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Simple indigestion
Simple indigestion is a temporary stop in the functioning of the rumen, without its chemistry clearly switching to the acidic side or the alkaline side. The rumen functions like a constantly brewing vat: it contracts several times per minut...
What is it?
Simple indigestion is a temporary stop in the functioning of the rumen, without its chemistry clearly switching to the acidic side or the alkaline side. The rumen functions like a constantly brewing vat: it contracts several times per minute to mix the contents, bring up the food to be chewed on and evacuate gases. When these contractions slow down or stop, the animal stops ruminating, loses its appetite and withdraws. It is the most common digestive disorder in sheep. It follows a change of feed, poor quality fodder, lack of water, transport or stress. Trivial does not mean unimportant. Simple indigestion is also the diagnosis that we make too quickly: many serious diseases in sheep start in exactly the same way, with an animal that no longer ruminates. The rule of thumb is simple: Simple indigestion improves in one to two days after the cause is removed. Beyond that, it's not one.
Key point
An Simple indigestion heals quickly. It is also the name that is too often given to the first hours of a serious illness: a rumen that is still stopped the next day warrants a veterinary examination.
Commonly observed signs
These signs are neither exhaustive nor specific. Only a veterinarian can establish a diagnosis.
Related signs — each one links to its page:
The animal stops ruminating: at rest, we no longer see the regular jaw movements that others make. He eats little or refuses the ration, even though he otherwise appears alert and attentive. He stays aside, head down, less lively than usual. The left side is full but flexible: the hand placed in the hollow of the side feels little or no contraction. The droppings change: they become rare and hard, or on the contrary soft and poorly formed. Moderate bloating may appear if the stoppage is prolonged. Milk production drops in lactating females. The temperature remains normal: this is an important point, because fever indicates an infection and not simple indigestion. The general condition remains good and improves in one to two days. An animal that gets worse, has a fever, grinds its teeth, staggers or lies down does not have Simple indigestion.
When to consult without delay
This list does not replace veterinary advice. It gathers situations that justify a prompt consultation.
Causes and risk factors
Sudden change in fodder or feed: new batch of hay, new stack, transition from straw to green grass, purchase of a different feed.
Poor quality forage: too coarse hay, only straw, moldy, wet, dusty or earthy forage.
Lack of water or dirty water: the rumen needs a lot of water to function, and a drinker failure is enough to stop an entire flock.
Ration too low in long fiber, or conversely too low in energy.
Stress and jostling: transport, sorting, shearing, change of building, batching, fair, and the Eid period when animals change hands, location and ration in a few days.
Meals delayed or distributed irregularly.
Pain, lameness or fever for another reason: an animal in pain stops ruminating, whatever the origin of its suffering.
Following treatment, in particular antibiotics given by mouth, which disrupt the rumen flora.
Transition periods: entry into the sheepfold, exit to pasture, end of drought, arrival of a new batch of food.
Farms where drinkers are not checked every day.
Animals recently purchased or transported, animals grouped together during a fair or Eid.
Ewes at the end of gestation, whose rumen is compressed by the lambs and who naturally eat less.
Aged animals or animals with poor teeth, which sort food and grind it poorly.
Poorly ventilated sheepfolds, dirty litter boxes, cold and humid atmosphere.
Irregular distribution, ration modified according to what was on hand.
Diagnosis and care
Diagnosis is the veterinarian's responsibility, based on clinical examination and laboratory tests. Care is decided case by case.
There is a basic gesture that any breeder can learn: place the fist in the hollow of the left flank, just in front of the hip, and count the contractions of the rumen for two minutes while remaining still. A working rumen regularly raises the hand; a silent rumen signals a problem. Always compare with a healthy animal from the same batch, it's the best way to learn. The veterinarian takes the temperature, which is decisive: without a fever, the Simple indigestion remains plausible; with fever, look for an infection. He listens to the rumen, examines the mouth and teeth, feels the belly, checks hydration and the appearance of the droppings. Above all, it rules out what is hidden behind a stopped rumen: ruminal acidosis and alkalosis, obstruction of the esophagus, early enterotoxemia, gestational toxemia in pregnant ewes, pneumonia, parasitism, mastitis, painful lameness, plant poisoning. He examines the ration, the fodder stocks and the water troughs, often more informative than the animal itself. When several animals in the flock are affected at the same time, the cause is almost always food or water-related.
Treatment
Many simple indigestions resolve on their own within one to two days once the cause is removed.
Useful actions: remove the suspect food, provide good quality hay as needed, provide access to clean, temperate water, isolate the animal in a quiet, dry, sheltered place, and let it move a little, because walking restarts the movements of the rumen.
If the condition does not improve within a day, or if any other signs appear, call the veterinarian. This is the point that costs breeders the most: we wait three days talking about indigestion while the animal is doing something else.
The veterinarian has treatments that boost rumen motility, flora support products, and can empty or re-seed the rumen using a probe in established cases. Reseeding with rumen juice taken from a healthy animal often gives excellent results.
Never give medicine by mouth on your own initiative and never make it drink by force: in a weakened ruminant, the liquid easily goes into the lungs.
Traditional remedies poured down the mouth cause more losses than they prevent. Ask the veterinarian before administering anything.
Treatment depends on the cause and the animal's condition: it must be determined by a veterinarian. No self-medication.
Prevention
Make all dietary transitions gradually, over several days, with each change of forage, food or plot.
Distribute meals at regular times and in regular quantities.
Always guarantee clean and sufficient water, and check the drinkers every day, especially in hot weather and during periods of frost.
Always feed quality long fiber, hay or straw, even in rations rich in concentrate.
Remove moldy, earthy or wet forage, and protect stocks from rain.
Limit stress: calm handling, short transports, stable batches, and hay available upon arrival of a purchased animal.
Monitor the herd's rumination: when resting, a good number of lying animals must ruminate. A group that ruminates little is a group that is doing less well, even before the signs appear.
Have the teeth of older animals who are losing weight or who are sorting their ration checked.
Possible complications
Bloating of the rumen if the stoppage is prolonged.
Déshydratation et affaiblissement chez un animal qui ne boit plus.
Amaigrissement et chute durable de la production laitière.
Chez la brebis en fin de gestation, l'arrêt de l'alimentation peut basculer en toxémie de gestation, bien plus grave et difficile à rattraper.
Pneumonie de fausse déglutition après des remèdes versés de force par la bouche.
Surtout : retard de diagnostic d'une maladie plus sérieuse, mise sur le compte d'une indigestion pendant plusieurs jours, avec un animal que l'on ne peut plus sauver.
When to see a veterinarian
The animal still does not ruminate after twenty-four hours despite the removal of the food in question.
He has a fever, he grinds his teeth or he moans.
His left side swells and becomes tense.
He lies down and doesn't get up, or he staggers.
This is a ewe at the end of gestation which refuses to eat: consult the same day.
Several animals from the same group stop ruminating at the same time.
Diarrhea sets in, or blood appears in the droppings.
He received treatment by mouth and began coughing or having difficulty breathing.
Prognosis
The prognosis for true Simple indigestion is excellent: the animal regains its appetite and rumination within one to two days as soon as the cause is removed. It deteriorates as soon as we wait: a rumen stopped for several days destroys its flora, the animal loses weight and takes weeks to recover. The real risk is not the disease itself but the label: calling indigestion what is in reality acidosis, obstruction or toxemia of gestation wastes the days that count.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my sheep's rumen is working?
Place your fist in the hollow of your left side, just in front of your hip, and remain still for two minutes. You should feel the belly rise regularly under your hand. Compare with a healthy animal from the same batch: the difference is very clear and this action can be learned in a visit to the veterinarian.
My sheep no longer chews the cud but he does not have a fever, is this reassuring?
This is a good point, because the fever would point to an infection. But the absence of fever does not rule out acidosis, alkalosis, esophageal obstruction, or gestational toxemia. Remove the suspect food, leave some hay and water, and if nothing improves by the next day, call.
Can I give him some grandmother's remedy while I wait?
Avoid anything that goes into your mouth. A weakened ruminant swallows poorly and the liquid goes into the lungs, which causes pneumonia, which is often fatal. Quality hay, clean water, calm and a little walking are the only risk-free actions.
Several of my sheep stopped eating at the same time, why?
When an entire flock is affected, the cause is almost always collective: new fodder, moldy feed, change of ration, broken water trough or dirty water. First check the water and the last feed distributed, then call the veterinarian, as some herd diseases also start this way.
References
FAO — Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture
Content reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team · Updated 11 August 2026
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