What to Do About Sheep Mite-Killer Poisoning? A Detailed Guide to Treatment Methods
On the morning of May 16, 2006, 5 rams weighing 50-60 kg at the sheep farm of the prison area showed varying degrees of poisoning reactions after applying undiluted mite-killer. Of these, 3 were lying on the ground unable to get up and reacted severely.
Upon arriving at the scene, it was found that 3 shorn rams were lying on the ground (1 had already died). The sheep showed muscle tremors, foam at the mouth, empty chewing, opisthotonus, rigid limbs, paddling movements, difficult and labored breathing, and a fixed stare. One of them was urgently given 10 ml of atropine by subcutaneous injection and 10 ml of pralidoxime by intravenous injection (mixed into 250 ml of saline solution). At the same time, the application site was washed with soapy water, and after about 10 minutes the ram's poisoning symptoms were relieved, and it could stand and walk on its own. After giving the first sheep atropine, while the medicine was being prepared to give the second sheep an intravenous injection of pralidoxime (only two doses of atropine had been used on the first sheep), the sheep suddenly struggled violently, then its breathing and heartbeat stopped, and it fell to the ground and died. The other two rams moving with the flock were found; one showed no abnormal reaction at all, while the other was lethargic, slow to react, and unsteady when running. The application site was immediately washed with soapy water, and it was put back for observation. After half an hour, no abnormality was seen.
It is understood that during shearing, a large number of hard ticks were found at the base of the sheep's scrotum, so mite-killer was applied directly to the bitten areas (an area of about 80-100 sq cm). After more than 10 minutes, the sheep was found to be excited and restless, unsteady on its feet, and charging around. By the time the rescue was over, the whole process had lasted only a little over half an hour.
The cause of poisoning was as follows: the inguinal region of sheep is hairless, moist and concealed, making it relatively prone to external parasite infestation; after the medicinal liquid was applied, it was absorbed quickly through the skin, making acute poisoning in sheep more likely. At the same time, the poisoned sheep were exposed to direct sunlight, which may have accelerated death. If timely rescue is not possible, the sheep should be placed in a cool, shady place, and the application site should be rinsed with clean water as soon as possible. Of course, the most important thing is still to dilute the medicinal liquid before use as required, and when using dipping and bathing insecticides, preparing antidote drugs in advance is the best way to prevent accidents.