Sheep are considered warm-blooded animals that have a constant body temperature. Many farmers are interested in this indicator, because any deviations indicate the development of pathologies. Normally, the temperature of sheep is in the range of 38.5-40.5 degrees. However, the exact parameters depend on many factors. These include age, features of maintenance, and health status. If the temperature is high or low, you should consult a veterinarian.
Average temperature of sheep
The normal temperature of an adult sheep or ram is 38.5-40 degrees. However, lambs may have slightly higher values. Their upper limit of normal is 40.5 degrees.
Deviations from the norm
Deviations from normal temperature values should cause concern to the farmer. Often, such symptoms indicate the development of dangerous pathologies or violation of the conditions of keeping pets.
Fever
An increase in temperature values may be due to the influence of various factors. The most common causes include infectious pathologies. They can be bacterial, viral or fungal. In most cases, the temperature rises with the development of such diseases:
- Leptospirosis - this pathology is provoked by the microorganism Leptospira. Infection often occurs through water and food. In addition to increased performance, animals experience anemia, jaundice, and kidney damage.
- Listeriosis – with this disease, septic phenomena and damage to the nervous system are observed. Fever is also common. Symptoms of the pathology include mastitis and spontaneous abortions. The causative agent of the disease is considered to be resistant bacterial microorganisms.
- Toxoplasmosis is a dangerous pathology. Its causative agent is Toxoplasma gondii. In addition to an increase in parameters, with this diagnosis muscle tremors, vomiting, and general weakness are observed. Inflammation of internal organs also occurs.
Sometimes indicators increase in such situations:
- Vaccination – increased values after vaccination are observed quite often. The problem is caused by the interaction between the injection and the animal’s immunity.
- Poisoning – an increase in parameters is possible when toxic substances enter the body.
- Body overheating – values increase with prolonged exposure to the sun.
Sometimes it is not possible to determine the reasons for the increase, which is considered grounds for immediate contact with a veterinarian.
Decreased performance
If the temperature parameters of sheep fall below normal, this is considered an alarming symptom. Most often, this condition is observed in weakened animals due to viral infections. In this case, immunosuppression occurs. Chronic diseases also become a provoking factor in reducing indicators. They are usually asymptomatic.
Another common factor that leads to problems is keeping animals in cold rooms. In such a situation, high heat transfer is observed. Sometimes temperature parameters decrease due to traumatic injuries or bleeding.
The temperature of sheep can be used to assess their health status. Deviations from the norm, to a greater or lesser extent, are considered grounds for contacting a veterinarian. Violations of parameters usually indicate the development of dangerous pathologies.
