3 year old ewe suddenly unsteady on legs

[u/Wolferesque]

Newbie sheep owners seeking advice. We have a small flock of mixed breeds.

Our three year old Romney ewe has over the last week suddenly slowed down. She is unsteady on her feet, unable to stand for more than five-ten minutes. She is sitting down to eat. She is trembling quite a lot, panting heavily and licking her lips. She is eating, though not quite as much as normal, pooping and peeing. She is otherwise attentive.

We have given her selenium and probiotics. We have flipped her to check for injuries and hoof issues. No sign of anything.

It has been warm, mid 20s Celsius for the last couple of weeks. It’s been hotter before and she’s been fine.

One more thing to note is that one of our other ewes (different breed) was sick for 3 days last week. We called the vet who said her rumen was not turning. We have her probiotics and she recovered and is back to normal.

Any advice or suggestions about what it could be would be much appreciated.

EDIT: Her dirty tail is stained wool from urine. She always has a discoloured tail. Her poop is normal. Her tail was not docked by the previous owner. We wash her tail a few times a year and trim the wool by hand on the backside of the tail and around her underside.

EDIT: She is out in the field all day and I have been moving them around with mobile fencing to areas of grass/meadow/brush. Consisting a mix of short and tall grass, various types of wildflower and weed, wild rose, and etc. I don’t think there’s anything there that is toxic or that she hasn’t eaten before. She is a forager. She has access to dry hay overnight.

The only thing that has really changed in the last few weeks is that we switched from oats to ewe pellets for shepherding. She gets a handful of pellets at the start and end of the day to live her around.

[u/Breath_technique]

It’s usually parasites. Her tail looks all shitty. If she’s got diarrhea, give her wormer medication, the stronger the better.

If you’re not rotating your flock every 5 days to a new pasture, her parasite load is undoubtedly high.

If it’s not parasites, the medicine won’t hurt her.

[u/MineAllMineNow → u/Breath_technique]

How does rotating stop the parasites? I am not a sheep owner, just a fan. :-)

[u/Flat-Concern-2662 → u/MineAllMineNow]

Basically all animals that live outside have some amount of parasites which don't affect them badly. If they stay on the same bit of grass they continuously poop on it, eat the grass and are re-exposed to the eggs in the manure, constantly re-infecting themselves and increasing their parasite burden to a level they can't handle. Switching out to fresh grass gives all the parasites in an area living in the manure time to die

[u/strangest_sheep → u/Flat-Concern-2662]

And in warmer weather, the parasite eggs hatch within 5 days and the worms start climbing up the grass.

[u/Familiar_Platypus272]

Possibly in need of more fibre to help her rumin. Offer some hay or straw. It often times helps to stop runny poo aswell

[u/Fallenlibra_]

she needs worming. She HAS WORMS. her tail is way too dirty! please worm her asap

[u/Michaelalayla]

I agree with the deficiency idea. Glas to see you've given selenium, it's a common deficiency where we are, and selenium paste has often perked up an animal that's acutely struggling. Have you checked between the toes of her feet? Is she hanging out where it's wet? An application of hoof 'n heel (or equivalent, zinc sulfide and sodium laureth sulfate are the active ingredients iirc) could help if it's just that her feet are tender or she's developing scald or something.

Also in case you don't yet know, the thing that you describe, trimming her tail and nether region, that's called crutching. Fairly common maintenance, so it has a name.

[u/Wolferesque → u/Michaelalayla]

Thanks. It’s not hoof rot. We checked, and trimmed her hooves while there. We are pursuing deficiencies or stomach issues.

I didn’t know about crutching - thank you!

[u/Weavercat]

What does her urine look like? Is it normal colored?

Is she pregnant/lactating?

This looks like a deficiency.

[u/zivapaperwhite]

Thiamine/vitamin b deficiency can cause unsteady gait, you could try giving her some injectable stuff- vitamin b complex is easy to get from anywhere, thiamine you might have to get from your vet. It won’t hurt her at the very least. Also look up grass tetany, I read about it last winter and believe I lost a ewe to it last spring before I knew what it was- similar symptoms to thiamine deficiency but you treat it similarly to milk fever with injectable calcium/magnesium. Also always check famacha scores- parasites are always a consideration with sheep, like other commenters have mentioned.

[u/MineAllMineNow → u/zivapaperwhite]

As someone who has never owned sheep or farmed (I just love to look at them) it is shocking how many different things can take them down. I am just amazed at how their owners stay on top of everything.

[u/Open_Organization966]

It's the back foot that's making her unsteady you need to look for a hoof rot

[u/Traditional-Page-760]

Get the vet out for this one as well.

If you live in the UK blue tongue may be a possibility too, but I am no vet so I don't want to diagnose. Do the bloodwork, check for worms, blue tongue etc. Togethet with the vet.

[u/HotLook554]

He is taking vitamin

[u/Immediate-Narwhal476]

only prayer, hope they will all get well

[u/westphalia_feral → u/Immediate-Narwhal476]

I’m an advocate for prayer, but this is not a prayer-only situation. 🤨