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SHEEP-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 116
Soremouth (ecthyma):
This illness is caused by a contagious virus that can be transmitted to humans as well as other sheep. When dealing with sheep with soremouth always use disposable gloves.
The symptoms start with pustules and scabs on the mucus membranes, this includes areas such as lips, eyes, teats and feet.
Vaccines are available for this disease, but it is usual veterinary practice only to vaccinate animals if there is an outbreak. If you have an animal with soremouth in your flock it too will receive a vaccination. The reason for not vaccinating before the disease has shown up is that the current vaccine is a live vaccines which means that it could cause an outbreak if given to a clean flock.
Ovine Progressive Pneumonia:
Thin sheep are targets for disease. Ovine progressive pneumonia is a slow virus similar to AIDS in humans and takes at least 2 years to manifest it signs. This virus slowly causes progressive lung damage. If a ewe contracts it she will gradually lose stamina and body condition and start to have serious breathing problems that bring about physical weakness and fatal pneumonia.
At present there is neither a cure nor a vaccine to protect against Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP) but there are new tests that make disease control possible. To avoid this problem, the animals you intend to breed should be tested each year, and if there are any infected animals they should be eliminated.
Ewes can transmit this disease to their newborn lamb through its milk. The lamb should be taken away from her immediately after birth – do not wait – and raised on a colostrum replacer and lamb milk replacer. The good news is that it is almost 100% effective in preventing OPP being transmitted to the lamb.
As soon an animal tests positive for OPP it should be isolated immediately from the rest of the flock. The good news is that not every sheep that tests positive actually goes down with the disease, but the disease is invariably fatal. The only way safe way to protect your flock is to have the sheep culled.
DISORDERS THAT RESULT FROM BACTERIA
Bacterial diseases are not very common, but if they should happen to strike they are a serious problem, often with high mortality rates.
This illness is caused by a contagious virus that can be transmitted to humans as well as other sheep. When dealing with sheep with soremouth always use disposable gloves.
The symptoms start with pustules and scabs on the mucus membranes, this includes areas such as lips, eyes, teats and feet.
Vaccines are available for this disease, but it is usual veterinary practice only to vaccinate animals if there is an outbreak. If you have an animal with soremouth in your flock it too will receive a vaccination. The reason for not vaccinating before the disease has shown up is that the current vaccine is a live vaccines which means that it could cause an outbreak if given to a clean flock.
Ovine Progressive Pneumonia:
Thin sheep are targets for disease. Ovine progressive pneumonia is a slow virus similar to AIDS in humans and takes at least 2 years to manifest it signs. This virus slowly causes progressive lung damage. If a ewe contracts it she will gradually lose stamina and body condition and start to have serious breathing problems that bring about physical weakness and fatal pneumonia.
At present there is neither a cure nor a vaccine to protect against Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP) but there are new tests that make disease control possible. To avoid this problem, the animals you intend to breed should be tested each year, and if there are any infected animals they should be eliminated.
Ewes can transmit this disease to their newborn lamb through its milk. The lamb should be taken away from her immediately after birth – do not wait – and raised on a colostrum replacer and lamb milk replacer. The good news is that it is almost 100% effective in preventing OPP being transmitted to the lamb.
As soon an animal tests positive for OPP it should be isolated immediately from the rest of the flock. The good news is that not every sheep that tests positive actually goes down with the disease, but the disease is invariably fatal. The only way safe way to protect your flock is to have the sheep culled.
DISORDERS THAT RESULT FROM BACTERIA
Bacterial diseases are not very common, but if they should happen to strike they are a serious problem, often with high mortality rates.