Treating a Sheep Without Antibiotics

By Patti Hamilton

This was an exciting case in which attentive nursing by the farmer, as well as herbal and nutritive supplements and homeopathic remedies, saved the life of a ewe. Pyrogen, a remedy made from putrescent meat, effectively did its job of reducing the fever. – Diane Schivera

On Tuesday, March 18, 2014, I put all my sheep in the barn for shearing. One – Ali – got three cuts, which were treated with iodine salve. She spent the afternoon lying down and seemed a bit “quiet.” I kept the adult ewes inside for lambing.

During morning chores on Wednesday, I noticed a bag of fluid coming out of Ali and assumed lambing was imminent. I checked her hourly all day and night and saw no change. She was acting normal, eating and looking spunky. I put her in a separate pen and gave her caulophyllum 30 c to encourage contractions.

On Thursday, March 20, I did the same as on Wednesday. But during morning chores on Friday, March 21, I noticed a foot coming out and a very strong smell. I watched her, assuming labor would progress, but saw no contractions and no progress for 1-1/2 hours. So I put on gloves, reached inside and felt a head. Ali tried to push while I pulled the lamb. It was extremely difficult to pull, as one leg was forward and one back. I soon sensed the lamb was dead. I was able to grab the other leg and reposition it to help get the lamb out – and it was, indeed, dead.

I assumed that once I got the first lamb out, any others would follow, if they were present. I waited, but Ali had no contractions, even after I milked one side to prompt contractions. At that point I thought only one lamb may have been present. Ali was eating hay and seemed to be doing OK.

I returned about 4 p.m. and she still hadn’t lambed. When I checked around 6 p.m., Ali didn’t look good, gave off a very strong smell and had a temperature of 105.7. I called support people but not the vet, as I didn’t want to use antibiotics. One contact said I should go back inside and assess the situation. I tied Ali up so that she would remain still. She did a great job of allowing me entry while keeping still.

I went in all the way to my elbow and felt something hard, like a head. I was able to grab it.  There were no other objects with the head (no feet), so I just grabbed either side of the head and pulled. It was not easy to pull and smelled very bad! My gut feeling, logic and the smell told me it wasn’t alive, so I didn’t have to worry about harming it. Ali worked with me and pushed.

When I could see the head, I reached in and found a foot – which came loose when I pulled it, as did the skin on the head. Eventually I was able to pull the whole body out, with difficulty due to its decomposition. I gave the ewe arnica 200 right away, as well as two droppers of caulophyllum (making a solution of the pellets in water and shaking it) – remedies often used for a collection of symptoms, or “rubrics,” in this case inertia of the uterus. At 8:15 her temperature was 105. I came in the house to get penicillin but decided to call Diane Schivera, since I did not want to give penicillin but didn’t want the ewe to die.

Diane assured me there were options, and we made a plan to give her antibacterials, including garlic, echinacea, grapefruit seed extract and aloe; to keep Ali hydrated; and to keep giving homeopathic pyrogen. If her temperature rose to 107, I would give antibiotics. Meanwhile, I gave her sepia and pyrogen and drench with aloe vera juice, echinacea tincture, grapefruit seed extract, garlic barrier, vitamin C and water. (A drench is a liquid poured down the animal’s throat.) Here is the schedule I followed after that.