Contagious and non-contagious diseases of sheep and their symptoms, treatment and prevention

Sheep diseases reduce the profitability of the farm and can lead to loss of productivity and death of a significant number of animals. Diseases are divided into infectious and non-infectious; overcrowding makes infections dangerous for the herd. Sheep farmers need to know what measures to take in each case. Let's look at what diseases are common in sheep - symptoms, treatment and methods of prevention.

Infectious diseases and their symptoms

Diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms and pathogenic flora. When kept together, the disease quickly spreads among sheep; young animals are most often affected. In addition to treatment, strict quarantine measures and strict isolation of sick people are necessary to prevent infection of all animals.

Pulmonary adenomatosis

A dangerous viral infection with damage to the bronchioles and the formation of a cancer-type tumor in the lungs. Symptoms develop slowly (4-9 months):

• discharge of mucus from the nose;
• cough with phlegm;
• dyspnea.

It is brought onto the farm by infected animals. If the herd is exposed to discharge from a sick person, half the herd may suffer. Sheep over 2.5 years old and lambs 6-8 months old are more often affected. There is no treatment, the animals die. No specific prevention has been developed.

Smallpox

The viral disease affects sheep of any age and young animals, and is especially dangerous for fine-wool breeds. Signs:

• swelling of the eyelids, lips, eyes with mucus discharge;
• skin manifestations - smallpox rash on the head, legs, genitals;
• the animal has a high temperature (40-41 °) at the beginning of the disease, then the indicator drops slightly.

Treatment is symptomatic, there are no specific drugs. Antibiotics of the cephalosporin group are used. Feeding with liquid swill.

Bradzot

A dangerous infection caused by a spore-forming bacillus. In most cases, it occurs at lightning speed in sheep, and the animal dies within a few hours. Reproduction of the bacillus leads to intoxication of the body with symptoms of poisoning - foam with blood from the mouth, bloody diarrhea, severe flatulence, swelling of the neck and head. The sheep are rushing about and jumping around randomly. There is no effective treatment, animals die. Vaccination helps prevent brads.

Listeriosis

A natural focal infection that affects sheep and is dangerous to humans. Infection occurs by airborne droplets from insect bites. Symptoms:

• septic appearance - diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, lethargy;
• nervous form with damage to the central nervous system - fever, convulsions, paresis, paralysis, impaired motor functions.

If listeriosis is suspected, early treatment helps - using tetracyclines (Biomycin, Terramycin). Vaccinations are carried out in disadvantaged farms.

Infectious mastitis

The causative agent is staphylococcus. The disease is characterized by gangrenous lesions of the udder and a gradual deterioration of the general condition. Sheep get sick immediately after giving birth; non-lactating sheep do not become infected. The infection penetrates through the milk canal of the udder, it swells, becomes painful, and hot. If a lamb gets sick from milk, it develops staphylococcal pneumonia. Treatment: antibiotics, sulfonamides. Gangrene and abscesses of the udder are treated surgically.

Infectious agalactia

A contagious disease caused by mycoplasma. The pathogen enters the blood from the external environment, spreads throughout the body through the bloodstream and affects all organs, causing fever. Symptoms:

• lethargy, depression;
• inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes;
• swelling and inflammation of the udder;
• rise in temperature;
• in lambs – damage to the joints and lungs.

Depending on the form, individual organs may be predominantly affected - the eyes, udder, brain and spinal cord. Treatment is symptomatic, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, restorative, ointments for the mucous membranes and udder.

Non-communicable diseases

Non-infectious diseases of sheep do not pose a danger to the entire herd.Their cause is inadequate care, poor diet, and low-quality feed. It is necessary to check what herbs grow in the pasture so that the animals do not get poisoned. Spoiled old feed often causes digestive problems in sheep.

Bezoar disease

The cause of the disease is a perverted appetite caused by a deficiency of nutrients in feed. The disease most often affects young animals that are weaned early from their mother's milk. Sheep eat wool, which rolls into dense lumps in the stomach and interferes with digestion.

Symptoms:

• desire to eat wool;
• lethargy and depression;
• stool disorders;
• dyspnea;
• pallor of the mucous membranes due to lack of oxygen in the tissues.

Treatment – ​​cleansing the stomach, increased nutrition. Sometimes bezoars are removed surgically.

White muscle disease

Young sheep often suffer from white muscle disease, caused by a deficiency of certain trace elements (especially selenium). The disease is characterized by damage to the skeletal muscles, internal organs, and metabolic disorders. If the lamb was born weak, the disease began during fetal development. With a constant lack of cobalt, minerals, and vitamins A, E, and D in the feed, most lambs gradually become ill (up to 70%).

As a result of the disease, the baby walks poorly, staggers on crooked legs, and develops respiratory dysfunction, convulsions, and nervous disorders. Young animals even of the strong Romanov breed suffer.

Poisoning

Poor quality feed and poisonous plants can cause poisoning in sheep, which is manifested by the following symptoms:

• diarrhea;
• vomit;
• flatulence;
• oppression;
• dysfunction of the central nervous system.

Patients are given gastric lavage and given plenty of fluids with sorbents. The animals are isolated and put on a gentle diet.

Rumen flatulence

The reason for the increased formation of gases in the gastrointestinal tract is an unbalanced diet and low-quality feed. Food is not digested, but ferments in the stomach, causing abundant gas release. As a result, the stomach becomes bloated, the animal loses its appetite, and constipation develops. A probe is used to remove gases; in difficult cases, the scar is punctured. It is important to normalize the diet and switch to good food.

Foot rot (paronychia)

The main symptom of the disease is lameness caused by damage to the tissues of the hoof. Paronychia is caused by anaerobic bacilli. The disease is transmitted from bedding and sick animals. Fine-wool breeds are more often affected. Symptoms: inflammation of the skin in the hoof area, lameness, purulent exudate. Sheep try to move less and lie down.

Patients are isolated, wounds are treated, hooves are trimmed, and baths are given.

Parasites

Infection with parasites not only leads to exhaustion of sheep and loss of productivity. Many parasites carry infections and spread dangerous diseases. Invasive diseases are no less contagious than infectious ones and are easily transmitted by sheep to each other.

Fascioliasis

The causative agent is fasciola, which parasitizes the liver and gall bladder. They enter the body from contaminated food and bedding. Adult sheep suffer more from the disease.

Symptoms:

• pallor of the conjunctiva;
• feverish condition;
• loss of appetite;
• bloody diarrhea;
• tachycardia, arrhythmia;
• oppression.

Sheep are treated with anthelmintics – “Politrem”, “Albendazole”.

Echinococcosis

A common parasitic disease affecting the larval stage of the cestode. The liver, lungs, and sometimes bone tissues suffer. Echinococcal blisters develop, disrupting the functioning of internal organs.Symptoms depend on the location of the parasites. Sheep lose weight and lose productivity. There is no specific treatment yet.

Piroplasmosis

The pathogen is transmitted by ticks that bite sheep. Parasites (pyroplasmas) invade blood cells, multiply in them and disrupt their activity. The sheep's temperature rises, anemia, shortness of breath, and yellowness of the mucous membranes develop. Treatment is symptomatic; diminazene aceturate is administered. It is important to start treatment in the initial stages so that the animals do not die.

Important: when a sheep is infected with parasites, the entire herd is dewormed, the premises and equipment are sanitized, and the sheep are transferred to clean pasture.

Coenurosis

A dangerous parasitic disease, the causative agent is cestodes, usually transmitted from flock dogs. Localization - brain cells, then the parasites destroy brain tissue. Signs in sheep are excitability, unnatural mobility, throwing. Animals under 2 years of age are most often affected. Treatment is only surgical (removal of the bladder with parasites during craniotomy). The bulk of the sheep die.

Helminthiasis

A large group of helminthic infestations is called helminthiases. Sheep can become infected in different ways - by contact, by eating feed, insect bites, or from inseminated litter.

Worms infect various organs and migrate throughout the body, disrupting the functioning of individual systems and metabolic processes in general. From the products of their vital activity, sheep develop allergic reactions and intoxication of the body. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs for animals are used.

Sheep farming makes a profit if the owners monitor the health of the livestock and vaccinate against dangerous diseases. It is important to provide animals with high-quality feed that will ensure the maintenance of immunity.At the first sign of illness, you need to show your sheep to a veterinarian.