Transcript Assessing Sheep and Goat Health

This presentation was given at the 2007 Spring Forum of
the Maryland Association of Agricultural Fairs and Shows,
Inc. It discusses the issues and diseases of primary
importance at fairs and other expositions.
Maryland Association of Agricultural Fairs and Shows
Spring Forum - March 18, 2007
Assessing Sheep
and Goat Health
SUSAN SCHOENIAN
Sheep and Goat Specialist
Western Maryland Research & Education Center
Maryland Cooperative Extension
(301) 432-2767 x343 – [email protected]
Fairs are stressful to livestock
 Handling and
transportation stress.
 New surroundings.
 New pen mates (?)
 Contact with other
animals.
 Close quarters.
 Strange people.
 Different water, food (?)
 Heat stress.
 Out of their normal
routine.
Basic assessment of sheep/goat health
Normal
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Hungry
Alert
Good body condition
Bright eyes with good
eyelid color
Dry nose or slight clear (or
white) discharge from
nose.
Head and ears up
Tail up (goat)
Healthy hair coat
Clean hocks and
hindquarters
Formed stools
Freedom from scabs,
sores, abscesses, etc.
Normal gait
Abnormal
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Off-feed
Lethargic
Poor body condition
Runny, red, or swollen
eyes. Pale eyelids.
Colored discharge from
nose
Head and/or ears handing
down
Droopy tail (goats)
Rough hair coat
Scabs, abscesses, sores.
Soiled hindquarters
Runny or liquid feces;
blood or mucous in feces
Abnormal gait
What is normal?
Parameter
Sheep
Goats
Rectal
Temperature
avg. 102°F
(101.5-104°F)
102-104°F
Ruminations
2 per minute
1-2 per minute
Respiration
12 to 20 breaths per
minute
15 to 30 breaths per
minute
Pulse
70 to 80 beats per
minute
70 to 90 beats per
minute
27 to 45%
avg. 35%
22 to 28%
avg. 28%
Hematocrit
(packed cell volume)
Assessing body condition
an estimate of fat and muscle
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Both the vertical bone protrusion (spinous
process) and horizontal protrusion (transverse
process) of the loin are felt and used to access
body condition scoring.
It is a subjective
score. The exact
score is not as
important as the
relative scores
and differences
between scores.
Diseases of primary concern
Contagious
 Skin diseases
Non-contagious
 Soremouth
 Stomach worms
 External parasites
 Coccidia
 Ringworm
 Acidosis/feedlot bloat
 Foot rot
 Diarrhea
 Abscesses
 Foot scald
 Pinkeye
 Rectal prolapse
 Pneumonia
 Heat stroke/exhaustion
Skin diseases: soremouth
contagious ecthyma, contagious pustular dermatitis, scabby mouth, orf
 Most common skin
problem in sheep/goats
 Caused by a virus in the
pox family.
 Highly contagious to
other sheep/goats, as
well as to people.
 Lesions most commonly
seen on mouth and lips.
blisters → ulcers → scabs
 Clears up in 1-4 weeks.
Skin diseases: external parasites
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Mites
Lice
Ticks (keds)
Nose bots
Blow flies
Symptoms
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Rub, bite, scratch
Intense irritation
Excessive grooming
Dull coat, hair/wool loss,
bald patches, dry skin
Snotty nose
Redness of skin
Nodules
Skin diseases: ringworm
Club lamb fungus
 Caused by a fungus.
 Very contagious.
 Can be transmitted to
humans.
 Transmitted by animal,
equipment, or surroundings.
 Slick shearing makes lambs
more susceptible.
 Causes skin lesions.
 Definitive diagnosis is made
by culturing the fungus.
 Heals on its own in 8 to 16
weeks.
Foot rot and foot scald
 Foot rot is caused by the
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interaction of two anaerobic
bacteria and is highly
contagious.
Foot scald involves only one
bacteria and is not
contagious.
Primary symptom is lameness
in one or more feet.
They appear the same until
you examine the feet.
Foot rot infection is in hoof vs.
foot scald which is between
toes.
Foot rot has a characteristic
foul odor.
Abscesses
Disease of concern: Caseous lymphadenitis (CL)
 Disease has internal
and external form.
 Abscesses at lymphgland sites.
 Caused by a bacteria.
 Very contagious.
 No human cases have
been reported in U.S.
Pinkeye
Infectious keratoconjunctivitis
 An inflammation of the inside of
the eyelid.
 Usually bacterial in cause
(chlamydia, mycoplasma).
 Different from pinkeye in cattle.
 Usually infectious and contagious
to other sheep and goats.
 Symptoms: watery, red, swollen
yes; formation of new blood
vessels’ cloudiness in white part of
eyes; tearing; and crusting
(yellow or green pus).
 Mild cases heal in 10 to 14 days;
severe cases may take 6 weeks to
heal.
Respiratory symptoms
 Infectious
 Pneumonia
Symptoms to look for
 Elevated body
temperature
 Yellowish discharge
 Heavy, labored
breathing
 Chest congestion
 Non-infectious
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Allergy
Dust
Poor ventilation
Nasal bots
Lung worms
A clear, bilateral, watery nasal
discharge is relatively common,
especially in sheep, usually due
to poor ventilation and/or
temperature fluctuations.
Internal parasites (GI worms) are the primary health
problem affecting sheep and goats. The barber pole worm
(Haemonchus contortus) is the worm of primary concern.
The barber pole worm
is a blood-sucking
parasite that causes
blood and protein loss
(anemia) and edema
(“bottle jaw”).
Worms have developed resistance to most of the anthelmintics (dewormers).
The FAMACHA© System
Clinical
Category
Color
PCV
Deworm?
1
Red
> 28
No
2
Red-Pink
23-27
No
3
Pink
18-22
?
4
Pink-White
13-17
Yes
5
White
< 12
Yes
goats
sheep
for assessing anemia and barber pole worm infection in small ruminants
Selective deworming prolongs effectiveness of anthelmintics by reducing selection for drug resistant worms.
Diarrhea – Scours
Increased frequency, fluidity, or volume of fecal excretion.
Infectious
 Bacterial
 E. coli
 Salmonella
 Viral
 Protozoa
 Coccidia
 Cyrptosporidia
 Giardia
 Non-infectious
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Parasites
Nutritional
Management
Stress
Normal stool is hard round balls”, but feeding can alter consistency.
Rectal prolapse (lambs)
 Multi-factorial problem
 Sex (female)
 High level of grain
feeding
 Straining
 Genetics
 Short tail docks
 Can repair prolapse,
but animal is usually
salvaged.
Heat stroke/exhaustion
High temperatures + high humidity
Symptoms
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Rapid breathing.
Panting.
Collapse.
Inability to stand
Elevated rectal
temperature, over 104°F;
critical over 105°F.
Prevention
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Transport and work during
cool part of day.
Clean, fresh drinking water.
Fans.
Treatment
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Cooling therapy
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Shade, ventilation
Spray with water (cold water
may be too much of a shock).
Wet head, legs, and stomach
Rubbing alcohol to the area
between the hind legs.
Do not soak a wooled sheep
with cold water to attempt to
cool them.
Fluids, drugs
Questions?
Comments
Thank you.