Chapter 6. SHEEP DISEASES

Healthy animals are a source of income and progress.

Keeping sheep healthy is not difficult

They are hardy and resistant to many diseases.

PREVENTING DISEASES

1. Graze sheep far from unclean or stagnant water.
2. Rotate the places where you graze them.
3. Feed them well.
4. Keep their shelters clean, dry and free from air draughts.
5. Water should be clean, fresh and cool.
6. Arrange water troughs and feeders so that manure, litter and urine will not enter.
7. Do not place water containers too near the place they sleep,
8. Have a first-aid medicine box,
9. Vaccinate your animals.
10. Watch for disease signs.
11. Keep sick animals apart.

Pay attention to each of these tips and see what practical consequences you can derive from them.

Is there anything you should change in the way you raise your sheep?

Are there some agreements you and your neighbours could make to prevent diseases?

Answer:  We do not know what your answers were, but:

• Drying or fencing ponds with stagnant water,
• Rotating pastures,
• Recognizing disease signs,
• Vaccinating animals, and
• Keeping sick animals apart 

can be cooperative efforts.

RECOGNIZING DISEASE SIGNS

Diseases have different signs. But there are some general signs of diseases. Read them carefully.

Complete:

A sick sheep may show:

1.   A ______ coat.

2.   Deep ______ in the flank.

3.   ______ appetite.

4.   Temperature higher than ______.

1.   A dull coat.

2.   Deep hollows in the flank.

3.   Poor appetite.

4.   Temperature higher than 40°C or 104°F

COMMON DISEASES OF SHEEP IN THE CARIBBEAN

Major diseases in sheep are:

INTERNAL PARASITES (worms)

EXTERNAL PARASITES

FOOT ROT

PREGNANCY TOXEMIA

We will study:    The main signs of these diseases, their consequences and treatments.

INTERNAL PARASITES

WORMS:

Unfortunately internal parasites (worms) are very common in sheep.  They live in the stomach, liver, lungs or kidneys of the sheep. 
Worms live in the sheep and eat the sheep.

Study the following graph:

Worm life cycle

It is important to know about the worm life cycle in order to prevent internal parasites. 

According to the graph:

1.  The adult worms live in the sheep's body.

2.  Their eggs fall on the pasture through manure.

3.  Eggs in the pasture hatch into a larva (an intermediate worm form).

4.  When eating pasture, the animal also eats the larvae.

5.  These larvae develop into worms in the sheep's body.

What to do in order to break this cycle?

1.  Do not graze the same place for more than 2 weeks and let it rest for at least 3 weeks.

2.  Do not graze sheep near stagnant or dirty water.

3.  Keep pens and housing clean (See Appendix III - Facilities).

4.  Do not allow dogs to eat uncooked meat.

5.  Keep sick animals apart and eliminate their droppings.

6.  Apply a routine deworming programme.  Read the manufacturer's label and follow directions carefully.

7.  Avoid manure contamination of feed and water (See Appendix III Facilities).

How to drench a sheep

Liquid medication can be given as a drench.

-    You will need a dose syringe or a soft drink or beer bottle with a rubber hose attached.

-    Measure the correct amount of drench.

-    Hold the head slightly upwards and place end of the tube over the top of the tongue.

-    Slowly pour drench into "food pipe" (esophagus).

MAIN INTERNAL PARASITES: WORMS AND COCCIDIA

* Check with your veterinarian or extension agent for recommended drugs locally available.  Always read label and follow directions carefully.

How much do you know about internal parasites? 

Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

1. Internal parasites are very _________ in sheep.
2. To prevent internal parasites it is important to know about the worm _________.
3. To break this cycle you should graze the same place for no more than _________ weeks, and let it rest for _________.
4. To control worms a _________ deworming programme is essential.
5. If a sheep looses condition and appetite it may have _________.
6. Coccidiosis is an _________ disease.
7. Coccidiosis may cause _________ to lambs.

Answers

1. Internal parasites are very common in sheep.
2. To prevent internal parasites it is important to know about the worm life cycle.
3. To break this cycle you should graze the same place for no more than two weeks, and let it rest for three weeks.
4. To control worms a regular deworming programme is essential.
5. If a sheep looses condition and appetite it may have internal parasites.
6. Coccidiosis is an infectious disease.
7. Coccidiosis may cause death to lambs.

EXTERNAL PARASITES

External parasites live in the coat and skin of sheep.

They suck the animal's blood.

They transmit diseases.

They retard growth.

They can pass from sheep to sheep, or from another object to sheep.

This is one cycle of an external parasite (tick):

You see, they can also develop in the grass.

MAIN EXTERNAL PARASITES

* - Check with your veterinarian or extension agent for recommended drugs locally available. Read label and follow the directions carefully.

- IMPORTANT - Use sprays, dust or dips with extreme caution on lambs due to their sensitivity.

What to do to prevent external parasites?

Mange:

Is transmitted from sheep to sheep, not from an object to sheep.

To prevent its spread:

-    Inspect animals frequently.

-    Separate infested animals and treat.

-    Regularly spray, dust or dip other animals as a precaution.

-    Do not buy infested animals.

Ticks:

Ticks just from pastures or facilities to sheep (see page 207).

To prevent its spread:

-    Use a regular spray, dust or dip programme.

-    Keep facilities clean and spray if animals become infested.

-    Kill ticks on sheep, this will help to break the life cycle.

How much do you know about external parasites? 

Complete with the correct words.

1. External parasites live on the _________ and _______ of sheep.
2. External parasites suck the animal's ___________.
3. Main external parasites of sheep are ____________ and __________.
4. You may spray, dip or dust animals to eliminate _____________.
5. Spray must be used with __________________ on lambs.
6. Mange is transmitted from _______ to _____ so it is important to ________ infested animals.

Answers

1. External parasites live on the coat and skin of sheep.

2. External parasites suck the animal's blood.

3. Main external parasites of sheep are mange and ticks.

4. You may spray, dip or dust animals to eliminate external parasites.

5. Spray must be used with extreme caution on lambs.

6. Mange is transmitted from sheep to sheep so it is important to separate infested animals.

FOOT ROT

Foot rot is an infectious disease. 

It spreads from the soil to the feet.

Ask your veterinarian or extension agent how to make solutions.

PREVENTING FOOT ROT

-    Inspect hooves regularly.

-    Trim hooves regularly.

-    Use foot-bath on a regular basis.

-    Avoid grazing extremely wet soils.

-    Keep pens and housing clean. Filth makes disease outbreaks possible,

-    Do not buy animals from infested soils. 

Remember:

How to trim hooves

If you trim your sheep's hooves, you will prevent foot rot and other foot and leg problems.

You need a sharp knife or trimming shears.

How to trim foot of a sheep with foot rot

1. Trim overgrown parts of hoof.
2. With a point of a knife look for hidden pockets of infection,
3. Cut out all diseased tissue and pockets of infection. (Sometimes this requires cutting through healthy tissues and drawing blood.)
4. Swab or brush with disinfectant.
5. Put sheep through foot-bath.

How much do you know about foot rot?

Please fill in the blanks with the correct words.

1.   Foot rot spreads from __________  to feet.

2.   One main sign of foot rot is an abnormal _________  of the skin around the hoof.

3.   Wet soils should not be grazed to prevent _________.

4.   Foot rot is an ____________  disease.

5.   It is good practice to _________  hooves regularly to prevent this disease.

Answers

1.   Foot rot spreads from soil to feet.

2.   One main sign of foot rot is an abnormal growth of the skin around the hoof.

3.   Wet soils should not be grazed to prevent foot rot.

4.   Foot rot is an infectious disease.

5.   It is good practice to trim hooves regularly to prevent this disease.

PREGNANCY TOXEMIA

This disease is also called pregnancy disease or ketosis

It only occurs within the last few weeks or days of pregnancy.

It usually occurs in:

Ewes carrying 2 or more lambs.

Very fat ewes.

Causes of pregnancy toxemia (disease)

-    Sudden increased demand for energy.

-    Decreasing stomach space to hold forage due to growth of the unborn lambs.

-    Malnutrition.

-    Stress caused by heavy worm infestation.

-    Rapid use of fat reserves to feed lambs causing the production of a poisonous chemical (ketosis).

PREGNANCY TOXEMIA  (Disease)

Prevention of pregnancy toxemia

With this disease you realize the importance of good feeding.

-    Supplement high energy feeds during last 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. (1 to 2 pounds of grain or grain by-products and hay or silage).

-    Do not let ewe consume large quantities of molasses.

-    Do not let ewes get abnormally fat in early pregnancy.

-    Do not let fat ewes lose weight in late pregnancy.

How much do you know about pregnancy toxemia? 

Please fill in the blanks with the correct words.

1. Another name for pregnancy toxemia is_____________.
2. It occurs more frequently in ewes carrying _______  or _____  lambs.
3. Pregnancy toxemia is caused by a sudden demand for ______________.
4. If the ewe uses its__________ reserves rapidly this will cause the production of a poison called ketosis.
5. Once the sick ewe is lying down, she will usually _________.
6. This disease shows us the importance of ________  feeding.

Answers

1. Another name for pregnancy toxemia is ketosis.
2. It occurs more frequently in ewes carrying two or more lambs.
3. Pregnancy toxemia is caused by a sudden demand for energy.
4. If the ewe uses its fat reserves rapidly, this will cause the production of a poison called ketosis.
5. Once the sick ewe is lying down, she will usually die.
6. This disease shows us the importance of good feeding.

TEST NUMBER 5

Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

1. The best way to take care of your sheep is _______  diseases.
2. In preventing diseases you must keep sheep far from ______  water, rotate the places where you ______  them and watch for disease _________.
3. A sick sheep has a _____  coat, ______  appetite, _______  eyes.
4. To prevent internal parasites it is important to know about the worm ____________.
5. If a sheep loses condition and appetite it may have ___________.
6.  __________  and __________  are sheep's most common internal parasites.
7. To control worms a ________  deworming programme is essential.
8. External parasites suck the animal's ______.
9. Main external parasites ;of sheep are ____  and _________.
10. Internal parasites are treated with __________.
11. External parasites may be treated with ___ ._____ .
12. Foot rot spreads from the ______  to feet.
13. It is good practice to _________  hooves regularly to prevent foot rot.
14. Pregnancy disease or toxemia occurs during the last _____  weeks of pregnancy.
15. Appropriate ________  is important to prevent pregnancy toxemia.

Answers

1. The best way to take care of your sheep is preventing diseases.
2. In preventing diseases you must keep sheep far from unclean water, rotate the places where you graze them and watch for disease signs.
3. A sick sheep has a dull coat, poor appetite, cloudy eyes.
4. To prevent internal parasites it is important to know about the worm life cycle.
5. If a sheep loses condition and appetite it may have internal parasites.
6. Worms and coccidia are sheep's most common internal parasites.
7. To control worms a regular deworming programme is essential.
8. External parasites suck the animal's blood.
9. Main external parasites of sheep are mange and ticks.
10. Internal parasites are treated with drenching.
11. External parasites may be treated with spraying, dusting, dipping.
12. Foot rot spreads from the soil to feet.
13. It is good practice to trim hooves regularly to prevent foot rot.
14. Pregnancy disease or toxemia occurs during the last few weeks of pregnancy.
15. Appropriate feeding is important to prevent pregnancy toxemia.