For Mid-Atlantic States Vet Clinic, May 19, 2016

1. AN OVERVIEW OF HEALTH AND DISEASES
IN SMALL RUMINANTS
SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shay-nē-ŭn)
Sheep & Goat Specialist
Western Maryland Research & Education Center
University of Maryland Extension
sschoen@umd.edu - www.sheepandgoat.com
http://www.slideshare.net/schoenian

2. COMMON DISEASES AND HEALTH PROBLEMS
 Digestive
 Hoof
 Parasitic
 Respiratory
 Reproductive
 Skin
 Other

3. DIGESTIVE DISORDERS
 Acidosis
 Bloat
 Copper toxicity
 Enterotoxemia
 Floppy kid syndrome
 Milk fever
 Polioencephalomalica
 Pregnancy toxemia
 Scours
 Urinary calculi
 White muscle disease

4. ACIDOSIS
ruminal lactic acidosis, grain overload, grain poisoning, engorgement
 Develops as a result of animals consuming too much
carbohydrates; primarily grain, sometimes by-
product feed (often accidental consumption).
 Results in lowered rumen pH
 Can be life threatening
clinical vs. subclinical (which goes unnoticed).
 More common in sheep than goats and cattle.
 Symptoms: simple indigestion, discomfort, anorexia,
diarrhea, teeth grinding, muscle twitching, laminitis,
and ruminal stasis (and death).
 Treatment: depends upon severity of symptoms,
sodium bicarbonate, antacids, antibiotics, IV fluids,
surgery
 Prevention: introduce grains slowly to diet, add
dietary buffers, feed ionophores, feed whole grains,
have roughage in diet, free choice sodium
bicarbonate.

5. BLOAT
rumen tympany
 Form of indigestion caused by excessive accumulation of gas in
rumen.
 Symptoms
Can be life threatening
Distended rumen (left side)
Pain and discomfort
Anxiety
Labored breathing
Staggering and recumbancy
Death
 Treatment (depends upon severity)
Emergency rumenotomy
Insertion of rumen trocar
Passage of stomach tube
Administration of anti-foaming agent
(vegetable oil, mineral oil, polaxalene)
Antacid drench
Force animal to burp

6. TYPES OF BLOAT
Frothy
Pasture
 Common in
animals
consuming
legume-dominant
pastures
(especially alfalfa
and clover) and
green chop,
cereal grains, and
wet spring grass.
Frothy
Feedlot
 Occurs in animals
consuming high
grain diets,
especially finely
ground rations.
Free gas
or dry
bloat
 Animal is unable
to eructate.
 Often caused by
an obstruction.
 Can also be the
result of posture,
e.g. cast.
Abomasal
 Occurs in mostly
in artificially
reared lambs and
kids.
 Cause not known:
believed to be
caused by a
build-up of
bacteria in the
stomach.

7. PREVENTION OF BLOAT
Pasture bloat
 Gradual introduction to pasture
 Restrict intake by feeding hay before
grazing
 Mixed swards of grass and legumes
 Anti-foaming agents
 Ionophores
Abomasal
 Small meals
 Self-feeding
 Cold milk
 Add yogurt or
probiotics to milk
 Vaccination for
enterotoxemia
Feed lot bloat
 Gradual introduction of
concentrates to diet
 Don’t feed finely ground feeds
 Whole grain feeding
 Roughage in diet
 Anti-foaming agents
 Ionophores

8. COPPER TOXICITY
 Sheep are most susceptible livestock species.
Goats are more susceptible than cattle and pigs.
Breed differences exist.
 Can be acute or chronic.
 Toxicity occurs when copper accumulates in liver to
exceed 1000 mg Cu/kg DM
 Many factors affect copper metabolism.
Copper has many antagonists: Mo, Su
 Copper absorption more important than concentration
in feed; influenced by type of diet and level of Mo, S,
Fe, and to a lesser extent Ca and Zn.
 70-75% absorption rate in newborn ruminants
 < 10 percent in adults

9. ENTEROTOXEMIA
overeating disease, pulpy kidney disease
 Caused by bacteria clostridium perfringins type D
found normally in digestive tract of ruminants.
 Toxins are produced by bacteria.
 Triggered by change in diet, usually an increase in
the amount of grain, supplement, milk, milk
replacer, and/or grass (feeds that are rich in
starch, sugar and/or protein)
 Symptoms: sudden death, off feed, lethargic,
stomach pain, diarrhea, and neurological
symptoms
 Treatment (rarely successful) : antitoxin,
probiotics, electrolytes, supportive care
 Prevention: vaccination of pregnant females and
lambs and kids (with 3, 7, or 8-way clostridial
vaccine) and smart feeding strategies

10. FLOPPY KID SYNDROME (FKS)
fading kid syndrome
 First reported in 1987. Cause unknown
 Affects kids 3-10 days of age (normal at birth)
They exhibit metabolic acidosis (low blood pH) and have
elevated d-lactate.
 Symptoms: depression, weakness, flaccid paralysis, and
distension of abdomen.
 Differential diagnosis: enterotoxemia, white muscle disease,
abomasal bloat, and septicemia
 Treatment: early detection, remove milk from diet, IV or oral
administration of sodium bicarbonate, supportive care
 No prevention
Research showed that milk ingestion plays a central role.
Hand-rearing and feeding bovine colostrum/milk or milk
replacer can prevent disease (Germany, Italy).

11. LISTERIOSIS
circling disease
 Central nervous system and digestive system
infection caused by bacteria Listeria
monocytogenes.
 Commonly associated with feeding of spoiled
silage; otherwise occurs sporadically.
 Small ruminants more susceptible.
 Causes neurological symptoms: encephalitis,
depression, anorexia, disorientation, head tilt,
circling, and facial paralysis; can cause abortion
in females.
 Differential diagnoses: polio, rabies, pregnancy
toxemia, brain abscess, ear infection, meningeal
worm.
 Treatment: early intervention with high doses of
antibiotics (Penicillin G) and supportive care. http://www.shesafarmer.com/blog/sick-goat-saga-listerios

12. MILK FEVER
parturient paresis, hypocalcaemia
 Deficiency of calcium (Ca) in bloodstream
 Can occur before or after parturition.
 Caused by inadequate (or excess intake) of calcium
during late pregnancy
 Symptoms: stiff uncoordinated gait, muscling
trembling, weakness, bloat, depressed rumen
motility, recumbancy, hind legs bent behind, and
death.
 Differential diagnosis: pregnancy toxemia
 Treatment: depends upon progression (severity),
usually IV injection of calcium borogluconate, with
oral or SQ administration of calcium to prevent
relapse. Also treat for pregnancy toxemia.
 Prevention: proper amount of calcium in diet (green
leafy legume hay, limestone are good sources of
calcium) minimal handling of pregnant females

13. POLIOENCEPHALOMALACIA
PEM, polio, cerebrocortical necrosis, thiamine deficiency Metabolic disorder with neurological symptoms.
 Associated with thiamine status and/or high sulfur
intake.
 Thiamine deficiency caused by inadequate
production by rumen or factors that interfere with
action of thiamine.
 Sulfur-related PEM due to high sulfur intake
 Can occur on pasture, but animals on concentrate
diets
(↓ rumen pH) are most susceptible.
 Can also result from prolonged treatment with
Corid® (thiamine inhibitor).
 Acute: blindness, star gazing, followed by
recumbency,.
Subacute: separation, stop eating, twitching of ears
and face, head held upright.
 Differential diagnosis: pregnancy toxemia,
enterotoxaemia, and listeriosis, rabies, tetanus, CAE,
and plant poisoning.

14. PREGNANCY TOXEMIA
lambing paralysis, twin lamb disease, pregnancy ketosis
 Affects females during late pregnancy (1-3 weeks)
 Caused by a deficiency of energy (TDN) during late
pregnancy (often indicative of a flock/herd nutrition
problem).
 Females carrying multiple fetuses are most prone; fat
females also susceptible.
 During early stages of disease, can treat with oral propylene
glycol; it may also be prudent to induce parturition (Rx).
 Treatment of advanced cases is usually less rewarding and
may require an emergency caesarian section.
 Differential diagnosis: milk fever
 Prevent with good feeding management
BCS’s of >2.5 during late gestation
Grain feeding during late gestation to meet increased
energy requirements, especially for multi-bearing females.

15. DIARRHEA (SCOURS)
Increased frequency, fluidity, or volume of fecal excretion
 Many causes: bacterial, viral, parasites, diet, and
stress.
 Accounted for 46% of lamb losses in study at US
Sheep Experiment Station.
 In younger lambs/kids, e. coli is most common
cause of scours.
 In older lambs/kids, GI parasites, especially
coccidia, are most common causes of diarrhea.
 In adults, most scours are self-limiting.
 Often a symptom of other illness, e.g. acidosis,
enterotoxemia, Johne’s disease, and plant toxins.
 Treatment depends upon cause: anti-diarrheal
medications, anti-coccidial medications, antibiotics,
anthelmintics, probiotics, and electrolytes
(hydration).

16. URINARY CALCULI
urolithiasis, water belly, stones
 Common metabolic disease of male sheep
and goats, especially wethers.
 Calculi stones, usually phosphate salts,
lodge in urinary tract and prevent urination
 Primary cause of urinary calculi is high
grain-low roughage diets, with an imbalance
of calcium to phosphorus.
 Rations high in phosphorus and magnesium
 Stones can also be composed of other
minerals, depending upon diet (e.g. calcium
rich diets).
 Affected animals strain to pass urine and
stand with arched back.
 Treatment depends upon location of
obstruction and progression of symptoms:
ammonium chloride drench, smooth muscle
relaxants, surgery.

17. PREVENTION OF URINARY CALCULI
 Calcium to phosphorus ratio of at least 2:1;
up to 4:1, not less than 1:1
 Roughages as a part of all small ruminant diets.
- to increase saliva production
+ alfalfa is a good source of calcium
 Adequate water intake
- clean, constant source of water
 Feed additives
Limestone is a good source of calcium
Salt to increase water intake and urine production
Ammonium chloride to acidify urine
 Castration alternatives
Production: do you really need to castrate?
Pets: later castration (by vet, under anesthesia)

18. WHITE MUSCLE DISEASE
WMD, stiff lamb disease, nutritional muscular hypertrophy
 Degenerative muscle disease of large animals.
 Caused by a deficiency of selenium and/or Vitamin E
 Can affect skeletal or cardiac muscles (sudden death, poor
response to Tx); can also cause symptoms of ill thrift and
reproductive losses.
 Most common in young lambs/kids: newborns and fast-
growing, kids more than lambs
 Causes
Inadequate dietary supply of selenium and/or vitamin E
Feeding of poor quality hay; lack of access to pasture
 Treatment
Supplemental selenium and/or vitamin E
 Prevention
Adequate selenium and vitamin E in diet, especially pregnant
females, as selenium crosses placenta (vitamin E does not)
Feed balanced rations, force feed minerals
Injections for at-risk animals (poor alternative to proper diet)

19. HOOF DISEASES
Foot scald
Footrot
Foot abscess
Other

20. FOOT SCALD FOOT ROT FOOT ABSCESS

21. DISEASES AFFECTING THE HOOVES
Foot scald 
• Caused by bacteria
(Fusobacterium necrophorum)
that is present wherever there
are sheep, goats, and/or cattle.
• Starts with irritation (due to
trauma or moisture) of
interdigital tissue.
• Results in redness or
inflammation of tissue between
claws.
• Outbreaks occur during periods
of wet weather.
• Not contagious, but can be a
pre-cursor to foot abscesses
and foot rot
Foot abscess
 Occurs when
Actinomyces
bacteria invade
tissue already
weakened by
interdigital infection.
 Usually only affects
one hoof or digit.
 Overweight and
mature animals
most vulnerable.
 Not contagious
Foot rot
 Caused by interaction of two
anaerobic bacteria (F.
necrophorum
and Dichelobacter nodosus).
 D. nodosus is introduced to
farm, usually in hoof of carrier
animal.
 Involves separation of horny
tissues of hoof.
 Using affects both claws and
multiple hooves.
 Highly contagious
 Can be difficult to eradicate
 Can be a significant welfare

22. PREVENTION, CONTROL, AND ERADICATION
PREVENTION
 Good biosecurity
 Maintain closed flock/herd
 Disinfect shared equipment
 Don’t mix clean animals with infected animals
 Don’t use contaminated vehicles to transport
animals
 Disinfect footwear of all visitors
 Quarantine new animals for ~30 days
 Preventative foot soaking and trimming
 Disinfect hoof trimmers (and/or knife) between
animals
CONTROL - ERADICATE
 Hoof scoring and trimming
 Topical treatments (Koppertox, Hoof-n-heel, zinc
sulfate)
 Repeated (weekly) foot bathing with zinc sulfate
 Separation of infected from clean animals
 Soak pads
 Dry chemicals
 Antibiotic sprays
 Antibiotic injections (LA-200®, Zactran®) [Rx]
 Vaccination (limited availability of footrot vaccine)
 CULLING

23. REPRODUCTIVE DISEASES AND PROBLEMS
 Abortive diseases
 Dystocia
 Epididymitis
 Mastitis
 Milk fever
 Pregnancy toxemia
 Uterine prolapse
 Vaginal prolapse

24. ABORTIVE DISEASES IN SHEEP AND GOATS
1. Campylobacter spp.
Vibriosis, vibrio
2. Chlamydia psititici
Enzootic abortion of ewes, EAE
3. Toxoplasmosis
4. Other
 Bluetongue
 Border disease
 Brucellosis
 Cache Valley Virus
 Leptospirosis
 Q Fever
 Salmonella

25. ABORTIVE DISEASES IN SHEEP AND GOATS
PREVENTION
 Vaccination (Vibrio and Chlamydia) during
pregnancy
 Supplement females with Rumesin® or Deccox®
during late pregnancy to prevent abortions caused
by toxoplasmosis (Rx)
 Feed tetracycline antibiotic (Aureomycin®) during
pregnancy (sheep, Rx)*
 Good management
 Do not feed on ground
 Prevent contamination of feed
 Maintain first timers as separate group
 Biosecurity
 Maintain closed flock
 Do not manage different flocks/herds together
IN THE EVENT OF AN OUTBREAK
 Strict hygiene; isolate affected females,
properly dispose of infected placenta and
fetuses
 Submit fetuses and placenta to diagnostic lab
 Vaccinate remaining females
 Inject long-acting oxytetracycline (Rx)
 Begin feeding tetracycline antibiotic (sheep,
Rx)*
*New Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) will affect
antibiotics put in feed or water of livestock. A
veterinary prescription will be required. No extra label
drug use will be allowed.

26. DYSTOCIA (DIFFICULT BIRTHING)
 Definition: failure to transition from stage I
to stage II labor or little to no progress
after 30 minutes of stage II labor.
 Tends to be higher in sheep than goats,
2-12% vs. 3-5% (Boileau, DVM, 2015).
 Goal should be fewer than 5% assisted
births
 Common cause of death in ewes and
lambs.
 Is dystocia risk greater with single births
and males (risk of being oversized) or
with multiple births (risk of
malpresentation).
Cause Sheep Goats
Ringwomb 31.7 32.8
Narrow pelvis 21.7 18.0
Fetal malpresentation 21.1 22.6
Fetal oversize 15.0 3.2
Simultaneous
presentation of twins
1.7 13.7
Uterine torsion 4.4 1.8
Monsters 4.4 1.4
Uterine inertia 6.7
J. Ag. & Vet Sci (2011)
Causes of dystocia in small ruminants (Saudi
Arabia)

27. MANAGEMENT OF DYSTOCIA IN EWES AND DOES
 Nutritional management
Excess feed during late gestation increases fetal size
Scan ewes and feed according to number of fetuses
Aim for a body condition score of 3
Higher risk of dystocia with BCS >4
 Genetic selection
Select offspring from dams that give birth without
assistance and from sires whose daughters give birth
unassisted.
 Exercise
Make sure ewes and does get adequate exercise during
late gestation
 Learn how to safely intervene and assist with difficult
births

28. MASTITIS
 Inflammation of the mammary gland (udder).
 Significant disease in small ruminants, though
prevalence is not known and considerably less
research has been done as compared to cattle.
 Can be subclinical (most common, goes unnoticed)
vs. clinical (peracute, acute, and chronic)
 Causes are bacterial and viral (CAE, OPP)
 Symptoms: starving offspring, lameness, abnormal
milk, swelling of udder hard bag, off feed, depression
 Treatment: isolation, artificial rearing of lambs/kids,
antibiotic therapy (Rx), anti-inflammatory drugs (Rx),
and supportive care.
 Prevention: hygiene, selection and culling, disease
management, feed management

29. PROLAPSES
More common in sheep than goats
RECTAL VAGINAL UTERINE

30. PREDISPOSING FACTORS TO PROLAPSES
Rectal
 Coughing
 Chronic scours
 Sex (female)
 Age
 Condition
 Diet
 Too short tail dock
(feed lot lambs)
 Genetic predisposition
Vaginal
 Increased sized of
pregnant uterus
(multiparous)
 Excessive body condition
 Intra-abdominal fat
 Too short tail dock (?)
 High fiber diets (full
rumen)
 Sub-clinical hypocalcemia
(?)
 Limited exercise (?)
 Gravity
Uterine
 Prolonged labor
 Straining
 Swelling,
 Infection
 Genetics

31. TREATMENT OF PROLAPSES
 Rectal
Immediate slaughter*
Injections with oxytetracycline (Pipestone Vet Clinic,
Rx)
Amputate protruding rectal tissue (rectal ring)
 Vaginal
Clean and replace
Retention with suture, bearing retainer (spoon) or
harness*.
Usually resolves after lambing (cull?)
 Uterine (emergency!)
Clean and replace – best done by a veterinarian
Antibiotics (Rx) and anti-inflammatories (Rx)

32. PARASITIC DISEASES
 Internal parasites
 Helminths
#1: barber pole
worm
 Protozoan
#1: Coccidia
 External
parasites
lice, mites, ticks, bot flies

33. HELMINTH PARASITES
PARASITIC WORMS, MULTICELLULAR ORGANISMS,
 Haemonchus contortus (barber pole
worm) is the parasite of primary
concern.
 Teladorsagia and Trichostrongyles are
usually part of mixed infections with
barber pole worm and of secondary
importance.
 Meningeal worm (Parelaphostrongylus
tenuis) can be problematic on some
farms
 Tapeworms (Moniezia expansa) are
considered to be non-pathogenic, but
can affect gut motility.

34. HAEMONCHUS CONTORTUS
BARBER POLE WORM
 Some level of parasitic “infection” is normal.
 Clinical parasitism occurs with heavy exposure and poor
or lack of immunity.
 Animals eventually develop immunity to parasites; sheep
more so than goats.
 Immunity is compromised at time of parturition, called
peri-parturient egg rise (PPER). Primary source of
infection for lambs/kids grazing summer pastures.
 Animals become infected when they ingest third stage
larvae (L3) while grazing. 80% of larvae is in first 2
inches of plants.
 Primary cause of Haemonchosis is overstocking and
insufficient pasture rest.
 Control with grazing, management, nutrition, genetics,
and targeted selective treatment (with anthelmintics).

35. PROTOZOAN PARASITES
MICROSCOPIC, SINGLE CELL
 Coccidia (Eimeria spp.) is primary species and often as
problematic as barber pole worm.
 Primarily a problem in confinement, but can also be a problem on
pasture.
 Host specific; not all are pathogenic
 Primary (not always) symptom is scours (diarrhea).
 Damage can be permanent.
 Prevent with hygiene, management, and coccidiostats (Bovatec®,
Rumensin® or Deccox®) in mineral, feed, or water *.
 Sericea lespedeza pellets for natural control.
 Treat with amprolium (Corid®, Rx) and sulfa antibiotics (e.g.
DiMethox®, Sulmet®, Rx)*
*With new Veterinary Feed Directive, sulfa antibiotics will be
transitioning to prescription status.

36. INTEGRATED PARASITE MANAGEMENT (IPM)
Management
 Pasture rest and rotation
 Minimum grazing heights
 Browsing
 Alternative forages
 Mixed or multi-species grazing
 Zero grazing
 Nutritional management/supplementation
 Host immunity
 Genetic selection, within and between breed,
species
 Timing of lambing/kidding
Drugs (deworming)
 Targeted selective treatment
 FAMACHA© eye anemia system
 Five Point Check®
 Happy Factor®
 Management of peri-parturient females
 Testing for anthelmintic resistance
 Proper use of anthelmlintics

37. TARGETED SELECTIVE TREATMENT (TST)
 Only treat animals that require it or would benefit
from treatment.
 Focus efforts on periparturient females and
weanlings
 Use FAMACHA© system, Five Point Check©, and
Happy Factor© to determine need for treatment
 Be sure to use an effective drug when deworming
animals that require treatment.
 Only time to consider whole flock treatment is
periparturient period. If done, consider leaving
some animals untreated.

38. TARGETED SELECTIVE TREATMENT (TST)
FAMACHA© SYSTEM FIVE POINT CHECK© HAPPY FACTOR©

39. TARGETED SELECTIVE TREATMENT (TST)
FAMACHA©
 Uses color eye chart to
evaluate level of anemia
and determine need for
treatment.
 Reduces use of
dewormers and
increases refugia
(worms not exposed to
dewormers).
 Producers must take
approved training to
purchase card.
 Only effective for blood
feeding parasites.
FIVE POINT CHECK©
 Involves five check points
on animal’s body: 1) eye
(FAMACHA©), 2) jaw, 3)
back (BCS), 4) tail
(scours), and 5) nose
(bots).
 Can replace nose with
coat condition for goats.
 Expands usefulness of
FAMACHA© system, by
expanding criteria to other
parasites.
 Also useful for making
treatment decisions for
FAMACHA© score 3s.
HAPPY FACTOR©
 Uses performance as a
factor for determining the
need to deworm.
 “A productive animal is a
happy animal.”
 Weight gain, milk
production.
 Primarily used in Europe
where barber pole worm
is not primary parasite.

40. ANTHELMINTIC RESISTANCE
 Resistance is/was inevitable and is permanent.
 Worms have developed resistance to all dewormers and
dewormer classes.
 Anthelmintic resistance varies by geographic area and
farm and is based on past dewormer use.
 Resistance tends to be highest among the benzimidazoles
(e.g. SafeGuard® and Valbazen®) and avermectins (e.g.
Ivomec®).
 Moxidectin (Cydectin®) and especially levamisole
(Prohibit®) tend to be most effective on most Mid-Atlantic
farms.
 Parasite control strategies must have two goals: reduce
clinical parasitism in animal and prolong effectiveness of
drugs by managing/increasing refugia (worms not exposed
to drugs).

41. PROPER USE OF ANTHELMINTICS
TO CONTROL CLINICAL PARASITISM AND PROLONG EFFECTIVENESS OF DEWORMERS
 Do not deworm whole flock, herd, or group; always leave some animals
untreated.
 Keep treated animals in dry lot for 48 hours to allow passage of resistant
worms (eggs) into barn or drylot.
 Reduce frequency of treatments by using FAMACHA©, Five Point
Check®, and/or Happy Factor® to determine which animals to deworm
and which animals to leave untreated.
 Do not put flock of treated animals on clean pasture.
 Do not underdose; dose based on accurate weight.
 Use only drench formulations to deworm sheep/goats.
 Give all dewormers orally using an oral dosing syringe with a long metal
nozzle which allows deposition of drug over tongue.
 Do not feed, inject, or pour-on dewormers.
 Fast animals to increase effectiveness of benzimidazoles and
avermectins.
 Proper storage of dewormers.
 Check for dewormer resistance every 3 years using fecal egg count tests
and/or DrenchRite® larval development assay.

42. RESPIRATORY DISEASE IN SHEEP AND GOATS
PNEUMONIA, PASTEURELLOSIS
 Important problem of sheep and goats of all ages (#1 lamb disease)
 Infection of lung tissue with multiple causes: viruses, bacteria, and
parasites.
Most frequent causes of respiratory infection and death are Pasteurella
multocida or Mannheimia haemolytica.
 Disease can be triggered by stress: transportation, weather, etc.
 Clinical signs include a temperature over 104ºF; thick, whitish nasal
discharge; moist, painful cough; rapid or labor breathing; anorexia; and
depression.
 Treatment usually involves antibiotics.
No treatment for viral pneumonias (e.g. CAE, OPP)
 Prevent with good immunity, management, nutrition, sanitation,
vaccination, biosecurity, and air quality (ventilation).

43. SKIN DISEASES
Soremouth (orf)
Club lamb fungus
External
parasites

44. SOREMOUTH
SCABBY MOUTH, CONTAGIOUS ECTHYMA, CONTAGIOUS PUSTULAR DERMATITIS, ORF
 Widespread: most common skin disease of sheep/goats.
 Caused by a virus in the pox family.
 Symptoms include lesions on lips, nostrils, face, eyelids, teats,
udders, feet.
 Can affect health and performance of lambs/kids.
 Can cause mastitis in dams of infected lambs/kids.
 More severe in young animals and goats.
 Self-limiting disease: usually clears in 3-4 weeks without
treatment.
 Treatment is usually ineffective; some evidence suggests that
spraying lesions with WD40 may help (Pipestone Vet, 2013).
 Antibiotics can be used to control secondary infections.
 Recovered animals are highly resistant to infection.
 Can vaccinate by applying live virus to bare skin.
Vaccinated females to not pass immunity onto offspring
Vaccine should not be used on farms that do not have orf.
 Is transmissible to humans!

45. CLUB LAMB FUNGUS
lumpy wool, sheep ringworm, and sheep dermaphytosis
 Caused by a fungus in the Trichophyton genus. First reported in 1989.
 Occurs wherever sheep are shown. Most common with youth lamb projects.
 Shearing equipment and close shearing are the primary cause; also, frequent
washing removes lanolin which makes the skin more susceptible to the disease.
 Lesions appear 1 to 4 weeks after exposure to fungus; most common on head,
neck, and back; hairless regions especially susceptible.
 Heals on its own in 8 to 16 weeks (new hair growth, skin often turns black).
 There are no approved anti-fungal medicines in sheep, but topical anti-fungal
medicines have been reported to inhibit fungal growth and decrease spread of
infection.
 Treatment option (Virginia Tech): clip wool 2 inches from edge of infection,
remove 2 oz from 8 oz bottle of baby oil; add 2 oz of iodine, apply to sore once
daily for five days, then weekly for three weeks. If necessary, treat secondary
infections with penicillin or tetracycline.
 Spray lambs with 0.5% solution of chlorohexidine to prevent infection.
 Is transmissible to humans!

46. OTHER DISEASES
 Caprine arthritic
encephalitits (CAE)
 Caseous
lymphadentitis (CL)
 Johne’s disease
 Ovine progressive
pneumonia (OPP)
 Pink eye
 Scrapie
 Tetanus

47. CAPRINE ARTHRITIC ENCEPHALITIS (CAE)
 Caused by a lentivirus; closely related to OPP.
 Widespread in dairy goat breeds; less common in meat
goats (?).
 Primary mode of transmission is through ingestion of virus-
infected colostrum or milk by kids; there is also horizontal
transmission via direct contact.
 Common symptoms include arthritis, mastitis, and
respiratory disease in does and neurological problems in
kids.
 Most animals are sub-clinical; symptoms appear in ~20
percent of infected animals.
 No effective treatment; control requires artificial rearing
and isolation of kids, blood testing and isolation or culling of
sero-positive does.
http://hoovesandheartbeats.tumblr.com/post/77093951334/caprine-
arthritis-encephalitis-cae

48. CASEOUS LYMPHADENTITIS (CL, CLA)
 Chronic, contagious disease caused by the bacterium
Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis.
 Prevalence varies.
 Characterized by internal (within internal organs and lymph nodes)
and external abscesses (near lymph nodes).
 External form is more common in goats; internal form is more common
in sheep.
 Bacteria enter through cuts and abrasians.
 No treatment. No cure.
Internal abscesses cause chronic weight loss.
 Diagnosis
Presence of external abscess - suggestive
Bacterial culture from intact abscess - definitive
Blood test - presence of antibodies (exposed)
 Prevention and eradication: vaccination, biosecurity (don’t buy it),
hygiene, disinfection of equipment, isolation of infected animals, blood
testing, culling of infected or sero-positive animals.

49. JOHNE’S DISEASE
paratuberculosis
 Fatal gastrointestinal disease caused by the bacterium Mycobaterium
paratuberculosis.
 Slow growing organism that persists in environment.
 Mostly commonly passed from manure of infected adult animals; can be
transmitted from one ruminant species to another.
 Prevalence in sheep and goats is not known.
 Sub-clinical (carriers) vs. clinical
 Symptoms are vague and similar to other health problems: rapid weight
loss, loss of body condition, diarrhea not usually in sheep, and death.
 Cost is reduced production and culling.
 No cure; no approved vaccine in US.
 Can test for presence of organism in manure and/or presence of
antibodies in blood.
 Is a flock/herd problem; not individual animal problem.
http://johnes.org/goats/diagnosis.html

50. OVINE PROGRESSIVE PNEUMONIA (OPP)
Similar to maedi-visna in other countries
 Slowly progressing viral disease; similar to CAE
 36.4 % of sheep operations had at least one animal that tested
positive for OPP in 2011 NAHMS study (24.2 % of animals).
 Breeds differ in their susceptibility to OPP virus, but all breeds
(and goats) are susceptible.
 Primary mode of transmission is respiratory, among adults after
age one. Secondary is from dam to offspring via colostrum.
 Symptoms include weight loss (thin ewe syndrome), hard bag,
respiratory, and arthritis.
 Infection is life-long. there is no vaccine, treatment, or cure.
 Control requires artificial rearing and isolation of lambs, blood
testing (cELISA) and isolation or culling of sero-positive
animals.
 Alternative: can use rams with reduced genetic susceptibility to
reduce incidence of disease in flock. http://www.county-vets.co.uk/

51. SCRAPIE
 Always fatal disease of the CNS of sheep/goats.
 No cure, treatment, or vaccine.
 In same family of diseases as BSE, CWD, and
CJD.
 Has been reported primary in Suffolk breed, but
all breeds and goats are susceptible.
 Incubation period of 2 to 5 years.
 Transmission of disease occurs primarily from
dam to offspring via placental fluids.
 Low prevalence in US; reduced by 80% since
2003.
 In sheep, susceptibility is determined by
genetics (codons 136, 154, 171). R=resistant;
Q=susceptible
 Mandatory identification of sheep and goats
over 18 months of age.

52. ERADICATE SCRAPIE BY 2017

53. PINK EYE
Contagious keratoconjunctivitis
 Infectious, contagious, bacterial disease affecting the eyes
(one or both eyes).
 Microorgansims most commonly associated with pink eye
in sheep and goats are Chlamydia psittaci ovis and
Mycoplasma conjunctivae (not the same that cause pink
eye in cattle).
 Symptoms: squinting; watery, red, swollen eyes; formation
of new blood vessels; cloudiness in white part of eyes; and
wound-like ulcers.
 Can swab eyes to determine causal agent.
 Differential diagnosis: entropion (inverted eyelid),
neurological disease, and non-infectious pink eye.
 Treatment: isolation (darkened area), flush eyes with sterile
saline, antibiotics (usually oinments).
 Prevention: biosecurity (closed flock/herd), don’t buy from
public auctions, avoid exhibition, dust and fly control.
NO vaccine.

54. TETANUS
 Caused by bacteria Clostridium tetani, which is found
widely in soil and manure; flourishes in areas where
oxygen is not present.
 More prevalent on farms where horses are kept and
where elastrator bands are used for docking and/or castrating.
 Infects animal through open wound or skin abrasion.
 Symptoms include muscle stiffness, extension of head and neck,
unsteady gait, lock jaw, and death.
 Differential diagnosis: white muscle disease, polyarthritis,
erysipelas, and navel ill.
 Treatment (rarely successful): antitoxin and antibiotics, clean wound
 Prevention: vaccination (pregnant females with toxoid; lambs/kids antitoxin at time of docking, castrating, and/or
disbudding) and good hygiene.

55. RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
 Goat Medicine (2nd edition, 2011)
Mary Smith and David Sherman
 Sheep & Goat Medicine (2nd edition, 2011)
David Pugh and Nickie Baird
 Sheep Diseases Directory
http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp/wp-
content/uploads/2013/09/brp_l_ol_SheepDiseas
eDirectory260913.pdf
 Maryland Small Ruminant Page
www.sheepandgoat.com
 American Consortium for Small Ruminant
Parasite Control (ACSRPC)
www.wormx.info or www.acsrpc.org