Sheep treatment: contagious and non-contagious diseases and their symptoms, prevention

Sheep diseases reduce the profitability of the economy, can lead to loss of productivity, death of a significant number of animals. Diseases are divided into infectious and non-infectious, overcrowding of livestock makes infections dangerous for the herd. Sheep farmers need to know what measures to take in each case. Consider what diseases are common in sheep - symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Infectious diseases and their symptoms

Diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, pathogenic flora. When kept together, the disease spreads rapidly among sheep, and young animals suffer more often than others.In addition to treatment, strict quarantine measures are needed, strict isolation of the sick to prevent infection of all animals.

Adenomatosis of the lungs

A dangerous viral infection with damage to the bronchioles and the formation of a cancer-type tumor in the lungs. Symptoms develop slowly (4-9 months):

• discharge of mucus from the nose;
• cough with phlegm;
• shortness of breath.

Brought into the farm by infected animals. If the herd is blown with secretions from the patient, half the livestock may suffer. Sheep older than 2.5 years and lambs at 6-8 months are more likely to get sick. There is no cure, the animals die. No specific prophylaxis has been developed.

Smallpox

Viral disease affects sheep of any age and young animals, especially dangerous for fine-fleeced breeds. Signs:

• swelling of the eyelids, lips, eyes with mucus flow;
• skin manifestations - smallpox rash on the head, legs, genitals;
• the animal has a very high temperature (40-41 °) at the beginning of the disease, then the rate drops slightly.

Treatment is symptomatic, there are no specific drugs. Antibiotics of the cephalosporin group are used. Liquid swill feeding.

Bradzot

A dangerous infection caused by a spore-forming bacillus. In most cases, it occurs in sheep at lightning speed, within a few hours the animal dies. The reproduction of the stick leads to intoxication of the body with symptoms of poisoning - foam with blood from the mouth, bloody diarrhea, severe flatulence, swelling of the neck and head. Sheep randomly rush about, jump. There is no effective treatment, the animals are dying. Vaccination helps prevent bradzot.

Listeriosis

Natural focal infection affecting sheep, dangerous to humans. Infection occurs by airborne droplets, from insect bites. Symptoms:

• septic appearance - diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, lethargy;
• nervous form with CNS damage - fever, convulsions, paresis, paralysis, impaired motor functions.

If listeriosis is suspected, early treatment helps - with the use of tetracyclines ("Biomycin", "Terramycin"). Vaccinations are being carried out in disadvantaged farms.

Infectious mastitis

The causative agent is staphylococcus aureus. The disease is characterized by gangrenous lesions of the udder, a gradual deterioration in the general condition. Sheep get sick immediately after giving birth, non-lactating ones do not become infected. The infection penetrates through the milk canal of the udder, it swells, becomes painful, hot.If a lamb gets sick from milk, it develops staphylococcal pneumonia. Treatment - antibiotics, sulfonamides. Gangrene and udder abscesses are treated surgically.

Infectious agalactia

A contagious disease caused by mycoplasma. The causative agent enters the blood from the external environment, spreads through the body with blood flow and affects all organs, causes fever. Symptoms:

• lethargy, oppression;
• inflammation of mucous eyes;
• edema and inflammation of the udder;
• rise in temperature;
• in lambs - lesions of the joints, lungs.

Depending on the form, individual organs can be predominantly affected - the eyes, the udder, the brain and spinal cord. Treatment - symptomatic, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, tonic, ointments for mucous membranes and udders.

Important: to prevent the development of infections in epidemically dangerous regions, vaccination is carried out.

Non-communicable diseases

Non-infectious diseases of sheep do not pose a danger to the entire herd. Their cause is improper care, inadequate diet, poor quality feed. It is necessary to check what herbs grow on the pasture so that the animals do not get poisoned. Spoiled old feed often causes digestive problems in sheep.

Bezoar disease

The cause of the disease is a perverted appetite caused by a deficiency of nutrients in feed. The disease often affects young animals, early weaned from mother's milk. Sheep eat wool, which rolls into tight balls in the stomach and interferes with digestion.

Symptoms:

• desire to eat wool;
• sluggishness and oppression;
• stool disorders;
• shortness of breath;
• pallor of the mucous membranes due to lack of oxygen in the tissues.

Treatment - cleansing the stomach, enhanced nutrition. Sometimes bezoars are removed surgically.

White Muscle Disease

Young sheep often suffer from white muscle disease caused by a deficiency of certain trace elements (especially selenium). The disease is characterized by damage to the muscles of the skeleton, internal organs, and metabolic disorders. If the lamb was born weak, the disease began in utero. With a constant lack of cob alt, minerals, vitamins A, E, D in the feed, most of the lambs gradually fall ill (up to 70%).

As a result of illness, the baby does not walk well, staggers on crooked legs, respiratory dysfunctions, convulsions, and nervous disorders develop. Young animals of even strong Romanov breed suffer.

Poisoning

Poor-quality feed and poisonous plants can cause poisoning in sheep, which is manifested by the following symptoms:

• diarrhea;
• vomit;
• flatulence;
• oppression;
• disorders of the central nervous system.

Patients do gastric lavage, give plenty of drink with sorbents. Animals are isolated, put on sparing food.

Scar flatulence

The reason for the increased formation of gases in the gastrointestinal tract is an unbalanced diet, poor quality feed. Food is not digested, but wanders in the stomach, causing copious gas. As a result, the stomach swells, the animal loses its appetite, and constipation develops. A probe is used to remove gases; in difficult cases, a scar is punctured. It is important to normalize the diet, transfer to good food.

Hoof rot (paronychia)

The main symptom of the disease is lameness caused by damage to the tissues of the hoof. Paronychia is caused by anaerobic rods. The disease is transmitted from bedding, sick animals. Fine-fleeced breeds are more often affected. Symptoms - inflammation of the skin in the area of the hoof, lameness, purulent exudate. Sheep try to move less, lie down.

The sick are isolated, wounds are treated, hooves are trimmed, baths are given.

Parasite

Infection with parasites leads not only to the depletion of sheep and loss of productivity. Many parasites carry infections, spread dangerous diseases. Invasive diseases are no less contagious than infectious diseases, they are easily transmitted by sheep to each other.

Fascioliasis

Pathogen - fasciola, parasitizing in the liver, gallbladder. They enter the body from contaminated feed, bedding. Adult sheep suffer more from the disease.

Symptoms:

• pallor of the conjunctiva;
• febrile condition;
• loss of appetite;
• bloody diarrhea;
• tachycardia, arrhythmia;
• oppression.

Sheep are treated with anthelmintics - "Polytrem", "Albendazole".

Echinococcosis

Common parasitic disease affecting the larval stage of cestode. The liver, lungs, and sometimes bone tissues suffer. Echinococcal blisters develop, disrupting the functioning of internal organs. Symptoms depend on the location of the parasites. Sheep lose weight, lose productivity. No specific treatment yet.

Piroplasmosis

The pathogen is transmitted by ticks biting sheep. Parasites (piroplasms) invade blood cells, multiply in them and disrupt activity. In sheep, the temperature rises, anemia, shortness of breath, and yellowness of the mucous membranes develop. Treatment is symptomatic, diminazene aceturate preparations are administered. It is important to start treatment at the initial stages so that the animals do not die.

Important: when a sheep is infected with parasites, deworming of the entire livestock, sanitation of premises and equipment, transfer to a clean pasture.

Coenurosis

A dangerous parasitic disease, the causative agent is cestodes, usually transmitted from otary dogs. Localization - brain cells, then the parasites destroy the brain tissue. Signs in sheep are excitability, unnatural mobility, throwing. Animals under 2 years old are most often affected. Treatment - only surgical (removal of the bladder with parasites during craniotomy).The bulk of the sheep are dying.

Helminthiases

A large group of helminthic invasions is called helminthiases. Sheep can become infected in different ways - by contact, when eating food, insect bites, from inseminated bedding.

Worms infect various organs, migrate throughout the body, disrupting the operation of individual systems and metabolic processes in general. From the products of their vital activity, sheep develop allergic reactions and intoxication of the body. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs for animals are used.

Sheep breeding is profitable if the owners monitor the he alth of the livestock, vaccinate against dangerous diseases. It is important to provide animals with high-quality feed that will ensure the maintenance of immunity. At the first sign of illness, you need to take the sheep to the veterinarian.

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