Sore Mouth
(Orf, Contagious Ecthyma)
- 8-10 days after exposure, small red spots appear which become small blisters
- blisters break and form scabs after 3-4 days
- common areas of infection are nose, eyelids, feet, and udder
- young lambs have difficulty sucking and ewe may resist nursing if udder is sore
- weaned lambs and adults may have difficulty eating and show lameness depending on affected areas
Cause
- virus, spread by direct contact between sheep via equipment
- more susceptible if there are small cuts on the lips or gums present
- cross contamination between ewe’s udder and lamb’s mouth is common
Treatment
- self curing for weaned lambs and adults
- nursing lambs should be monitored to ensure they are not becoming dehydrated (depressed, hollow-sided)
- antibiotic creams have little affect since the causative agent is a virus Sore mouth is contagious to humans – wear gloves when handling infected animals
Prevention
- a vaccine is available for flocks that have a serious problem with sore mouth (See vaccines page 135)
- wear gloves when vaccinating
Navel Infection
- may have few initial signs
- if severe, depression, high fever, weakness, lack of appetite, and death can occur quickly, if not treated promptly.
- commonly gives rise to joint ill
Cause
- infection of the navel cord at birth and extension into belly.
Treatment
- antibiotics given daily for several days
Prevention
- maintain sanitary lambing facilities
- treat all navels with iodine or other disinfectant.
Joint Ill
- infection of one or more joints of the legs of lambs.
- stiffness, pain when getting up or walking
- there may or may not be enlargement of joints depending on the type of causative organism
- affected lambs become rough, gaunt, unthrifty and develop into runts
- joints may ‘fuse’ preventing lamb from standing
Cause
- bacteria may enter the body of the newborn lamb through the navel cord and localize in the joints
- tail docking or castration wounds may also be bacteria entry sites
Treatment
- acute cases can be treated with antibiotics
- damage to joints will be permanent if treatment occurs too late
Prevention
- as above
- put lambs in clean grass pasture after docking or castration
- sanitary lambing facilities and clean surgery important.
Entropion
- inward turning of eye lid
- excessive tearing and matting of wool on face
- cloudy or ulcerated eye
- eyes remain close and seem painfully
- blindness can result if not corrected
Cause
- severe cases are likely genetic
- sometimes merely due to dried up birth fluids in wool, causing eyelid to invert
- eyelashes rub against eyeball causing whitish discoloration
- ulcerations of eye and blindness can occur if uncorrected.
Treatment
- clear dried birth fluids from area surrounding eye
- if it is a hereditary defect, fold out lower eyelid and apply wound clip, stitch to keep eyelid rolled out
- eye ointment or pinkeye powder will help clear irritation once the underlying cause has been corrected
Prevention
- breeding records may implicate a ram or ewe as being the genetic carrier
