![]() ![]() It often happens when they’re unwell and lying on their side for a prolonged period or lying with their head facing downhill. In adults, aspiration pneumonia is caused by a ruminant (sheep, goats, cattle, alpaca) breathing in regurgitated food (known as the ‘cud’). The fluid is commonly milk, but may also be saliva, vomit, or regurgitated food. Young, bottle-fed animals are most at risk of developing pneumonia after accidentally breathing in fluid. There was such a big improvement, we let him go home with his owners, with instructions for plenty of rest and careful nursing. It’s often the turning point for a very ill, hospitalised sheep, goat, calf, or alpaca.Įven though Snowflake was still too young to eat grass, his mood changed dramatically. I find that taking grazing animals out into the sun, with the grass beneath their feet, often helps them to perk up dramatically. He sucked some warm milk from a bottle with a slow-flowing teat, then went back to sleep.īehind the scenes of the annual celebration at Stern Angus Stud's historic on-farm auction It was another few hours before he mustered the strength to nuzzle my hand, looking for a drink. I was relieved, as severe and prolonged hypoglycaemia can cause irreversible brain damage. Within an hour, his brain function returned to normal. I sat by his side, giving him a concoction of drugs through his dripline to help him fight the infection and feel better. Snowflake spent the next few hours snuggled up in comfort blankets. He was also placed in an oxygen cage, an easy way to provide supplemental oxygen to a patient whose lungs aren’t functioning correctly. He received intravenous fluids to help with hydration, correct his metabolic disorders, and slowly bring up his blood sugar levels. We placed a catheter into a vein to give instant access to the bloodstream. However, I was sure Snowflake’s rock bottom blood sugar was to blame, confirmed by a blood test and his clinical signs. a bacterial infection of the nervous system.A malfunctioning brain can be caused by many things. Most concerning was his odd neurological behaviour: strange neck stretches, ‘star gazing’ up at the ceiling, apparent blindness, and poor reflexes. His breathing was fast and shallow, and his fever had gotten worse. Rabbits, flies, mustelids, possums: 5 tips for beating every pest on your blockīy the time I saw Snowflake again, he was so weak he couldn’t stand. But a few hours after he went home, his owners noticed a big decline in his strength, he started developing neurological signs, and they rushed him back to us. Snowflake initially received antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to help with the pain and reduce inflammation in the lungs. The most likely cause of his pneumonia was aspiration of a liquid, probably milk. As a baby, Snowflake’s waning appetite put him at high risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). ![]() Pneumonia is a taxing disease for anyone, animal or human, as there’s not enough oxygen getting into the bloodstream.Īn animal is less likely to eat when it has a fever. We treated Snowflake for pneumonia as an out-patient, but I warned his owners if he showed any signs of decline, such as refusing a bottle, he would need hospital treatment. They brought him into the clinic when he developed a roaring fever, a snotty nose, crackly-sounding lungs, and became dull and lethargic. The problem: Snowflake’s owners were raising him for their local school ag-day.
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