How to burp a lamb

This happened two weeks ago but I wanted to share my experience so maybe it will help somebody. On Sunday the little lambs were doing excellent, happily drank their bottles and ran around outside. Monday mornings are crazy around here as I have to get to work by 8 am so I ran out and bottle fed but to be honest I didn't pay much attention to the lambs, not really looking them over and checking them. We had just started them on lamb chow and so I gave them a little bit after bottle feeding and went off to work. Mariah called me around 1 pm at work and told me Annabelle really didn't eat much but acted fine. That night I went to feed and Annebelle wouldn't even look at her bottle much less eat any of it. I put them back in their pen and finished the chores. After the other chores were done I checked on them again and Miss A wouldn't even get up. I felt her tummy and it was very hard and tight as a drum. I figured she was bloated and ran in the house to research what to do. After reading how quickly it can turn fatal I decided more action than less would be best. I squirted baking soda water down her throat, vegetable oil (they recommend mineral oil but I had none on hand)and I read somewhere that water with ground ginger mixed in could help so I squirted down her also. I did it all and then I put her over my shoulder and walked all over the barn patting her on the left side. I bounced her and jostle her and patted her for over 30 minutes and then went back in the house to research some more. Every 30 minutes until 3 in the morning I went out there and tried to burp her. Now this is impressive for me - the girl who is deathly afraid of the dark. She did burp a little bit but not much. The next morning which came all to soon I rushed back out there and she was still alive. I gave her more baking soda water and had to leave to take youngest to preschool. She gradually improved that day and by evening I gave her 4 oz of milk replacer. She had been up to 16 oz three times a day. Over the next few days she made rapid progress and shortly after I weaned both lambs down to two bottle feedings. Today she is alive and well. I hope my misfortune can help somebody else.

The girls:

Miss Annabelle


Miss Amelia