I have a little fawn that we think has blue tongue. We're treating it but i need help understanding and treating it. I'm not a deer farmer this was just a rescue, we've had her since birth Memorial Day weekend. She has became a big pet, sleeps in the bed with us and is very attached to us and us to her. She's struggling bad though and we're having difficulty tubing her. I'd like to know how bad this is and when to let go. Its been a week from hell dealing with this because it's tearing me to pieces seeing her like this and i don't want her to suffer if theres little hope of curing her. She's very tiny only about 22 pounds so that alone is one strike against in fighting off a disease. I need advice quick please! She's my baby and its breaking my heart!
Blue Tongue/EHD Whats the difference and affects
- Thread starter mplaster
- Start date
Blue Tongue and EHD(Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease),are viral diseases caused by any of 2 EHD or 5 BT viruses. These viruses are spread from one deer to the next by biting midges of the Culicoides genus. Transmission of the disease is dependent on these vectors being present in Summer through early Fall.
Mississippi has chronic outbreaks of the disease (meaning it occurs somewhere in the state to some degree every year), thus most deer have some prior exposure keeping mortality rates around 25-30% (meaning of the deer that contract the disease 1/4-1/3 will die). Dead deer are typically found around water sources in late summer. Deer that have had the disease and are recovering are typically emaciated (skinny), and may show signs of hoof sloughing (the stress of the disease interrupts the growth of the hooves causing the old ones to fall off and new hooves to grow).
There are no public health implications, the viruses do not effect humans, and the meat is safe to consume (although many hunters will dispose of it due to the animals condition).
Alabama is being hit hard! I have already lost one. I am treating 2 others. I hope this helps.
Mississippi has chronic outbreaks of the disease (meaning it occurs somewhere in the state to some degree every year), thus most deer have some prior exposure keeping mortality rates around 25-30% (meaning of the deer that contract the disease 1/4-1/3 will die). Dead deer are typically found around water sources in late summer. Deer that have had the disease and are recovering are typically emaciated (skinny), and may show signs of hoof sloughing (the stress of the disease interrupts the growth of the hooves causing the old ones to fall off and new hooves to grow).
There are no public health implications, the viruses do not effect humans, and the meat is safe to consume (although many hunters will dispose of it due to the animals condition).
Alabama is being hit hard! I have already lost one. I am treating 2 others. I hope this helps.
if she's not dead after a week, she has a chance to survive it. Sometimes it takes a while. Treat with Dex at least every other day, and Draxxin every couple of days to fight secondary infections. Keep the Dex at under 10mg/day, too much supresses the immune system. If she is drinking water/pedialite I wouldn't tube her.
she's still alive, it was a week yesterday that it started, she's only had 1cc of dex and we've been giving her penicillin every day an she had brax yesterday, she only weighs about 22lbs, she was tiny to begin with, she hasn't pooped since saturday tho and i gav her a suppository yesterday, she might hav pooped when she was outside but her little belly just sits and churns and churns, yesterday afternoon she was laying on my bed and i could hear her belly and all of a sudden she cried out. When i ran in there she was standing all drawn up like with pain until it went away, only a couple of seconds but this happened sat night about 3am and a few times afterwards. I woke my husband up at 6 in a panick because i thought she was dead but i guess she's just so exhausted she was just sleeping good.
I called a guy out yesterday that raises deer and told him i wanted him to look at her and bring something to put her down just in case because i felt like we were to that point. The last thing i want is for her to suffer any more if she's going to die anyway and when he got here he said i wouldn't do it just yet. She's eating yogurt watered down with pedialite or gatorade and she'll lick that all day along with water but she still wont suck or open her mouth much. When this started and her tongue was swollen out of her head i saw that she had cut it pretty bad i guess from biting it and he said thats probly y she wont suck or eat much yet. We've been having a hard time tubing her and even he did so he said he thought she'd be ok for now with the yogurt mix. She's laying down pretty content right now. Peed this morning but no poop.
Joined Aug 2009
432 Posts | 0+
Illinois
she's been looking deathly skinny but today i do notice that her belly is starting to puff out a little not a whole lot, when this started last sunday at dark the first thing that i saw was her tongue swole out of her mouth big time and she wouldnt come to me until she had ran herself to death in a panick then she climbed on me while i sat on the ground thats when i saw her tongue, gav her dex that night and by the next afternoon her tongue was back in but still swollen enough to hav her cheeks puffed out
IF it is EHD she needs more Dex, 5-8mg / every other day for 3-4 doses. Tongue/mouth swelling is a good sign of EHD
sounds like she has some stomach issues as well. give her some baby gas drops to reduce swelling. she needs probiotics as well for her stomach to counter the anti-biotics.
sounds like she has some stomach issues as well. give her some baby gas drops to reduce swelling. she needs probiotics as well for her stomach to counter the anti-biotics.
Bruns Island Whitetails said:
I just lost my pet yearling doe.... Now I am begging to keep my buck Alive! The test came back as EHD. Not the worst case seen but Right next it. How many strands of EHD are there?
Joined May 2009
2,369 Posts | 0+
Chillicothe, Missouri