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.
Assessing Sheep and Goat Health
SUSAN SCHOENIANSheep and Goat SpecialistWestern Maryland Research & Education CenterMaryland Cooperative Extension(301) 432-2767 x343 – [email protected]
Maryland Association of Agricultural Fairs and Shows
Spring Forum - March 18, 2007
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 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 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
Hematocrit(packed cell volume)
27 to 45%avg. 35%
22 to 28%avg. 28%
Assessing body conditionan estimate of fat and muscle
It is a subjective score. The exact score is not as important as the relative scores and differences between scores.
Both the vertical bone protrusion (spinous process) and horizontal protrusion (transverse process) of the loin are felt and used to access body condition scoring.
Diseases of primary concern
Contagious Skin diseases
Soremouth External parasites Ringworm
Foot rot Abscesses Pinkeye Pneumonia
Non-contagious Stomach worms Coccidia Acidosis/feedlot bloat Diarrhea Foot scald Rectal prolapse Heat stroke/exhaustion
Skin diseases: soremouthcontagious 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
Mites Lice Ticks (keds) Nose bots Blow flies
Symptoms 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
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.
AbscessesDisease of concern: Caseous lymphadenitis (CL)
Disease has internal and external form.
Abscesses at lymph-gland sites.
Caused by a bacteria. Very contagious. No human cases have
been reported in U.S.
PinkeyeInfectious 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 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 for assessing anemia and barber pole worm infection in small ruminants
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
sh
eep
goats
Selective deworming prolongs effectiveness of anthelmintics by reducing selection for drug resistant worms.
Diarrhea – ScoursIncreased frequency, fluidity, or volume of fecal excretion.
Infectious Bacterial
E. coli Salmonella
Viral Protozoa
Coccidia Cyrptosporidia Giardia
Non-infectious 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/exhaustionHigh temperatures + high humidity
Symptoms Rapid breathing. Panting. Collapse. Inability to stand Elevated rectal
temperature, over 104°F; critical over 105°F.
Prevention Transport and work during
cool part of day. Clean, fresh drinking water. Fans.
Treatment Cooling therapy
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.