This presentation was given at the 2007 Spring Forum of the Maryland Association of Agricultural Fairs and Shows, Inc. It discusses the issues and diseases of primary importance at fairs and other expositions.

Assessing Sheep and Goat Health

SUSAN SCHOENIANSheep and Goat SpecialistWestern Maryland Research & Education CenterMaryland Cooperative Extension(301) 432-2767 x343 – sschoen@umd.edu

Maryland Association of Agricultural Fairs and Shows

Spring Forum - March 18, 2007

Fairs are stressful to livestock

Handling and transportation stress.

New surroundings. New pen mates (?) Contact with other

animals. Close quarters. Strange people. Different water, food (?) Heat stress. Out of their normal

routine.

Basic assessment of sheep/goat health

Normal Hungry Alert Good body condition Bright eyes with good

eyelid color Dry nose or slight clear (or

white) discharge from nose. Head and ears up Tail up (goat) Healthy hair coat Clean hocks and

hindquarters Formed stools Freedom from scabs, sores,

abscesses, etc. Normal gait

Abnormal Off-feed Lethargic Poor body condition Runny, red, or swollen

eyes. Pale eyelids. Colored discharge from

nose Head and/or ears handing

down Droopy tail (goats) Rough hair coat Scabs, abscesses, sores. Soiled hindquarters Runny or liquid feces; blood

or mucous in feces Abnormal gait

What is normal?

Parameter Sheep Goats

Rectal Temperature

avg. 102°F (101.5-104°F) 102-104°F

Ruminations 2 per minute 1-2 per minute

Respiration 12 to 20 breaths per minute

15 to 30 breaths per minute

Pulse 70 to 80 beats per minute

70 to 90 beats per minute

Hematocrit(packed cell volume)

27 to 45%avg. 35%

22 to 28%avg. 28%

Assessing body conditionan estimate of fat and muscle

It is a subjective score. The exact score is not as important as the relative scores and differences between scores.

Both the vertical bone protrusion (spinous process) and horizontal protrusion (transverse process) of the loin are felt and used to access body condition scoring.

Diseases of primary concern

Contagious Skin diseases

Soremouth External parasites Ringworm

Foot rot Abscesses Pinkeye Pneumonia

Non-contagious Stomach worms Coccidia Acidosis/feedlot bloat Diarrhea Foot scald Rectal prolapse Heat stroke/exhaustion

Skin diseases: soremouthcontagious ecthyma, contagious pustular dermatitis, scabby mouth, orf

Most common skin problem in sheep/goats

Caused by a virus in the pox family.

Highly contagious to other sheep/goats, as well as to people.

Lesions most commonly seen on mouth and lips.blisters → ulcers → scabs

Clears up in 1-4 weeks.

Skin diseases: external parasites

Mites Lice Ticks (keds) Nose bots Blow flies

Symptoms Rub, bite, scratch Intense irritation Excessive grooming Dull coat, hair/wool loss,

bald patches, dry skin Snotty nose Redness of skin Nodules

Skin diseases: ringworm Club lamb fungus

Caused by a fungus. Very contagious. Can be transmitted to

humans. Transmitted by animal,

equipment, or surroundings. Slick shearing makes lambs

more susceptible. Causes skin lesions. Definitive diagnosis is made

by culturing the fungus. Heals on its own in 8 to 16

weeks.

Foot rot and foot scald Foot rot is caused by the

interaction of two anaerobic bacteria and is highly contagious.

Foot scald involves only one bacteria and is not contagious.

Primary symptom is lameness in one or more feet.

They appear the same until you examine the feet.

Foot rot infection is in hoof vs. foot scald which is between toes.

Foot rot has a characteristic foul odor.

AbscessesDisease of concern: Caseous lymphadenitis (CL)

Disease has internal and external form.

Abscesses at lymph-gland sites.

Caused by a bacteria. Very contagious. No human cases have

been reported in U.S.

PinkeyeInfectious keratoconjunctivitis

An inflammation of the inside of the eyelid.

Usually bacterial in cause (chlamydia, mycoplasma).

Different from pinkeye in cattle. Usually infectious and contagious

to other sheep and goats. Symptoms: watery, red, swollen

yes; formation of new blood vessels’ cloudiness in white part of eyes; tearing; and crusting (yellow or green pus).

Mild cases heal in 10 to 14 days; severe cases may take 6 weeks to heal.

Respiratory symptoms Infectious

Pneumonia

Symptoms to look for Elevated body

temperature Yellowish discharge Heavy, labored

breathing Chest congestion

Non-infectious Allergy Dust Poor ventilation Nasal bots Lung worms

A clear, bilateral, watery nasal discharge is relatively common, especially in sheep, usually due

to poor ventilation and/or temperature fluctuations.

Internal parasites (GI worms) are the primary health problem affecting sheep and goats. The barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) is the worm of primary concern.

The barber pole worm is a blood-sucking

parasite that causes blood and protein loss (anemia) and edema

(“bottle jaw”).

Worms have developed resistance to most of the anthelmintics (dewormers).

The FAMACHA© System for assessing anemia and barber pole worm infection in small ruminants

Clinical Category

Color PCV Deworm?

1 Red > 28 No

2 Red-Pink 23-27 No

3 Pink 18-22 ?

4 Pink-White 13-17 Yes

5 White < 12 Yes

sh

eep

goats

Selective deworming prolongs effectiveness of anthelmintics by reducing selection for drug resistant worms.

Diarrhea – ScoursIncreased frequency, fluidity, or volume of fecal excretion.

Infectious Bacterial

E. coli Salmonella

Viral Protozoa

Coccidia Cyrptosporidia Giardia

Non-infectious Parasites Nutritional Management Stress

Normal stool is hard round balls”, but feeding can alter consistency.

Rectal prolapse (lambs)

Multi-factorial problem Sex (female) High level of grain

feeding Straining Genetics Short tail docks

Can repair prolapse, but animal is usually salvaged.

Heat stroke/exhaustionHigh temperatures + high humidity

Symptoms Rapid breathing. Panting. Collapse. Inability to stand Elevated rectal

temperature, over 104°F; critical over 105°F.

Prevention Transport and work during

cool part of day. Clean, fresh drinking water. Fans.

Treatment Cooling therapy

Shade, ventilation Spray with water (cold water

may be too much of a shock). Wet head, legs, and stomach Rubbing alcohol to the area

between the hind legs. Do not soak a wooled sheep

with cold water to attempt to cool them.

Fluids, drugs

Questions?

Comments

Thank you.