What are the four common categories of diseases in large-scale confined sheep?

Sheep farming is currently quite popular in livestock breeding, especially in some grassland and plateau regions. Areas like Tibet are major sheep-raising bases. Although China's sheep-raising model is mainly traditional grazing, with generally small-scale confinement and modest numbers, so relatively speaking sheep diseases are fewer. But once the scale of confinement increases, the infectious capacity of some diseases cannot be underestimated. So when the flock expands, the losses caused can be very severe, and it could even wipe out the entire flock. We must pay attention to this. Below, the editor will explain the symptoms of these four categories of diseases!

I. Common diseases of sheep

1. Sheep stomatitis

Sheep stomatitis is a disease that occurs on top of other conditions, commonly seen with some traumatic diseases as well as toxic and fungal conditions. The possible ways sheep contract this disease include long-term consumption of very sharp, very pointed plant branches, orange peels, or accidental ingestion of strongly alkaline substances or water sources such as ammonia water.

2. Rumen impaction

This is caused by the rumen being filled with a large amount of feed, and this feed does not digest, leading to accumulation in the stomach, exceeding the maximum volume of the stomach, causing the entire stomach to swell, with severe indigestion. This situation may occur when the food eaten is an excessive amount of coarse feed; feeds that are spoiled or moldy can also trigger this disease.

3. Rumen bloat

In some places this is colloquially called flatulence. Flatulence is mainly formed by gas produced by fermentation of fodder inside the sheep's belly. If it is not expelled in time and remains in the belly for a long time, problems will arise.

4. Intestinal spasms

Intestinal spasms mostly occur in sheep from symptoms caused by binge eating and drinking under high temperatures, and if after eating they drink cold water or the body is stimulated by cold, such as getting rained on, cold qi will form in the body, stimulating strong contraction of the lower abdomen and causing the sheep great pain.

II. Epidemic diseases of sheep

1. Anthrax

Anthrax in sheep is mainly a condition caused by the anthrax bacillus, and this disease has seasonal characteristics. It is most likely to occur under the changeable weather conditions of spring and autumn. Routes of transmission of the pathogen include digestive tract infection as well as mosquito and insect bites. To prevent it, hygiene and cleaning work must be done well, cutting off the sources of pathogen invasion.

2. Sheep braxy

The pathogen of sheep braxy is Clostridium septicum, generally transmitted through the digestive tract, occurring most in low-lying marshy areas. Contracting tetanus can also induce this disease. For prevention, management of lambs and newly weaned lambs must be done well, as their resistance is weakest at this time, so prevention work is very important.

3. Enterotoxemia of sheep

Enterotoxemia of sheep also has a certain seasonality, generally with the highest incidence in late spring and early summer. During this period, high-protein concentrate feed must absolutely not be fed, otherwise it will make the growth of the pathogen more rampant and its reproduction faster. Under conditions of large weather changes, it is very easy to trigger the breeding of the enterotoxemia virus in sheep.

4. Sheep struck down suddenly

This is caused by the harm of Clostridium welchii type C. The affected group is mostly adult sheep. This disease is a non-contact infectious disease; it does not need to be transmitted through any contact route. After contracting this disease, the mortality rate is very high, and everyone must pay attention. After illness, it will develop into peritonitis and ulcerative enteritis. As long as you observe more, it is still quite discoverable. Early detection and early treatment can avoid it developing more severely.

III. Parasitic diseases of sheep

1. Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that can occur in many kinds of poultry and livestock. Schistosomiasis has two types, acute and chronic. The commonly seen one is generally chronic schistosomiasis. Once contracted, in the acute case the body temperature can immediately rise to forty degrees and higher. Animals all share a common habit: after body temperature rises, appetite will certainly worsen, so loss of appetite will occur, and gradually the mental state will develop problems. The chronic type mainly involves digestive function problems leading to rapid weight loss in sheep, sometimes accompanied by symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. Generally, by the time it develops to two months, death is not far off. Everyone must do more prevention and management.

2. Fascioliasis

The body temperature of affected sheep will rise rapidly, then gradually show diarrhea, abdominal distension and anemia, and they will die within a few days. The acute mortality rate is very high, while the chronic type involves progressive emaciation and death after two months.

3. Paramphistomiasis

The symptoms of this disease are mostly mental problems. Affected sheep show loss of appetite and general weakness, with dull thinking and not moving all day long. Moreover, once the worm body burrows into the lungs, there is a risk to life.

4. Coenurosis

This disease is a typical parasitic disease. This parasitic disease can infect not only sheep but also humans; the human body is also a host object of this parasite. The worm body is in the shape of strips, and the cyst will gradually grow larger and larger, becoming the size of an egg.

IV. Common poisoning symptoms of sheep

1. Poisonous grass poisoning

This situation is relatively rare in general large-scale farms; those with better management generally will not have this situation. It is more likely to occur in wild grazing. It is mainly due to accidental ingestion of poisonous grass or leaves of unknown plants. For example, oleander leaves are poisonous, and once accidentally eaten, poisoning will occur. Before grazing, it is best to first check whether the grazing area is safe and ensure the forage grass is non-toxic.

2. Hydrocyanic acid poisoning

This disease is mainly caused by sheep eating a large amount of flax seedlings or sorghum seedlings. In addition, if machine-pressed flax cake is fed, the hydrocyanic acid content is the highest, so the probability of poisoning is very high.

3. Cottonseed cake poisoning

Cottonseed and cotton leaves contain a substance called gossypol, and this substance is toxic. If cottonseed cake is eaten in large amounts over a long period, poisoning is very easy. Ruminants have relatively good resistance and detoxification ability toward gossypol, so the probability of poisoning is somewhat lower. Gossypol has an cumulative effect, and when it accumulates too much in the body, it will flare up.

The above are the four common categories of diseases in large-scale confined sheep. Everyone should firmly remember these symptoms and manifestations, patrol the sheep pen more often in normal times, observe the sheep's physical condition, ensure discovery at the first moment and resolution at the first moment, and do prevention work well. To learn more related information, please continue to follow Qinnong Network!