Sheep

SHEEP

We have tried on this page to introduce information about the more common clinical conditions seen in sheep in the U.K.. This list is not comprehensive and different situations may require different advice to that given here. Always consult your veterinary surgeon about any disease problem within your flock.

Causes of sudden death:

Black disease -clostridial liver infection causing generalised toxaemia, frequently occurs in conjunction with liver fluke.
Hypomagnesaemia-staggers, magnesium deficiency.
Acute liver fluke-liver infection with F. hepatica.
Acute Pasteurellosis-pneumonia and septicaemia.

Causes of weight loss in the pregnant ewe:

Liver fluke-liver infection with F. hepatica.
Johne's disease-chronic diarrhoea and weight loss.
Parasitic Gastroenteritis-a number of parasitic worms cause scour, weight loss and ill thrift.

Causes of abortion:

Enzootic abortion-Chlamydial infection causing late stage abortion.
Toxoplasmosis-major cause of abortion and weak lambs.
Salmonellosis-abortion and fever, usually in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy.
Campylobacter-abortion in last 6 weeks of pregnancy.
Tick Borne Fever-Rickettsial infection transmitted by the tick Ixodes ricinus.
Listerosis- cause of abortion, meningitis and septicaemia.
Border Disease-causes early foetal loss and 'hairy shaker' lambs

Diseases of the ewe at lambing:

Pregnancy Toxaemia-metabolic energy deficiency in late pregnancy.
Hypocalcaemia-calcium deficiency, milk fever.
Hypomagnesaemia-staggers, magnesium deficiency.
Mastitis-udder infection and inflammation.

Diseases of the neonatal lamb:

Watery mouth-E.coli septicaemia of the neonatal lamb.
Hypothermia-drop in body temperature, usually in neonatal lambs.
Lamb dysentery-Clostridial diarrhoea in young lambs.
Swayback-copper deficiency in young lambs.
Border Disease-cause of foetal death, abortion and hairy shaker lambs
Joint ill-a bacterial suppurative arthritis of young lambs often associated with navel infection.
Entropion-inverted eyelids in newborn lambs.
Neonatal Diarrhoea-various agents, including E.coli, Cryptosporidia, Rotavirus, and Salmonella can cause diarrhoea in the first few weeks of life.

Diseases of the young lamb:

Pulpy Kidney-a toxaemia that develops as a result of Clostridial infection.
Pasteurellosis-pneumonia and septicaemia
Stiff Lamb Disease-joint infections caused by Erysipelothrix in 3-4 month old lambs.
Tetanus-caused by Clostridial wound infection, stiffness and paralysis.
Nutritional myopathy-selenium/vitamin E deficiency causing ill thrift and muscle weakness.
Louping-ill-a tick borne infection causing inco-ordination and paralysis.
Coccidosis-intestinal parasite affecting mainly intensively reared lambs.
Nematodirus-an acute parasitic enteritis normally occuring in late May and June.

Diseases of the growing lamb:

Pulpy Kidney-a toxaemia that develops as a result of Clostridial infection.
Pasteurellosis-pneumonia and septicaemia
Stiff Lamb Disease-joint infections caused by Erysipelothrix in 3-4 month old lambs.
Orf-infectious viral skin disorder causing painful scabs around the mouth.
CCN-a neurological disorder causing inco-ordination, convulsions and death.
Louping-ill-a tick borne infection causing inco-ordination and paralysis.
Nematodirus-an acute parasitic enteritis normally occurring in late May and June.
Parasitic Gastroenteritis-a number of parasitic worms cause scour, weight loss and ill thrift.
Cobalt deficiency-'pine', ill thrift, inappetance and weight loss.
Copper deficiency-'swayback', stiff staggery gait in young lambs.
Coccidosis-intestinal parasite affecting mainly intensively reared lambs.
Urolithiasis-crystal and stone formation in the urine as a result of nutritional imbalance, seen in intensively reared lambs.

Causes of respiratory disease:

Atypical Pneumonia-bacterial pneumonia of housed sheep.
Pasteurellosis-pneumonia and septicaemia.
Parasitic Bronchitis-infectious parasitic pneumonia.
Pulmonary adenomatosis (Jaagsiekte)-chronic transmissible tumour causing virus.
Maedi-Visna-neurological and respiratory disease syndromes.

Causes of skin/foot disease:

Footrot-common and infectious cause of lameness.
Strike-blowfly larval parasitism, particularly in warm wet weather.
Dermatophilosis/mycotic dermatitis-'lumpy wool', ubiquitous bacterial skin infection.
Sheep scab-intensely itchy mange mite infestation, highly infectious.
Photosensitisation-skin damage caused by sunlight exposure, secondary to plant ingestion or liver disease.
Ticks-Ixodes ricinus is the most common sheep tick, spring and autumn periods of activity.

Diseases causing blindness:

Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis-highly contagious conjunctivitis and corneal inflammation.

Disease caused by dietary mineral imbalance:

Copper Poisoning-common in sheep fed high concentrate diets, acute presentation of a chronic problem.
CCN-a neurological disorder causing inco-ordination, convulsions and death.
Nutritional myopathy-selenium/vitamin E deficiency causing ill thrift and muscle weakness.
Copper deficiency-'swayback', stiff staggery gait in young lambs.
Cobalt deficiency-'pine', ill thrift, inappetance and weight loss.
Urolithiasis-crystal and stone formation in the urine as a result of nutritional imbalance, seen in intensively reared lambs.

Parasitic Disease:

Coenurosis-parasitic tapeworm cysts developing within brain tissue.
Ticks-Ixodes ricinus is the most common sheep tick, spring and autumn periods of activity.
Strike-blowfly larval parasitism, particularly in warm wet weather.
Parasitic Bronchitis-infectious parasitic pneumonia.
Coccidosis-intestinal parasite affecting mainly intensively reared lambs.
Nematodirus-an acute parasitic enteritis normally occurring in late May and June.
Sheep Scab-intensely itchy mange mite infestation, highly infectious.
Liver fluke-liver infection with F. hepatica.
Parasitic Gastroenteritis.-a number of parasitic worms cause scour, weight loss and ill thrift.

Other:

Scrapie-a progressive neurological condition causing intense itching, drowsiness, and inco-ordination
Clostridial wound infection-blackquarter, malignant oedema, gas gangrene.