SICK SHEEP EMMA UPDATE

Originally from: Sue Burton
                        
Hi Bryn & All,

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and ideas and kind words regarding this sheep.

Since the initial bloat and laminitis – the bloat has not reoccurred. The laminitis is very much improved to the point of no longer being a consideration.

Doing the job that I do (running a large animal sanctuary) the one thing I do understand and do know like the back of my hand is when an animal wants to live or really is in too much pain or has had enough. Sadly it is a decision I have to make on a regular basis.

In the case of EMMA though to look at her you would not know there was anything wrong with her – she is bright and alert, keen to interact with the other sheep and ourselves.

X-rays could not get through her fat, the scan showed nothing out of the ordinary, blood tests show all her mineral levels etc are fine – but tests are showing signs of infection – but we dont know whether that is due to infection of the uterus or pymetra or infection caused by a foreign body or a mass.

The only signs she shows now is sometimes when she gets up she has pain spasms – but in all over the course of a day, if you put all these moments of pain together it would be less than half hour a day, and as I have said the rest of the time you would not know there was anything wrong with her.

Following the x-rays the vet changed her antibiotic and for two days (last Thursday/Friday) she showed no signs of pain at all, but on Saturday it all started again.

So today we are back to the Vets with her for an exploratory laparotomy to be followed by a rumenotomy if the laparotomy reveals nothing. I must say I am absolutely dreading it. We have not had EMMA more than six weeks but she is so responsive to people and is more interactive and affectionate than a dog. We obviously can not carry on with her like this and need to establish an exact cause to decide whether we can treat her or have to put her to sleep.

I will let you know how it goes. Keep your fingers crossed for her. She is booked in for her op between 11am and 1pm.

Once again thank you all so much for your concern and help.

Sue
                        

Originally from: Sue Burton
                        
Hi Everyone,

Just to let you know that yesterday afternoon EMMA sheep went into kidney failure and we had to have her put to sleep.

Thankfully I was able to be with her and she died peacefully with her head in my arms. She was like a 'little person' – with a shedful of character and will be so greatly missed.

Thanks for all your help and support over the last few weeks

Sue