Osteoarthritis

As I mentioned, after Lambie’s visit to the vet, Lambie has osteoarthritis.

To be honest, I am not surprised.  He had a horrid start to his life with joint ill, his twin sister died, and then his mother.

He had no colostrum and arrived a week early.   It was touch and go for a while to start with.

Anywho, it is Lambie’s second birthday soon so it is fairly amazing we have come this far.

Lambie’s diagnosis of osteoarthritis is not a nice one.  My poor precious boy.

I have been busy these past few days trying to find out how best to help Lambie.  There are so many differing opinions and I prefer to use medicine that has been proven to actually work.

I have made a list of remedies that are supposed to help:

Chondroitin – not sure I want to give to a ruminant (I think it may even be banned)
Glucosamine – high doses of glucosamine have detrimental affects on ruminants
MSM – MSM is prohibited for use in ruminants
Turmeric – looking hopeful
SAM-e (S-Adenosyl methionine) – dunno
Frankincense – dunno
Green lip mussel – not sure I like the idea of feeding fish to a sheep
Manuka honey – again, not sure

There is so much hearsay information on the internet and very little actual studies.  “Research shows”, “Studies reveal” is not actual fact and I work on fact not stories.

I think I will go down the turmeric route first and I have a sample of Golden Paste Company grass pellets on its way to Shetland for Lambie to try.

I think he would hate a powder mixed in with his food.  He can be very fussy.

If he has a daily capsule, it could go two ways  – a battle he (and I) will dread or he will be nice about it.

I will keep you posted.

I would like to design a lick supplement for him.  The feed lick company that I approached haven’t returned my call. Perhaps they think sheep are not important.

14 thoughts on “Osteoarthritis

  1. Linda

    Sounds like you’re doing all the research you can – and even if it comes down to an unpleasant scene with something Lambie doesn’t like, I would think lots of love (and treats) afterword would go a long way, plus the possibility that he’d get used to it?

    The best of luck with this – it’s awful to see a loved one in pain…

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  2. Sam

    First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to Lambie! I do hope he got a treat for this event. Times like this, I wish I had a Universal Translator to use with our critters. My Maine Coon gal seems to have some sort of allergy that is causing lung congestion. Can’t seem to get an answer on how to treat it because if the meds can’t go in her food, they are NOT going in the semi-feral cat. Keep us posted on Lambie’s treatments.

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  3. Judith Garbutt

    Can sheep have anti-inflammatories? Or are there any homeopathic remedies which might be suitable? Cartophen is a drug which is effective for horses – a once a month injection works for a friend’s horse. Might be worth a phone call or two to see if any of the equine remedies or even canine ones, might be safe and effective for sheep. Lambie has all my sympathy – I have the same complaint!

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  4. John Davies

    I’ve used these on myself to good effect for crackly knees, I’m not the least sheepish though:

    Chondroitin
    Glucosamine
    Turmeric – looking hopeful

    Good luck on these; animals are tough because of communication problems: they’re talking, we’re not listening!

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  5. Trish

    Poor poor Lambie…..I agree with the previous comment about homeopathy. I also wonder if acupuncture is something that might help.? Can you get acupuncture for sheep? I appreciate what you’re saying regarding feeding him animal protein but perhaps a fish oil supplement that could be added to his food might help. He is such a little love and I do hope he’s not in pain.

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  6. Cathy

    Poor Lambie, but how far he has come from that tiny sick little boy. There is no doubt that he wouldn’t have made it without you and your determination to help him. Did the vet not have any suggestions? We used Metacam for a dog with arthritis, and I also use it for a horse with joint problems. It’s a liquid and neither of them seem to bother about having it in a feed.

    Happy Birthday Lambie! ❤️❤️❤️

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  7. Sherry Walter

    I also use metacam for one of our dogs, also maybe research hylauronic acid (not sure if that’s spelled correctly).

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  8. Del

    Cartrophen vet (injectable) is available in the uk. I have used it with success in sheep and goats in Australia. Also talk to your vet about antiinflammatories, settling things down first then going on maintenance supplements works best.

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  9. louise whyte

    a lot of people do swear by turmeric. I have found no changes with MSM, devil’s claw, Glucosamine, Green Lip Mussel in terms of it being used on humans. he is lucky to have got so far and maybe the turmeric will help him to keep going, being active and keeping warm is probably just as important. I creak like hell some days and not a twinge other days.

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  10. Terri

    Dear sweet Lambie, Happy Birthday! (soon-ish) It is amazing that such a tiny lamb survived and can walk at all, considering his early circumstances. All thanks to you, Frances! He is so lucky to be under your watchful care. You will always do what’s best for him. Big hug being sent via cyberspace to him (and you) from across the pond!

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  11. Margaret Robinson

    HI – As an American, I’m probably outnumbered (and most likely outwitted as well), but for my horse I’ve used an anti-inflammatory and those are generally prescribed for this type of problem. I know you are fond of using meds that aren’t necessarily used in main-stream medicine, but this may be the time to consult with a vet and use their assistance. Knowing that sheep are different in their make-up, perhaps there is something specific to each animal. We’ve had several horses where I board who are in their late 20’s and been given anti-inflammatories for osteoarthritis and done very well. Our best to both of you!

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  12. Kathy

    Frances, I live in Canada and enjoy reading your blog. I hate to think of poor Lambie suffering from osteoarthritis. My family has been using a product called SynFlex, a liquid glucosamine, to treat osteoarthritis in our dogs for many years. I can vouch for its effectiveness on our dogs. I chatted with a Synflex America rep and she said it could be used by all animals, including sheep as it’s a natural product.

    You can get more information by going to: http://www.synflexamerica.com/index.php. But I see that there are UK distributors such as: http://www.glucosamine-liquid.co.uk/ and http://www.synflexforpets.co.uk/. It’s taken a while but we finally have a Canadian distributor so I longer have to order from the US. Good luck and I hope it works for Lambie if you decide to try it!

    Reply
    1. Frances Post author

      Thank you, I will look into that.

      He is currently not quite battling down a turm-oil (turmeric) capsule once a day and topped up with glucosamine horse treats, which he loves!

      Reply

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