Prevention and Treatment Methods for Common Summer Diseases in Confined Sheep
Prevention and Treatment of Common Summer Diseases in Confined Sheep
Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis
[Characteristics]
Commonly known as "pink eye," this is an acute infectious disease of ruminant livestock caused by Haemophilus and Rickettsia. The damage is limited to the eyes, causing obvious inflammatory changes in the conjunctiva and cornea, photophobia and excessive tearing, conjunctival redness and congestion, and mucous or purulent discharge from the inner corner of the eye. In a few cases, corneal cloudiness, white spots, or blindness may develop. The disease often occurs in the high-temperature summer and autumn seasons when mosquitoes and flies are abundant, and in environments with poor air circulation and high ammonia concentrations.
[Prevention and Treatment]
1. Isolate affected sheep and promptly clean and disinfect the pen.
2. Wash the eyes with 2-5% boric acid solution, light saline, or 0.01% nitrofurazone. After drying, apply eye ointments such as erythromycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, 2% yellow mercuric oxide, or 2% cortisone.
3. Alternatively, mix penicillin or chloramphenicol with 2 ml dexamethasone and 1 ml 0.1% epinephrine and apply to the eyes 2-3 times per day.
4. For corneal opacity or cataract, instill Boyun San (a traditional Chinese eye powder); or inject 500,000 units of penicillin mixed with 10 ml of the affected sheep's whole blood subcutaneously into the eyelid; or inject 5 ml of a 500,000-unit streptomycin solution into the supraorbital foramen, once every 2 days.
Contagious Ecthyma in Sheep
[Characteristics]
Commonly known as "sheep sore mouth," this is caused by a virus. It presents as papules, pustules, ulcers, and wart-like thick scabs on the skin and mucous membranes of the lips and other areas. It is mainly transmitted through pens, equipment, or skin abrasions, occurs in outbreaks, and can cause recurring harm in a flock for many years.
[Prevention and Treatment]
1. Carry out regular vaccination. In March or September each year, inject 0.2 ml of attenuated contagious ecthyma cell freeze-dried vaccine into the oral mucosa of each sheep.
2. Use less coarse, hard feed to strictly prevent traumatic infection. Isolate affected sheep promptly. Disinfect pens and equipment with 2% caustic soda, 10% lime milk, or 20% hot wood ash water.
3. Rinse the lesions with 0.1-0.2% potassium permanganate solution, then apply 2% gentian violet, iodine glycerin, 5% oxytetracycline ointment, or penicillin-nitrofurazone ointment, 1-2 times per day. For severe cases, symptomatic treatment should also be given.
Lamb Dysentery
[Characteristics]
This disease mainly affects newborn lambs within 7 days of age and is an acute toxemia caused by Clostridium perfringens. In addition, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus can also cause the disease. It presents as persistent diarrhea, commonly known as "scours," "white diarrhea," or "bloody diarrhea," and can cause mass deaths among lambs. Sudden climate changes, irregular feeding, and umbilical trauma make infection more likely.
[Prevention and Treatment]
1. Strengthen disease prevention. Inject pregnant ewes with 2-3 ml of lamb dysentery formalin vaccine twice, at 20-30 days and 10-20 days before lambing, into the subcutaneous tissue on the inner side of both hind legs, so that newborn lambs can acquire passive immunity.
2. Administer 0.3 g oxytetracycline and 0.3 g pepsin orally to affected lambs, twice per day.
3. Give sulfaguanidine 0.5 g, tannalbin, bismuth subnitrate, and baking soda 0.2 g each, orally in a single dose, 3 times per day.
4. Chloramphenicol at 0.02-0.03 g per kg body weight, intramuscularly twice daily, or orally at 3 times that dose.
5. For dehydrated lambs, provide fluid replacement 1-2 times per day, using oral rehydration salts or intravenous injection of 20-100 ml of 5% glucose saline.
Enterotoxemia in Sheep
[Characteristics]
This disease is caused by the massive proliferation of Clostridium welchii type D in the sheep's intestine and the production of toxins. After death, the kidneys tend to soften easily, so it is also called "soft kidney disease." Because it often occurs acutely with sudden death, it is also called "fast-disease-like." It mostly affects sheep in good body condition and those under two years old, and occurs sporadically. The rainy season, sudden climate changes, overeating tender grass and concentrates, and insufficient exercise are all predisposing factors. At onset, affected sheep may lie quietly or run and jump, grind their teeth, fall on their side, with limb twitching and spasms, roll from side to side, bend the head and neck backward, breathe rapidly, discharge foam from the mouth and nose, and sometimes utter painful groans, with most dying within 1-2 hours.
[Prevention and Treatment]
1. Vaccinate twice a year in spring and autumn, injecting 5 ml of sheep quadruple vaccine (for fast disease, sudden death, enterotoxemia, and lamb dysentery) subcutaneously or intramuscularly.
2. Prevent overeating of fresh, succulent forage and concentrates, and provide appropriate exercise.
3. For cases with a longer disease course (over 2 hours), administer 10-20 g sulfaguanidine orally or inject immune serum.
4. Intramuscular injection of 0.5-0.7 g chloramphenicol, 3 times per day.
5. Mix 1.6 million units of penicillin with 500 mg streptomycin and inject intramuscularly, 4 times per day.
Foot Rot in Sheep
[Characteristics]
Affected sheep limp, prefer lying down to standing, and have difficulty walking. Ulcerated surfaces often form between the hooves. In severe cases, the hoof shell rots and becomes deformed, causing affected sheep to be unable to rise from the ground.
[Prevention and Treatment]
Affected sheep should have their hooves trimmed promptly, especially in humid, high-temperature seasons. If the interdigital space is rotting, wash and apply 5% iodine tincture. If the soft tissue of the hoof is rotting, thoroughly enlarge the wound and clean it, then fill and bandage the bottom hole or cavity of the hoof with 5% copper sulfate powder, and apply pine tar to complete the treatment.
[Characteristics]
Commonly known as "pink eye," this is an acute infectious disease of ruminant livestock caused by Haemophilus and Rickettsia. The damage is limited to the eyes, causing obvious inflammatory changes in the conjunctiva and cornea, photophobia and excessive tearing, conjunctival redness and congestion, and mucous or purulent discharge from the inner corner of the eye. In a few cases, corneal cloudiness, white spots, or blindness may develop. The disease often occurs in the high-temperature summer and autumn seasons when mosquitoes and flies are abundant, and in environments with poor air circulation and high ammonia concentrations.
[Prevention and Treatment]
1. Isolate affected sheep and promptly clean and disinfect the pen.
2. Wash the eyes with 2-5% boric acid solution, light saline, or 0.01% nitrofurazone. After drying, apply eye ointments such as erythromycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, 2% yellow mercuric oxide, or 2% cortisone.
3. Alternatively, mix penicillin or chloramphenicol with 2 ml dexamethasone and 1 ml 0.1% epinephrine and apply to the eyes 2-3 times per day.
4. For corneal opacity or cataract, instill Boyun San (a traditional Chinese eye powder); or inject 500,000 units of penicillin mixed with 10 ml of the affected sheep's whole blood subcutaneously into the eyelid; or inject 5 ml of a 500,000-unit streptomycin solution into the supraorbital foramen, once every 2 days.
Contagious Ecthyma in Sheep
[Characteristics]
Commonly known as "sheep sore mouth," this is caused by a virus. It presents as papules, pustules, ulcers, and wart-like thick scabs on the skin and mucous membranes of the lips and other areas. It is mainly transmitted through pens, equipment, or skin abrasions, occurs in outbreaks, and can cause recurring harm in a flock for many years.
[Prevention and Treatment]
1. Carry out regular vaccination. In March or September each year, inject 0.2 ml of attenuated contagious ecthyma cell freeze-dried vaccine into the oral mucosa of each sheep.
2. Use less coarse, hard feed to strictly prevent traumatic infection. Isolate affected sheep promptly. Disinfect pens and equipment with 2% caustic soda, 10% lime milk, or 20% hot wood ash water.
3. Rinse the lesions with 0.1-0.2% potassium permanganate solution, then apply 2% gentian violet, iodine glycerin, 5% oxytetracycline ointment, or penicillin-nitrofurazone ointment, 1-2 times per day. For severe cases, symptomatic treatment should also be given.
Lamb Dysentery
[Characteristics]
This disease mainly affects newborn lambs within 7 days of age and is an acute toxemia caused by Clostridium perfringens. In addition, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus can also cause the disease. It presents as persistent diarrhea, commonly known as "scours," "white diarrhea," or "bloody diarrhea," and can cause mass deaths among lambs. Sudden climate changes, irregular feeding, and umbilical trauma make infection more likely.
[Prevention and Treatment]
1. Strengthen disease prevention. Inject pregnant ewes with 2-3 ml of lamb dysentery formalin vaccine twice, at 20-30 days and 10-20 days before lambing, into the subcutaneous tissue on the inner side of both hind legs, so that newborn lambs can acquire passive immunity.
2. Administer 0.3 g oxytetracycline and 0.3 g pepsin orally to affected lambs, twice per day.
3. Give sulfaguanidine 0.5 g, tannalbin, bismuth subnitrate, and baking soda 0.2 g each, orally in a single dose, 3 times per day.
4. Chloramphenicol at 0.02-0.03 g per kg body weight, intramuscularly twice daily, or orally at 3 times that dose.
5. For dehydrated lambs, provide fluid replacement 1-2 times per day, using oral rehydration salts or intravenous injection of 20-100 ml of 5% glucose saline.
Enterotoxemia in Sheep
[Characteristics]
This disease is caused by the massive proliferation of Clostridium welchii type D in the sheep's intestine and the production of toxins. After death, the kidneys tend to soften easily, so it is also called "soft kidney disease." Because it often occurs acutely with sudden death, it is also called "fast-disease-like." It mostly affects sheep in good body condition and those under two years old, and occurs sporadically. The rainy season, sudden climate changes, overeating tender grass and concentrates, and insufficient exercise are all predisposing factors. At onset, affected sheep may lie quietly or run and jump, grind their teeth, fall on their side, with limb twitching and spasms, roll from side to side, bend the head and neck backward, breathe rapidly, discharge foam from the mouth and nose, and sometimes utter painful groans, with most dying within 1-2 hours.
[Prevention and Treatment]
1. Vaccinate twice a year in spring and autumn, injecting 5 ml of sheep quadruple vaccine (for fast disease, sudden death, enterotoxemia, and lamb dysentery) subcutaneously or intramuscularly.
2. Prevent overeating of fresh, succulent forage and concentrates, and provide appropriate exercise.
3. For cases with a longer disease course (over 2 hours), administer 10-20 g sulfaguanidine orally or inject immune serum.
4. Intramuscular injection of 0.5-0.7 g chloramphenicol, 3 times per day.
5. Mix 1.6 million units of penicillin with 500 mg streptomycin and inject intramuscularly, 4 times per day.
Foot Rot in Sheep
[Characteristics]
Affected sheep limp, prefer lying down to standing, and have difficulty walking. Ulcerated surfaces often form between the hooves. In severe cases, the hoof shell rots and becomes deformed, causing affected sheep to be unable to rise from the ground.
[Prevention and Treatment]
Affected sheep should have their hooves trimmed promptly, especially in humid, high-temperature seasons. If the interdigital space is rotting, wash and apply 5% iodine tincture. If the soft tissue of the hoof is rotting, thoroughly enlarge the wound and clean it, then fill and bandage the bottom hole or cavity of the hoof with 5% copper sulfate powder, and apply pine tar to complete the treatment.