Sheep & Goat
Production
Flock Health
Diseases
Cause death, loss of condition and
poor utilization of feed.
 Methods of sanitation and disease
control are essential when
maintaining a flock.
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Diseases of Lambs
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Non-infectious Diseases of the newborn to
three weeks of age lambs.
Infectious diseases of the newborn to three
weeks of age lambs.
Lamb diseases acquired after birth and during
the first few days of life
Diseases of lambs from three weeks of age to
feeders
Respiratory diseases of lambs
Diseases of feeder lambs
Non-Infectious Diseases of the
Newborn to Three-Weeks-of-AgeLamb
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Starvation-The major cause of lamb deaths in almost any
type of management system.
Causes:
– Lamb is born healthy but the ewe has no milk or teat
canal is plugged.
– Lamb is born healthy, the ewe has milk, but will not
allow the lamb to nurse. Common with twins, triplets.
– Ewes may not have enough milk for twin lambs.
– Ewes may develop mastitis, hard bag, contagious
ecthyma (soremouth), or injure her udder. These
conditions may decrease milk production or produce
pain, causing the ewe to prohibit the lamb from
nursing.
Secondary Starvation from
Hypothermia
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The lamb is born healthy; however, due to cold
or wet weather and the newborn’s inability to
control its body temperature, the lamb loses
body heat and becomes cold (Hypothermia)
Clinical signs:
– Weak
– Losing condition or not gaining weight
– Will not get up and nurse
– Feel cold to the touch, particularly inside the
mouth and a very weak or inexistent suck
reflex.
– A temperature under 100 degrees F indicates
Hypothermia
Secondary Starvation from
Hypothermia

Treatment:
– Warm water bath or warm incubator made
from a cardboard box and hairdryer. Do not
overheat.
– Monitor the temp. with a rectal
thermometer. When the temp. has reached
101 degrees F, the lamb is warm enough.
– Warm colostrum can be force fed via tube or
catheter (16”, 18 gauge) on a 60cc syringe.
– 50 cc of a 10% Glucose solution inserted
under the skin of the rib cage
– Milk replacer for older lambs.
Secondary Starvation from
Hypothermia
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Prevention:
– Take a rectal temp. of all lambs exposed to
cold or wet weather conditions.
– Check the udder and remove teat plugs by
milking a few drops of milk from both halves
of the udder at time of birth.
– Observe lambs closely
– Look for lambs who appear hungry or tucked
up.
– Check both twins closely to ensure a mother
is not unwilling to allow one of the twins to
nurse. An unwilling mother may require that
a lamb be grafted to another ewe or begin
bottle feeding.
Trauma
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Broken ribs, broken backs, ruptured livers,
ruptured spleens and suffocation are common.
Causes:
– May occur during the birthing process when a
large lamb is forcefully pulled.
– Impatient ewes may paw at their lambs to
get them to rise early
– Lambing pens may be too small causing the
ewe to step on or lie on the lamb.
– Lambs moved out of lambing pens with other
ewes and lambs may try to suck from the
wrong ewe and are injured by the offended
ewe.
Trauma
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Prevention:
– Hobble ewes that paw at their lambs
– Enlarge lambing pens
– Shear ewes before lambing to reduce the
size of the ewe and pen required.
– Allow sufficient time in the lambing pens for
bonding before turning the ewe and her
lamb(s) out with other ewes and lambs.
Entropion
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A heritable trait in which the lower eyelid is
inverted, causing the eyelashes of the lower lid
to brush against the eye. The constant
irritation results in profuse tearing, corneal
ulceration, scaring and blindness. Occurs in all
breeds and sexes.
Clinical Signs:
– Profuse tearing seen within the first few
days of birth.
– If not seen within the first few days, the
eye turns blue indicating a corneal ulcer.
– If both eyes are affected, the lamb
becomes unable to see and its general
Entropion
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Treatment:
– Inject 1 ml of procaine penicillin under the
skin of the lower lid causing a bleb, pushing
the lid and lashes away from the eye.
– In cases of reoccurrence, surgery or other
approaches may be required. However, in
most cases, the problem is resolved.
Prevention:
– Entropion is a genetic trait and the
responsible parent can be culled.
Infectious Diseases of the Newborn
to Three-Weeks-of-Age Lamb

These diseases affect the lamb during its
development in the uterus and include:
– Toxoplasmosis
– Brucella ovis
– Border Disease (Hairy Shakers)
Toxoplasmosis

Cause:
– Caused by a small coccidia-like
organism which infects the intestinal
tract of young cats.
– Sheep ingest feed contaminated with
the feces of domestic, feral or wild
cat species during pregnancy.
– Organisms migrate to the placenta and
fetus, causing death and expulsion of
the fetus.
Brucella ovis
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Cause:
– Infection of the breeding rams which may
cause 1-5% of lambs to be stillborn or weak.
– These lambs usually die, but if they do
survive, grow up to be normal
– This disease is more common in western
range flocks using multiple sire systems and
that maintain a large number of rams in a
group.
Border Disease
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Also known as Hairy Shakers
Disease was first recognized in the United Kingdom
Cause:
– Caused by a virus closely related to the bovine viral
diarrhea agent
– Disease does not seem to cause clinical disease unless
infected in utero (generally does not cause abortions)
– The term Hair Shaker describes the condition of the
newborn lambs as they have a hairy coat and possess a
nervous condition causing uncontrolled shaking.
– Incidence of the disease probably depends on prior exposure
to the virus.
» If virus has recently been introduced and ewes are
within the first 60 days of pregnancy, losses may be
10-20%.
» Flocks which have experienced the disease usually only
experience a 1-2% loss.
Border Disease
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Clinical Signs:
– Depending on the time of pregnancy, early
embryonic deaths may be seen (open ewes)
Small, live, underdeveloped lambs, or hairy
shaker lambs, normal lambs which are
immunodeficient, or a combination of the
above.
– All are usually born alive
– Can be saved with special care, with the
exception of the Hairy Shaker lambs whose
central nervous system is irreversibly
affected.
– However, survivors usually do not do well or
live to breeding age.
Border Disease
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Treatment & Prevention:
1. Separate breeding ewes from cattle
2. Eliminate affected lambs and their
placentas from herd access and isolate
affected ewes until genital discharges
cease.
3. Eliminate affected ewes that have
produced infected offspring more than
once.
4. Consider a vaccination program with
a killed bovine virus diarrhea vaccine in
flocks suffering annual border disease
Lamb Diseases Acquired After
Birth and During The First Few
Days of Life
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Navel ill
Pastuerella hemolytica
Erysipelas (Joint ill)
Colostrum
E. coli scours
Enterotoxemia type C
Tetanus (Lockjaw)
Soremouth
Diseases of Lambs From
Three-Weeks-of-Age to
Feeders
 Enterotoxemia
type D
 Polyarthritis
 White
Muscle Disease
Respiratory Diseases of
Lambs

Causes and Disease Process:
– Bacteria, Chlamydia, mucoplasma, parasites, viruses
and combinations of any of these.
– Can be harbored by healthy sheep without showing
clinical signs
– Occurs when sheep’s resistance and infectious agents
are interfered with. Lowered resistance is often due
to management.
– Dust, high ammonia concentration, nutrient deficiency,
crowding can all affect resistance.
Clinical Signs:
– Severe depression, labored breathing, rapid death,
coughing, appetite reduction, more labored breathing
during excercise.
Diseases of Feeder Lambs
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Acidosis (grain overload, founder, Ketosis)
Polio
Enterotoxemia of Fattening Lambs
Salmonellosis
Pneumonia
Rectal Prolapse
Internal Parasites
Coccidiosis
Copper Poisioning
Urolithiasis (Water Belly, Calculosis)
Acidosis
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Grain overload or founder.
Commonly occurs in feeder lambs changed from
a roughage diet to one of concentrates.
Caused by lambs engorging during a feeding,
causing an overload of concentrates.
Clinical signs:
– Depression
– Recumbency
– Comatose
– Dead lambs
(Diagnosis is determined by a necropsy which
examines the rumen for concentrates and testing the
contents for an acid pH.)
Polio
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Polioencephalomalcia (PEM) Forage Poisoning
A disease of the central nervous system and is not of
major importance to the overall sheep industry although
it can cause individual or flock problems. The usual
occurrence is in feeder lambs on high concentrate diets
or, it happens on forages but not necessarily poisonous
forages.
Clinical Signs:
– Blindness
– Follows behind
– Staggers and appears disoriented and occasionally stares at
the sky
– Eventually animal is unable to rise, becomes comatose and
dies in convulsions
– Animal may appear dehydrated and empty due to its inability
to eat or drink.
Treat early with Thiamine hydrochloride I.V. and I.M.
Enterotoxemia of Fattening
Lambs
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Overeating disease, Pulpy Kidney disease
Condition that contributes to loss as much as any other
disease entity. Often appears in countries where
concentrate feeding is practiced. A disease of high
performing animals. Caused by a toxin produced by
bacteria Clostridium perfringes type C or D.
The type C toxin is responsible for the condition known as
hemorrhagic enterotoxemia. Occurs in young lambs.
The type D toxin is responsible for the enterotoxemia
causing sudden death. Occurs in young lambs.
Prevented by vaccination at 4 weeks of age with
C.perfringes C & D toxoid administered twice about 2
weeks apart. The second shot should be given approx. 2
weeks prior to changing to a concentration ration.
Salmonellosis
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Paratyphoid dysentery
Characterized by gastroenteritis, diarrhea,
septicemia and death. Death rates are usually
high. The disease is often associated with the
stress of weaning, shipping, interruption of feed
intake, crowded pens and contamination of feed
by a few animals shedding the organism.
Treatment and prevention: Obtain a culture
and sensitivity to determine an effective
antibiotic, provide electrolytes, fresh feed and
water. Avoid stressful conditions, long periods
of transport without proper feed, rest and
water, as well as unsanitary feeding conditions.
Pneumonia
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Caused by any of several organisms, particularly
Pasteurella
Stress such as changes in the weather or
feeding schedule
Proper management is important in reducing
pneumonia occurrences
Pneumonia Management
Aids
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Add sulfamethazine to drinking water of pregnant ewes 2
weeks prior to lambing
Mix one pound of 100% sulfamethazine with 1 gal. water
for stock solution. Then, 1 oz. (30 cc) is mixed with
each gal. of water according to the following schedule:
Days
1-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
Treatment
Medicated H2O
Regular H2O
Medicated H2O
Regular H2O
Medicated H2O
Can be administered to weaned lambs for a continuous
3-5 day period to control pneumonia
Rectal Prolapse
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Associated with high concentrate feeding, short
docking and coughing caused by dusty conditions
or virus infections.
If unattended, the prolapsed rectum will
become swollen, inflamed and covered with
crusted blood, fibrin and feces.
One method of treatment is to thoroughly clean
the rectum with a warm water enema and apply
an elastrator band near the anal sphincter. A
piece of tubing can be inserted to keep the
tract open until the protruding rectum sloughs.
Administering a tetanus antitoxin is advised.
Coccidiosis
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Hemorrhagic diarrhea, Coccidial dysentery
Disease is characterized by diarrhea,
dehydration, weight loss, and weakness with a
morbidity of up to 50% and a mortality of up to
10%
Occurs in the early stages of the feeding
program, damage to the lower intestinal tract
causes softening of the feces which eventually
becomes a fluid containing blood. Lamb goes
off feed, dehydrates, becomes weak, goes
down and is unable to rise. May result in
rectal prolapse.
Treatment: Separate sick animals and treat
with electrolytes and sulfonamides. The
remainder of the group should be placed on
sulfas and electrolytes in the water.
Copper Poisoning
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Often results from feeding improperly formulated mineral
mixes. Cu is closely related to Molybdenum & toxicity
usually occurs when the dietary ratio of copper to
Molybdenum increases above 6-10:1.
Sheep are 10 times more susceptible to copper toxicity
than cattle.
Cause: When consumed over a long period of time,
excessive copper is stored in the liver. When a toxic
level is reached, the destruction of red blood cells
occurs.
Clinical Signs: Acute hemolytic crises (destruction of
RBC’s), death within 24-48 hrs. of first signs. Animal
goes off feed & becomes weak. Hemoglobin in the urine
gives it a dark red-brown coloration.
Treatment & Prevention: If developed, locate the source
and remove immediately. Avoid stressful conditions.
Urolithiasis
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Water Belly, Calculosis
A metabolic disease in male sheep characterized by the
formation of calculi (stones) within the urinary tract.
Blockage of the urethra by calculi causes retention of
urine, abdominal pain, distention, and rupture of the
urethra or bladder and death from uremia or secondary
septicemia.
Cause: Most common cases are seen in feeder lambs who
are on a high phosphorus ration or a nearly 1:1 calcium
to phosphorus ratio. Early castration alters the
development of the penis and urethra. As calculi form,
some may pass, irritating the urethra lining causing
inflammation & muscle spasms, restricting the tract and
causing others to lodge. Obstruction by calculi usually
occurs at the urethral process or the sigmoid flexure.
Urolithiasis
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Clinical signs:
Inability to pass urine causing abdominal discomfort and
colic, restlessness, straining, kicking at the belly,
stretching and frequent attempts to urinate, dribbling,
frequent getting up and lying down, isolation from the
flock, refusal to eat, and death.
Diagnosis:
Easily diagnosed by the clinical signs. Examination of the
urethral process or palpation of the sigmoid flexure may
identify the calculus
Treatment:
If the calculus is located in the urethral process, snip
off the process with scissors.
If discovered prior to complete obstruction, take animal
off feed for 24 hours and administer ammonium chloride
(7-10 mg per head per day for a 30 kg lamb) orally to
possibly dissolve the calculi.
Urolithiasis
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Prevention:
– Provide a 2:1 Calcium to Phosphorus ratio in the
ration. Calcium chloride is more effective than ground
limestone.
– Provide additional common salt (1-4%) to increase
water intake, decreasing stone formation. (Salt
blocks are beneficial)
– Provide plenty of clean, warm water
– Provide ammonium chloride (2% of the concentrate
ration) to aid in prevention. Be aware that Ammonium
chloride may cause coughing which may lead to rectal
prolapsing.
– Provide a well balanced diet which includes adequate
amounts of Vitamin A.
Diseases of Ewes
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Open Ewes
Pregnant Ewes
Lactating Ewes
Open Ewes
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No diseases occur exclusively in open
ewes.
Open ewes should be examined prior to
breeding for soundness, broken mouths,
bad udders, bad feet or legs, extreme
emaciation, and other features which
would inhibit their reproductive
capabilities or efficiency.
Mastitis may affect ewes shortly after
weaning lambs.
Pregnant Ewes

Abortion Diseases
Diseases which affect the lamb in the uterus
prior to birth. Some cause the fetus to be
expelled prematurely, and in some cases the
birth time interrupts the normal course of the
disease and the infected lamb is born alive.
General Diseases
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Foot Rot
Bluetongue
Pinkeye
Scrapie
Bluetongue
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A viral disease capable of producing severe clinical signs
in sheep.
Cause & Disease Process: Transmitted to sheep by
infected biting “no-see-ums”, a night flying insect found
throughout the U.S. during warm weather. Occurs
seasonally during the summer months. Rams which are
affected become temporarily sterile (60 days) and result
in a reduced or delayed lambing rate.
Clinical Signs: Increased temperature, skin around the
lip, muzzle, eyes, and ears may become reddened and
within a day or two, swollen lips, swollen & droopy ears
as well as swelling beneath the jaw may be observed.
Eventually, lameness may become evident, ulcers may
appear on the dental pad and tongue, appetite loss and
refusal to eat or drink may also occur causing weight
loss. Usually recover and return to normal condition in 6
Bluetongue

Diagnosis:
– Epidemiology
– Clinical signs
– Lesions associated with
the disease
– Serological tests
 Prevention:
Routine repeated
spraying of the flock
with insecticides during
bluetongue season.
House sheep at night in
unlighted barns every
night 30 min. before
sunset and until 30 min.
after sunrise.

Treatment:
– Provide food, water
and shade for the
flock
– Affected sheep should
regain appetite in ~1
week
– Avoid intensive
handling and treatment
of the entire flock
– Best treatment is to
postpone all
unnecessary
management practices
that may disturb the
flock.
Pinkeye
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Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis (IKC)
A highly contagious disease affecting the eyes of sheep
and goats. May occur at any time of the year. Usually
occur following the irritation of eyes due to dusty
conditions, hauling in open trucks, wind exposure and
introduction of new animals into a flock.
Cause: May result from infective agents such as
Chlamydia, certain viruses, rickettsea, Neisseria ovis,
and acholeplasma.
Clinical Signs: Excessive tearing, animal tries to avoid
bright light by turning away, blinking, and squinting
excessively. Tears become thickened, yellowish, and
form crusts on the hairs of the eyelid. An opaque area
may form on the cornea, causing impaired vision and
blindness.
Treatment: Provide food, water, and shade. An
opthalmic ointment with an antibiotic can be applied to
the eye, but it is necessary to do so on a daily basis
Scrapie
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A disease of the central nervous system of
sheep and goats. It is a slowly progressive
disease becoming apparent in sheep one year of
age or older.
Requires quarantine measures with attempts
made for eradication.
Certain breeds of sheep are more susceptible
than others, but all breeds can be
experimentally infected.
Cause and Disease Process: The scrapie agent
is infectious, much smaller and more resistant
to conditions that are normally lethal for
viruses. Genetic composition of the host animal
is important in determining susceptability.
Scrapie
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Clinical Signs: Rubbing against objects as if
itching, wool rubbed off of side, back or rump,
biting and nibbling at skin and wool,
incoordination, and may experience convulsions.
Death ultimately occurs in all cases.
Treatment: None
Prevention: Quarantine of infected premises
and slaughter of affected and contact sheep
will be required by the state veterinarian.
Genetic testing of ewes and rams when
purchasing may help with control.
Parasitic Diseases
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Haemonchosis
Gastrointestinal
Roundworms
Tapeworms
Cysticercosis
Hydatidosis
Liver Flukes
Coccidiosis
Cryptosporidiosis
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Toxoplasmosis
Sarcocystosis
Haemonchosis
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Haemonchosis contortus, the barber-pole wormA tiny nematode approx. 1 inch long with a red
belly. Feed on the lining of the abomasum
actively feeding on blood resulting in the red
gut and produce anemia.
Symptoms:
– Following period of late summer rains and
lush green grass, a few lambs may show signs
of weakness, some may fall to the ground
with tremors or convulsions.
– In early cases no scours or edema occurs but
mucous membranes are pale and death usually
occurs.
Haemonchosis

Disease Process:
– Ingestion of larvae which hatched from eggs on
pasture
– Eggs are passed by sheep contaminating the pasture.
Survival of larvae is enhanced by warmth and
moisture.
– Clinical signs are seen within one week after ingestion
of larvae
– Lambs having less previous exposure have a higher risk
as well as ewes preparing for fall lambing, nutritionally
weakened, or aged may also be at risk.
– Those not showing acute signs will be chronically
infected, scouring and edematous, and become
carriers.
Treatment/Prevention:
Worming and pasture rotation. Seek advice from your
veterinarian about an effective program.
Gastrointestinal Roundworms

Clinical Signs:
Scouring, loss of fleece condition, poor weight
gain or maintenance indicate effects of
gastrointestinal parasitism due to irritation of
gut lining, possible hemorrhage, competition for
nutrients and interference with digestion and
water transport. Death may occur with
continuing loss of condition.
Diagnosis:
Clinical signs, seasonal performance, and fecal
examination may expose the appearance of eggs
or even worms of ½ to 2” in length at
postmortem examination.
Tapeworms
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Tapeworms are long, ribbonlike, segmented
flatworms which can be 1-2’ in length. Head is
spherical w/4 muscular suckers and is called a
scolex. The scolex attaches to the small
intestinal lining but causes no damage or
pathology. They are carried by free-living
mites on grass.
Appearance of segmented worms hanging from
the anus or on fecal pellets resembles
infestation.
There is no prevention method. Consult your
veterinarian for treatment.
Cysticercosis
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A larval form of a tapeworm has encysted or
embedded itself in the tissue of its host. In
Cysticercosis, sheep are the intermediate host
where the parasite is found embedded within
the sheep’s tissue or muscles. Evidence is
usually not seen until the animal is butchered
causing condemnation of the carcass.
The mature worm is commonly found in the dog,
passed through feces and is picked up via
contaminated feed.
Another cause of Cysticercosis, Echinococcus
granulosus, usually encysts the the liver or
brain of the sheep rather than the muscle. It
is also carried by the dog, wolf, coyote, fox,
etc.
Hydatidosis
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Hydatid cysts may be found in the body
cavities of sheep, especially abdominal cavities
of ewes.
Baseball to softball sized, fluid filled, and
contain many white dots. This cyst represents
the intermediate or larval stage of a dog
tapeworm. Little pathology occurs, but the
growth of the cyst presses on surrounding
organs, pushing them aside. Cysts not found
until slaughter.
Treatment/Prevention- No treatment for sheep.
Deworm dogs annually. Do not feed sheep
scraps to dogs and pickup sheep carcasses.
Liver Flukes
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Small, leaf-shaped organisms that roll up like a scroll in
the bile ducts or parenchyma (liver tissue).
Two Types:
Fasciola-the sheep liver fluke
Fascioloides-the deer fluke
These usually occur in different geographical areas and have
different
pathologic effects on sheep.
Pathologically, cause damage to the liver as immature flukes
migrate to the bile ducts. Heavy infection causes severe
liver damage, profuse hemorrhage, much of which into the
body cavity during the 2 months of migration.
Affected animals appear suddenly distressed, collapse and die.
Treatment/Prevention:
There is no approved flukecide for sheep. Only prevention
measures should be followed. Keep sheep away from
irrigated pastures or on higher ground.
Coccidiosis
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A major cause of poor feed efficiency and
economic loss to the sheep producer.
Transmission occurs when an oocyst (egg-like
stage) is picked up while grazing or drinking.
When it reaches the intestines, proliferation
occurs causing ulcerative lesions impeding
absorption and normal gut motility. May also
cause alternating constipation and scouring.
Some hemorrhage may occur, but usually little.
Scouring is usually mucoid, and may cause
permanent loss of feed efficiency.
Coccidia are opportunistic parasites having their
greatest disease effect during times of stress.
Cryptosporidiosis
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Cryptosporidium proliferates in the small intestine
and possibly the cecum.
Affects all mammals and can transmit from one host
species to another. i.e. lambs to humans
Its susceptible targets include the very young or
older animals which have not been previously
infected.
It resides on the surface of the gut and
proliferates rather than within the cells lining the
gut. It interferes with water transport.
Clinical Signs: yellowish, watery scours and rapid
dehydration.
Treatment/Prevention: No treatment or prevention
measures.
Toxoplasmosis
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Toxoplasma is another coccidian, found in the
gut of young cats which contaminate hay, other
feedstuffs and possibly grass in small lots.
In sheep and humans, this organism infects the
lining of blood vessels and the tissues of all
organs in which it proliferates.
Sheep are infected by ingestion of oocysts or
by transmission of organisms from dam to the
fetus.
Cause destruction of tissue by pressure
produced by masses of organisms.
A major problem with abortions.
Sarcocystosis
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Sarcocystis is a coccidian developing in the gut
of dogs and cats and is transmitted to sheep
while grazing. Causes damage to blood vessels
and muscle. Dogs and cats become infected by
eating sheep scraps.
Clinical Signs: Weakness, fever, anemia, loss
of weight and reproductivity. Abortion not
proved. Proliferative masses are seen as “white
streaks” in muscle.
External Parasites
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Fly Strike
Bots
Keds
Mange Mites
Ticks
Fly Strike
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Occurs when flies are attracted to soiled wool,
opened wounds, and dying (necrotic) tissue.
Blowflies may deposit eggs which hatch almost
immediately, the larvae feast on tissue fluids and
necrotic tissue resulting in myiasis (maggot
infestation)
Diagnosis: Examine animals frequently such as
under tail or tail head, the flanks, fresh wet
navels. If animal acts strangely, maggots can often
be found.
Treatment/Prevention: Thoroughly clean area to
determine extent of infestation, remove maggots
and spray a wound dressing containing 2-3%
insecticide. Examine and clean newborns and injured
sheep, especially during fly season. Use fly spray
Bots
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The adult fly darts at the sheep, depositing
eggs around the muzzle, driving lambs crazy.
Eggs immediately hatch and tiny larvae (bots)
crawl into the nasal passages feeding on mucous
irritating the lining of the nasal passages.
May develop into a large spiny bot during the
summer.
Clinical Signs: Lambs hide heads, paw at their
faces, excessive mucus, sneezing, occasional
circling.
Treatment/Prevention: Certain cattle drugs not
approved for sheep have proven effective. May
be used with the prescription of a veterinarian.
Good spray program could be beneficial as well.
Keds
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“Sheep Ticks” are often mistaken for real
ticks but are really wingless flies, reddish
brown in color, have 6 legs with claws and
piercing-sucking mouthparts.
Females deposit larvae or maggots which attach
to the wool or skin. Adults emerge within a
month.
Pierce the skin and cause irritation and blood
loss.
Diagnosis: Appearance of Keds
Treatment/Prevention: Ectrin is effective and
approved for sheep. Shearing and use of Ectrin
is a good preventive measure.
Mange Mites
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There are several species of mites which may
damage skin and wool.
Psoroptic and Sarcoptic mange cause “scab” a
leaking of tissue fluid mixed with blood.
Highly contagious and must be reported to state
officials with quarantine required.
Clinical Signs: Constant rubbing, wool breaks,
scab, debilitation, death.
Treatment: Must contact state or USDA vet
offices.
Prevention: Quarantine, treatment, slaughter
Ticks
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There are several species which may include the
6-legged larva or seed tick, the 8-legged
nymph or the 8-legged adult. The latter stage
is larger and prefers large mammals. It also
engorges blood necessary for egg production.
The adult eventually drops off to lay eggs in
the soil.
Sheep become infested by brushing against
long-stemmed grass and brush where ticks
await.
Clinical Signs: Weakness due to irritation and
blood loss, weight loss, heavy infestations may
lead to death especially in young, neglected