There are many diseases that affect sheep. Many vary from region to region, some are easier to resolve, others are more aggressive and serious, so the sooner they are detected, the easier they will be to control.
Many of them can affect not only sheep, but also other animals and humans, by direct contact or by eating meat or milk.
Therefore, it is essential that you know how to distinguish the main diseases of sheep.
In this peritoAnimal article, we’ll talk about sheep’s diseases and their symptoms, to help you better identify those diseases that affect your flock.
It is important to note that most of the diseases we will mention can be prevented by applying preventive measures, such as quarantine during the acquisition of new animals, proper cleaning of facilities and equipment, and following a vaccination protocol adapted to the species and region. Ask your veterinarian what is the best protocol to follow so that he can act in prevention and avoid economic damage and discomfort to animals.
These simple measures can be the solution to the health and well-being of your herd.
In this article, to make it easier to organize, we group diseases according to their similarity of symptoms.
The most common diseases include
Its causes are often associated with poor handling practices such as excessive waste, castration and tail cutting with infected materials. The common symptom is limping (limp) and often the use of foot baths and local disinfection are the best methods to treat these diseases.
The most associated symptoms are loss of appetite, dermatitis (inflammation of the dermis), skin lesions with or without loss of wool, sores, ulcers, scabs, dandruff and, mainly, itching, pain, discomfort and restlessness.
Among these diseases we have
In diseases caused by ectoparasites, the control of the infestation can be carried out with the application of antiparasitic drugs, basically topical treatments and adequate disinfection and hygiene of the affected areas. For fungi there is no vaccination and treatment is based on antifungals and disinfection. Myasis, if detected in the initial phase, facilitates treatment and accelerates healing. Often, the larvae should be removed by hand and the area should be cleaned immediately with antiseptic solutions.
Many of them are caused by sudden changes in food, unbalanced diets with nutritional and vitamin deficiencies or poisonings, resulting in imbalances of gastrointestinal bacterial flora. The stage of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding can also have these consequences. Common symptoms, depending on severity, include neurological changes (apathy, weakness or inclined head), gastrointestinal changes (diarrhoea or loss of appetite) and muscle weakness.
The following diseases can usually be prevented by prior vaccination. Many symptoms are due to neurotoxins produced by agents and include neurological and muscle disturbances such as motor uncoordination, tremors, seizures and paralysis of muscles, especially respiratory, causing the animal to die.
We pay special attention to the rage that appears more and more in herds in Brazil due to the bite of bats.
Lung disease is also very important because it affects sheep of all ages, races and sexes. Many are the result of a combination of various factors and agents (bacteria, viruses and parasites) that, when in favorable environmental conditions, can lead to high mortality and large economic losses. As a most common disease, you may highlight:
Endoparitos (internal parasites) cause large economic losses. Animals, especially with worms, have gastrointestinal disorders, become weak and listless, lose weight and decrease their productivity. Among them we have:
The diagnosis of all these diseases involves the collection of all possible information, from the area where the exploitation is located, the most common diseases of the herd, the physical examination and observation of the animal and its symptoms. If necessary, laboratory tests such as blood tests and agent identification using microscope or other more complex techniques. However, these complex exams are not always necessary, which is costly for any breeder and producer.
It is important to stress again that in order to reduce the incidence of diseases on the farm, it is essential that the facilities are always thoroughly clean, quarantine newly acquired animals and regularly apply pest control, and vaccinate animals against the most prone diseases, always advised by their veterinarian. .
Infectious and contagious diseases are very important for veterinary medicine because they are easily transmitted between animals and some of them can infect humans (called zoonoses), so it is recommended to always manipulate suspicious animals with gloves to prevent contagion.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to Sheep Diseases: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment, we recommend that you visit our Prevention section.