs did not get nearly enough. We feed each lamb and kid goat an individual feeding every day twice a day. It's time consuming but at least we know everyone gets the same amount of grain. However, I have a small flock so that is doable. If we had any more I would have to come up with a better feeding system.
It's been a frustrating and disheartening experience and I won't lie when I tell you had I contemplated bailing out and selling the remaining lambs but I put aside my fears and feelings of failure and asked for help. The number one lesson I learned. Never be afraid to ask for help. Hopefully, your vet will be able to steer you in the right direction but if like me, you have a vet that is as green to small ruminant livestock as you are, then find someone who has lots of years and experience in raising them. Thankfully, I had Teresa, a goat breeder of 40 plus years. She was a lifesaver and without her help and valuable knowledge, I could have lost a lot more sheep or goats.