Originally from: Sue Burton
                        
Many thanks to Bill, Sue & Frances for your thoughts regarding EMMA our sick sheep. I do value your time and effort and help with this.

To answer some of your points where I can:-

I was slightly wrong geographically as to where the sheep originated from- They are from Buxton at a height of 500 metres and in a gritstone area.

Certainly though Bill, the list of symptoms you suggest are the nearest I have seen to what she is experiencing. Colic type pain, laminitis, hyperactive stomach and bloating.

 Both the Wensleydales are fat Frances. EMMA more so than her sister. When she was lying down at the Vets today she is probably about a metre across – so really huge.They were both purchased at 5 months old and were fat then but particularly EMMA. She is not just fat round her stomach but over her shoulders also. Funny you should mention diabetes as the Vet did briefly mention that possibility this morning.

We dont have much grass – it is very short and therefore very sweet. I must admit I do not know what our soil is deficient or high in nutrients wise. We have had the fields for 11 years and like all the land in this area ( Essex) it was very intensively farmed and sprayed prior to us taking it on. We have never had a problem with our other sheep – we have 40 and a mixture of sexes.breeds and backgrounds. It has never been fertilised in the years we have had it.In her home in Buxton the only fertiliser spread was cow manure. It was a natural hay meadow with wildflowers and various grass types.Thanks for your words of support Frances.

Sue, last Saturday EMMA was bloated but the vet used painkiller,bicarb and liquid paraffin – it wasnt a high hard bloat – but fluid.You could see the fluid rippling in her body.Sadly due to her weight we were not able to see anything on x-ray but the scan did not appear to show anything abnormal up.

EMMA was fat when brought at 5 months old and has always been a 'pig' of a sheep. Always pushing others out of the way to get their food.

Once again thank you all. I will pass all your emails onto our Vet tomorrow and discuss the ideas with him and report back tomorrow evening.

Many thanks again

Sue