This question is for a friend of mine. She has sheep and occasionally, and she emphasized occasionally, she goes to her barn and finds red urine on the ground. It is not redwater, I think that is what she said. I guess we don't get that in this part of the country. All of her sheep are healthy and doing just fine. I told her someone here might know the answer. I'll pass all responses on to her.

Thanks for any help.

Susan

-- Susan in Minnesota (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), February 02, 2002

Answers

What I was able to find on the internet (I’ve never raised any sheep) is, if the sheep’s dark red-brown urine is not due to some medication the sheep are on or something in their diet. Such as the sheep being fed a cow or hog feed that is high in copper or a mineral supplement with high levels of copper in it, (see copper poisoning below). Then the "Redwater" or haemolytic anaemia (red urine caused by the rupture of red blood cells) may be the sign of something more serious and it is important to work with your local veterinarian to obtain an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Copper poisoning occurs primarily in sheep when they are fed a cattle or hog mineral or feed. Sheep are very intolerant to copper. The toxic dose in a sheep is 10 mg per head per day. Many common cattle minerals have a calculated dose of 75 mg per head per day. Sheep USA, or http://www.sheepusa.org/resource/handbook/chhealth.htm

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), February 02, 2002.

Sheep require about 5parts per million of copper in their diet. They can handle up to 20 ppm and most cattle feed is in excess of that. Feeding an excess of copper sulphate will not manifest itself immediately, but when the animal becomes stressed the copper is released from the liver. The urine is red, and the eye will appear jaundiced or yellow around the iris. The animal will go off feed and most often will die, especially if it is a young one. If the animal survives, you can expext it to go through the symptoms again at a later date. I speak from exerience quite a few years ago when we found that the lambs would gain in excess of a pound a day on a goat ration we used. It had 27 ppm of copper sulphate and we lost our best lambs as a result. The older ewes that had access to the feed also eventually succumbed to copper toxidity. I did extensive research on the subject , checking with vets, other sheep farmers and read all the literature I could find on copper toxisity.

There may be other reasons why your friends sheep have red urine, but I would check for these other symptoms also and take a good look at the feed tags. Many feed companys are labeling feed not intended for sheep.

-- David (mncscott@ak.net), February 02, 2002.

Thewords toxidity and toxisity are typos, should be toxicity. That's what I get for typing in a hurry.

-- David (mncscott@ak.net), February 02, 2002.

Couldn't say more than David about copper and sheep. I've seen red water in my yards and it's simply contaminated water from the manure. Still if she's sure it isn't then about the only thing I can think of that produces red urine is a condition called red water which (off the top of my head) is a kidney disease and if they had that the sheep would be obviously sick.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), February 03, 2002.

I called my friedn last night to give her the answers you all had sent. She says she mixes her own grains, oats and something else. She doesnot buy and ready mix. She is very aware of copper in sheep and she said they would all be dead by now. I asked her is she thought she had copper water pipes in her house and could that put enough copper in the water to effect the sheep. She said she did have copper pipes. Until reciently they had a softener too. We were wondering it the softner salt coupd leech out the copper from the pipes? It has been a month since they stopped using the softener. She is going to make sure she rund the water for a few minutes before watering the sheep.

I asked her again about "redwater" she said it is caused by a parasite that we do not get up here, too cold or something. She was thinking maybe kidney infection which she says there is nothing that can be done. Usually she treats her animals with herbs when they are sick and had wonderful results. but she is not opposed to using drugs if she has to.

Thanks again, Susan

-- Susan in Minnesota (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), February 03, 2002.

I have had it with meds, and vitamins like B-12 which I give to all my sick ewes. I have found if I give Nutra Drench it might cause a colored urine but sounds like something else here because your friend would known about meds. I would worry about copper. Does she feed cattle feed or sheep feed. I give a sheep only mineral to mine and I have a ewe grain made. I have read even then people have lost sheep only to find out the feed stores do not understand this no copper bit with the sheep. They need a very little amount and most hog feed has lots.

-- debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), February 03, 2002.