Symptoms and Prevention and Treatment Methods of Tetanus in Sheep
Sheep are a fairly popular meat product in China, and not only the meat, but also the skin, fur and sheep milk have a large market. At present, the scale of sheep farming in China is also very large. Although raising sheep is not difficult, they are often troubled by some diseases during the breeding process. Tetanus is one of them, so what are the symptoms of tetanus in sheep? And how should it be prevented and treated? Let's take a look together below!
1. Onset Symptoms
In the early stage of tetanus in sheep, there are no particularly obvious symptoms. It generally manifests as being unable to stand up after lying down, and being unable to lie down while standing. Then, as time passes, the limbs of the sick sheep will become rigid, and even walking becomes very difficult. It will then also affect the tonic contraction of the masseter muscles, causing the sheep's mouth to be unable to open very wide, and not only will foaming at the mouth occur, but eating and drinking will also become very difficult. Moreover, it is generally accompanied by diseases such as acute intestinal catarrh, causing the sick sheep to suffer from severe diarrhea.
2. Key Points of Diagnosis
The incubation period of tetanus in sheep is about 1-3 weeks, and sometimes it is prolonged. After onset, the limbs of the sheep gradually become stiff, and the head will show opisthotonos. In the early stage of the disease, the sheep's walking shows abnormal phenomena, but they are not particularly obvious. When the condition worsens, the sheep's jaws are tightly closed and it cannot eat, and a lot of mucus also appears in the mouth. The neck and back are stiff, and the abdomen shows a tucked-up appearance. If forced to walk, the sheep not only cannot step forward, but if released, it will also suddenly fall down. In severe cases, the body temperature rises rapidly and the pulse quickens, and the mortality rate is very high.
3. Prevention and Treatment Methods
During breeding, the infected and wounded areas on the sheep's body should be disinfected. Discharge the pus and necrotic tissue, etc., then use drugs such as hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate for disinfection. After discovering sick sheep, they should be promptly moved to a dark and quiet place for care, avoiding all stimuli that can cause muscle spasms in the sheep. The feed should mainly be feed that is easy to swallow and easy to digest, then spread enough bedding straw, and ensure that clean water is always available nearby. Turn the sheep over about 5 times a day to prevent bedsores. Then use agents such as urotropine, magnesium sulfate and procaine to treat poisoning, spasms and lockjaw respectively.
4. Preventive Measures
Tetanus is still mainly based on prevention, and we should promptly inject tetanus toxoid for prevention. Then, whenever any wound appears on the sheep's body, iodine tincture should be used for disinfection, and dirty substances should be prevented from contacting the wound. After disinfection, anti-corrosion work should also be done well to promote the wound to heal as soon as possible. During the young sheep stage, the injection of anti-tetanus serum should be done well, strengthening prevention and reducing the incidence of tetanus in sheep from the root.
The above is a brief introduction to tetanus in sheep and the prevention and treatment methods for tetanus in sheep. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can be helpful to everyone!