Sheep diseases. The most common diseases in sheep. Symptoms and treatment of sheep diseases

• exhaustion;
• growth retardation;
• deterioration of the hair condition, its loss;
• intestinal dysfunction.

Used to treat helminthiases anthelmintics— Albendazole and its analogues.

Fascioliasis

The signs of fascioliasis are as follows:

• digestive disorders - the sheep has diarrhea, followed by constipation;
• loss of appetite;
• exhaustion;
• wool falls out;
• bloating;
• swelling of the eyelids;
• the temperature may rise.

To treat fascioliasis, anthelmintic drugs are used - Pyrantel, Albendazole. It is recommended to deworm the entire livestock twice a year.

The causative agent of the disease is the larvae of echinococci, which infect the liver, lungs, spleen and other internal organs. Sheep are the intermediate host. They ingest echinococcus segments when they eat contaminated grass in a pasture. Next, oncospheres are released from them (in the intestines of a sheep), which are carried with blood and lymph into different organs. In places where oncospheres are localized, bubbles filled with liquid form on the internal organs. They contain up to 50,000 scolex. The disease occurs in chronic form, symptoms hardly appear. But some signs suggest that an infection with echinococcosis has occurred:

• cough and shortness of breath indicate lung damage;
• if the liver is affected, it increases in size;
• exhaustion;
• loss of appetite;
• growth retardation.

Treatment against the larval stage of echinococcosis has not been developed.

Piroplasmosis

The causative agent of the disease is piroplasma. They enter the sheep's body through tick bites. Pyroplasmas affect the blood and organs of animals. Symptoms:

1. A sharp increase in temperature to 42 degrees. Then it remains at this level for some time.
2. Yellowness of the mucous membranes.
3. Diarrhea is replaced by constipation, mucus is present in the stool.
4. Frequent breathing and heartbeat.
5. The animal lags behind the flock, standing with its head down.

Treatment is carried out with the following drugs: Piroplasmin, Tiargen, Acaprin, Flavacridine.

Coenurosis

Coenurosis is caused by the larvae of the cerebral coenurus. Sheep ingest oncospheres or tapeworm eggs on pasture, after which they are hematogenously transferred to the brain. Symptoms do not appear immediately. The first signs of coenurosis can be seen only 2-3 weeks after the animal is infected (stage 1 of the disease):

• the sheep is scared, excited;
• the animal moves aimlessly in a circle and behaves strangely.

Within two weeks, you can observe such strange behavior in livestock, but then the symptoms no longer appear for a long time (stage 2). Cenurum cerebralis grows in the sheep’s brain; this is stage 3 of the disease, it lasts several months. Stage 4 coenurosis is characterized by sharp deterioration state of the animal - it has convulsions, seizures, the sheep moves forward, not noticing obstacles, wanders in a circle. There is exhaustion. Soon the sheep dies.

Reference. If coenurosis is detected, the animals are slaughtered.

Tick-borne encephalitis

• fever;
• the animal lies down because it feels muscle pain;
• paralysis of limbs;
• paresis;
• nervous phenomena - throwing back the head;
• violation respiratory function.

Weakened animals usually die within a few days, and those with the immune system stronger, able to recover. Immunoglobulins in the form of serum are used as treatment.

Melophagosis

This disease is caused by the sheep's fly. She lays eggs in the fur of animals, which pupate within a few hours. On the body of sheep, their development and transformation into an adult occurs.

Symptoms:

• deterioration appearance wool - felting;
• scratching, skin dermatitis.

Attention! Melophagosis often leads to the formation of bezoars in the stomach of a sheep.

Infectious diseases

Infections pose a particular danger, since most of them spread quickly among sheep, resulting in the death of the entire flock. It is easier to prevent such diseases by resorting to routine vaccination.

Listeriosis

Listeria is a polymorphic bacterium that can be infected in various ways– through the mouth, mucous membranes of the eyes, through the air and even through flea bites. The disease occurs in different forms, but damage to the nervous system is especially dangerous. In this case, the mortality rate reaches 100%.

Symptoms of listeriosis:

• fever;
• oppression;
• diarrhea;
• nervous phenomena - convulsions, falls, movement forward or in a circle;
• curvature of the neck;
• mucous discharge from the nose;
• photophobia, dilated pupils.

Treatment of listeriosis is ineffective, but when the first symptoms of the disease are detected, tetracycline antibiotics are often used:

• Terramycin;
• Solamox;
• Bicillin;
• Clamoxyl.

Bradzot

The causative agents of the disease are bacteria belonging to the genus Chlostridium, which are normally present in the microflora digestive tract sheep When the intestines are disrupted and other unfavorable factors occur, they begin to multiply quickly, releasing huge amounts of toxins. Depending on the form of the disease, symptoms differ. In the fulminant form, animals die suddenly without detection clinical signs diseases.

In hyperacute cases, the following symptoms are observed:

• foam and blood from the mouth;
• bloody stool;
• teeth grinding;
• abdominal bloating;
• lack of chewing gum;
• swelling of the eyelids, neck, chest;
• rapid breathing;
• excitation;
• jumping gait.

The animal dies within 5-6 hours after the first alarming symptoms appear. With an acute nature, the signs of the disease are slightly smoothed out, and death occurs after 12 or more hours.

Treatment of bradzot is ineffective; in most cases, the veterinarian simply does not have time to begin helping the sick sheep. If the disease occurs in acute form, it is advisable to start using injections of cephalosporin antibiotics as soon as possible.

Smallpox

Sheeppox is caused by a highly virulent virus containing a DNA molecule. The disease is transmitted from sick animals or virus carriers that have managed to recover. Symptoms of smallpox infection:

• oppression;
• heat;
• the appearance on the body of bubbles with liquid contents, which subsequently change, burst, and crusts form in their place;
• discharge from the nasal passages and eyes;
• refusal to eat.

Treatment is effective on initial stage diseases. Veterinarians recommend using powerful antibiotics with a wide spectrum of action, as well as immunostimulating drugs.

Adenomatosis of the lungs

This disease is caused by a virus containing an RNA molecule. The disease has a very long incubation period, so detecting it for a long time fails. The route of transmission of the virus is airborne droplets. Adenomatosis is characterized by the growth of glandular tissue in the lungs. As the disease progresses, the number of lesions increases. As a result of the appearance of tumors in the lungs, stagnation occurs, then tissue necrosis develops.

Symptoms:

• dyspnea;
• cough, wheezing;
• oppression;
• purulent discharge from the nasal passages;
• exhaustion.

Attention! Pulmonary adenomatosis cannot be treated, animals are sent for slaughter. If a case is detected on a farm, a complete replacement of the herd is recommended.

Infectious mastitis

This disease causes staphylococcal infection. Infection of sheep occurs through the bedding, and is transmitted to lambs through mother's milk. If a lamb becomes infected, the disease occurs in the form of pneumonia. In adults, the udder becomes inflamed, usually one part of it.

Symptoms:

• oppression;
• the skin of the udder is hyperemic, purple or even bluish in color;
• when palpating the mammary gland, the sheep experiences pain, the udder is hard;
• purulent exudate is released from the nipple.

Treatment is with antibiotics penicillin series And sulfa drugs. Intraudinal injections are used with the addition of antibacterial agents, washing the milk ducts with warm soda solution followed by pumping.

Attention! If treatment is not started on time, in most cases it leads to death from sepsis.

Infectious agalactia

This disease is caused by mycoplasmas - microorganisms that are similar to both viruses and bacteria. Penetrating into the body of sheep, they affect the organs of vision, joints or mammary gland. Sheep mainly suffer from infectious agalactia after lambing.

Symptoms:

• depressed state, refusal to eat;
• temperature increase;
• skin rash;
• lameness due to joint damage;
• signs of conjunctivitis with eye damage;
• if the pathogen is localized in the udder, then pus is released from the nipples, and flakes and bloody inclusions are found in the milk.

Immunostimulants, antiviral and antibacterial drugs, as well as medications that relieve swelling, ointments and compresses.

Attention! The use of antibiotics for infectious agalactia helps prevent the development of purulent mastitis and other complications.

Footrot

Until recently, there was no data on the origin of foot rot in sheep. Now scientists have found out that the rod, the bacterium Bacteroides nodosus, is related to it. It affects the hoof epithelium, gradually destroying it. Subsequently, another one penetrates the affected area. pathogenic microflora, causing inflammation and suppuration in the interhoof gap.

Symptoms of the disease:

• lameness;
• redness of the skin in the hoof area;
• hair loss in the lower limbs;
• a white exudate with a putrid odor is released from the interhoof cleft;
• hoof deformation;
• shoe delamination.

Attention! This disease can lead to serious complications if the infection affects tendons and ligaments. Through the bloodstream, harmful microorganisms can spread to the udder and other organs.

Hoof cleaning, formaldehyde baths, and antibiotics are used to treat hoof rot. wide range.

Non-communicable diseases and their symptoms

This group of diseases does not pose a danger to the entire population. However, non-communicable diseases can cause damage to the economy, since many pathological conditions, if left untreated, lead to the death of the animal.

Poisoning

If a sheep eats a poisonous plant or spoiled food - rotten root vegetables or rotten hay contaminated with fungi, it can become poisoned. In case of poisoning, various symptoms are observed:

• diarrhea;
• vomit;
• apathy;
• weakness;
• strong thirst;
• sometimes there are nervous manifestations (in case of poisoning with poisons).

Having discovered symptoms of poisoning in an animal, it is advisable to perform gastric lavage. In some cases, antidotes are used, as well as mucous decoctions to prevent the absorption of poisons into the blood. At the same time, sorbents are used for treatment to remove toxins from the body.

White muscle disease

This disease occurs in young animals; the disease is characterized by damage to the heart, skeleton and nervous system of animals. The cause of the disease is a lack of certain substances in the body - protein, vitamin E and the microelement selenium. Mostly lambs are affected, and in animals under two months of age the disease occurs in an acute form, and in sheep older than 3 months it occurs in a subacute or chronic form.

Symptoms of white muscle disease:

• thickening of joints;
• lameness;
• cardiac dysfunction;
• convulsions;
• respiratory dysfunction.

Treatment of white muscle disease in lambs is carried out using injections of sodium selenite and vitamin E. It is recommended to improve the diet of animals and include more concentrated feed.

Bezoar disease

Bezoars are matted hairballs in the stomach. If the animals’ diet is poor, they lack minerals, then the sheep begin to look for ways to replenish them. They develop a perverted appetite. Animals eat wool. Lambs eat it from their mothers. Hairballs that enter the stomach fall off, forming bezoars that prevent normal digestion and cause stoppage of the stomach and the development of enteritis and other problems.

Symptoms of bezoar disease:

• eating wool;
• oppression;
• loss of appetite;
• constipation or a series of diarrhea with constipation;
• rapid breathing;
• pallor of the mucous membranes (a sign of lack of oxygen during tympany).

Treatment of bezoar disease is ineffective. IN extreme cases resort to surgical intervention for removing hairballs from rennet.

Attention! The animal may die from asphyxia (lack of oxygen) due to increasing pressure on the diaphragm of gases formed in the stomach.

Rumen flatulence

The accumulation of gases in the stomach is called flatulence. This pathology occurs in sheep in at different ages, and bloating occurs due to violation of the rules of feeding animals. You can't feed sheep food causing fermentation, moldy hay and rotten root crops. Flatulence also develops with bezoar disease.

Symptoms:

• anxiety and depression;
• increased belly volume;
• constipation.

Provide emergency assistance possible using a probe. It is administered through the mouth into the stomach cavity, which ensures the release of accumulated gases. Next the sheep are given a drink vegetable oil to make the stomach work, and also give probiotics at every feeding.

If alarming symptoms are detected in sheep, you cannot hesitate. The sick animal is isolated from the rest as soon as possible, a veterinarian is invited to carry out diagnostics and treatment is started. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to help a sick sheep when it comes to dangerous infections. It is important to prevent their spread on the farm. To do this, it is necessary to strictly follow the livestock vaccination schedule.

Igor Nikolaev

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Despite the fact that sheep are one of the most unpretentious and resilient domestic animals, their diseases significantly reduce not only their productivity, but also their ability to reproduce and the quality of the resulting products, which ultimately leads to serious economic losses.

All these diseases can be divided into two large groups- contagious and non-contagious.

Pneumonia

One of the most common non-contagious diseases of these animals is pneumonia.

In most cases, lambs get it. The main factors provoking pneumonia in young sheep are drafts and dampness.

In addition, certain types of gases (for example, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia) that accumulate in enclosed spaces with large crowds of animals can cause the appearance of this disease. Main external symptoms This disease includes cough, loss of appetite, frequent and difficult breathing. Sometimes a purulent runny nose appears and body temperature rises (up to 41 degrees Celsius).

Pneumonia is treated mainly with antibiotics: neomycin, streptomycin, benzylpenicillin, Biovit-80 and others, as well as sulfonamide drugs. Treatment has the greatest effect in the early stages of the disease.

Gastrointestinal diseases

Diseases of the digestive system of sheep are also non-contagious. One of these common diseases is rumen flatulence. This disease is caused by low quality feed.

The essence of this disease is that one of the chambers of the sheep’s stomach (in other words, the rumen) stops working.

Symptoms: loss of appetite, bloating, anxious behavior.

Removing excess gases to restore normal operation The scar is carried out using a special tube, which is inserted into the stomach through the animal’s mouth. If this method does not work, the gases are removed by piercing the stomach chamber.

Other common diseases of this type are various kinds poisoning caused by poisonous types of grass eaten by animals on pastures. External signs of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite and stoppage of the stomach.

In most cases, it is treated by rinsing: a solution is poured into the throat of a sick animal. Glauber's salt(in proportions of 50-100 grams of salt per 500 milliliters of heated water) and vegetable oil in an amount of up to 100 grams.

White muscle disease

Lambs are susceptible to this disease. The essence of this disease is muscular dystrophy and skeletal dystrophy. White muscle disease is caused by a lack of vitamin E in the baby’s body, as well as selenium, cobalt, phosphorus, copper and manganese.

Unfortunately, this disease has no cure, but there are effective measures to prevent it. In order to prevent white muscle disease in lambs, special additives rich in minerals and vitamins. There are similar special supplements for newborn babies that include vitamin E and essential minerals.

Bezoar disease

If the sheep's diet is not chosen correctly, they may eat their own wool.

The result of such “nutrition” is the appearance in the gastrointestinal tract of a lump of wool or undigested fibers of eaten plants.

Lambs whose uteruses produce little milk are especially prone to getting sick. Symptoms: loss of appetite, animals groan and behave restlessly. There is no effective treatment for this disease.

Foot rot (paronychia)

It’s a stretch to classify this disease as non-contagious, since animals themselves are carriers of pathogenic bacteria. However, direct contact between a healthy and sick individual is not required for disease transmission. Bacteria are transmitted indirectly through soil, litter or other contaminated surfaces.

The essence of hoof rot is inflammation of the hoof pulp of a bacterial-purulent nature. Externally the disease manifests itself hypersensitivity hooves, difficulty moving the animal and lameness.

To prevent foot rot, sheep's hooves are regularly disinfected and trimmed. This disease, albeit indirectly, can affect up to half of the entire herd, so it falls somewhere between the contagious and non-contagious group of sheep diseases.

Contagious diseases of sheep

The danger of infectious diseases can hardly be overestimated, since they can affect the entire livestock. These diseases are characterized by rapid spread and difficult treatment.

Listeriosis

One of the most dangerous infectious diseases. The causative agents of hysteriosis are resistant to external environment pathogenic microorganisms. There are several forms of this disease. In cases of listeriosis occurring in nervous form The mortality rate among affected animals is close to 100 percent.

The main signs of nervous listeriosis are lethargy of the sick animal, refusal to eat, frustration motor functions, accompanied by falls, convulsions and even paralysis. There is no cure for this disease.

Bradzot

Acute infection. It is characterized by general poisoning of the animal's body.

The essence of the disease is inflammation of the hemorrhagic nature of the mucous membranes duodenum and rennet. The mortality rate from bradzot reaches 100 percent.

Bacteria, the causative agents of this disease, are found in the ground, and damp soil is well suited for their reproduction. One sick animal can spread the disease throughout the herd within a short period of time.

There is no effective treatment either. For prevention, vaccination is practiced.

Hyperplasia

Another name for the disease is pulmonary adenomatosis. An infectious disease of a viral type.

Amazes Airways. Its symptoms include: dry cough, difficulty breathing, foamy nasal discharge.

Animals rapidly lose weight until they reach critical point. In some cases, the disease may not manifest itself externally (a rare atypical course). All cases of hyperplasia must be recorded. To prevent further dissemination of this disease, sick animals are eliminated from the herd.

Infectious mastitis

As a rule, it occurs as a result of poor living conditions for animals. External signs - inflamed udder, purulent discharge from it, increased body temperature. When the first symptoms of mastitis appear, treatment should be started immediately, the essence of which is the use of antibiotics.

Abscesses that appear are removed surgically.

Prevention of this disease is hygiene care for the udder of sheep and the creation of proper living conditions for them.

The causative agents are mycoplasma bacteria. Appears as an addition to mastitis.

It is characterized by the appearance of arthritis, conjunctivitis and leads to abortion.

For animals that have not developed immunity to this disease, it is possible fatalities. First external signs most often appear during lambing.

In cases of acute disease, the temperature of the mammary glands increases, as well as painful sensations in the udder and redness. The color and texture of the milk changes.

The sheep begin to lose their appetite and their body temperature rises.

Treatment - antibiotic drugs. Prevention is the same as for infectious mastitis.

The Romanov breed is distinguished by good health

Non-communicable diseases

One of the most dangerous and common diseases in sheep is pneumonia. The disease most often affects newborn lambs, regardless of their breed. The causes of pneumonia may be the following: dampness, constant drafts, hypothermia, the release of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gases (occurs when there are too many sheep in a closed room).

Symptoms include a severe cough, frequent and heavy breathing, complete or partial refusal of food. Extremely severe cases There is an increase in the sheep's body temperature of 40 degrees and above, and a severe purulent runny nose.

Treatment will be most effective at an early stage of the disease. If adult sheep or lambs show signs of pneumonia, you should immediately contact your veterinarian for full examination. The veterinarian will prescribe necessary antibiotics. Most often, for pneumonia in sheep, a specialist prescribes a drug from the following list: biovit-80, bicillin-3, benzylpenicillin, neomycin, oxytetracycline, streptomycin, norsulfazole, sulfadimezin.

Lambs often suffer from pneumonia

Rumen flatulence

Non-communicable diseases also include problems with digestive system. Among these diseases, one of the most common is rumen flatulence. All farm animals are susceptible to the disease, regardless of their breed and health. The main symptoms of rumen flatulence:

• anxiety;
• lack of appetite;
• severe bloating.

Disease occurs in sheep and lambs due to bad food. As a result, one of the animals' stomach scars stops working. To cure sheep, it is necessary to insert a specially designed tube into their mouth, which will help renew the rumen and remove gases. If this does not help, then the only option left is to puncture the scar.

Poisoning and paronychia

Poisoning is another common disease that can affect owners of any breed of sheep. Most often the cause is poisonous plants, which the animal could eat in the pasture. Symptoms of the disease are standard for any poisoning:

• diarrhea;
• vomit;
• refusal of food;
• increase in body temperature.

In order to cure paronychia, it is necessary to trim the hooves slightly.

This disease is especially dangerous for lambs, since children fragile organisms may not cope with severe poisoning. Usually the most effective treatment in this case is gastric lavage with vegetable oil (100 g) and saline solution (50 g of salt per 0.5 liter of warm water).

Paronychia, or as it is also called, hoof rot - unpleasant illness, in which the hoof pulps become severely inflamed. The main symptoms of the disease are lameness and difficulty moving. In order to cure paronychia, it is necessary to slightly trim the hooves.

White muscle disease of lambs

One of the most terrible diseases for newborn lambs, as it cannot be cured. The mortality rate reaches 60%. Dystrophic processes arise due to ordinary vitamin deficiency. Signs of disease in lambs are as follows:

• lameness;
• swelling;
• convulsions;
• weakness;
• rapid breathing.

The only thing that can be done is to prevent the disease. To do this, adult sheep need to add vitamin E and various useful minerals(especially selenium). Pregnant sheep should be fed with special care with minerals.

Bezoar disease

Farmers are facing bezoar disease due to poor quality feed

Due to poor quality feed and unbalanced diets, some farmers are faced with bezoar disease, which results in sheep eating their own wool. Because of this, hairballs accumulate in their stomach, which practically cease to be digested. The disease is especially typical for lambs. Symptoms of the disease are usually the following: anxiety, moaning, complete absence appetite. Unfortunately, as practice shows, treating livestock for bezoar disease is almost always ineffective.

Infectious diseases

Listeriosis

Listeriosis is a very serious disease that can quickly affect an entire herd. Occurs due to damage to the body by bacterial microorganisms. There are several forms of the disease. Nervous listeriosis condemns animals to death in 100 percent of cases, since its treatment has not been found. If possible, it is better to immediately start breeding sheep with strong immunity, since they are less susceptible to diseases than others. Symptoms of nervous listeriosis are as follows:

• apathy:
• lack of appetite;
• paralysis;
• convulsions;
• constant falls;
• other disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Listeriosis occurs due to damage to the body by bacterial microorganisms

Smallpox

Smallpox is a fairly common disease; in sheep and lambs it causes very severe consequences and many weak breeds die. Signs that an animal has smallpox are as follows:

• high body temperature;
• partial hair loss;
• increased salivation;
• conjunctivitis in the eyes;
• nasal discharge;
• fever;
• exhaustion;
• refusal to eat;
• swelling of the eyelids;
• smallpox rashes.

If a sick animal is discovered, it is immediately isolated. This is done in order not to infect the entire herd. A veterinarian may recommend treatment with antibiotics; if there is no progress, then it is better to kill the infected sheep or rams and burn their corpses. The best prevention for smallpox is timely vaccination.

Bradzot

Bradzot - acute incurable poisoning

This acute poisoning, to which adult and children's sheep are susceptible. The disease develops due to an anaerobic bacillus, as a result of which inflammation of the abomasum begins. Symptoms are expressed in the following signs: flatulence, convulsions, movement disorders, grinding of teeth. There is no treatment; in 100% of cases the sheep die. The only solution is their vaccination at an early age.

Hyperplasia

This is pulmonary adenomatosis. An infectious disease of sheep in which epithelial cells grow in the respiratory tract. Symptoms may include: coughing, difficulty breathing, nasal discharge.

IN in rare cases the course of the disease is asymptomatic. It is almost impossible to cure sheep or rams with this disease. All you need to do is isolate the sick animal from the entire herd. Each case of hyperplasia is subject to mandatory official registration.

Infectious mastitis

This acute inflammation udder In severe cases, pus may flow from the udder and body temperature rises. The disease develops due to poor living conditions for sheep. Treatment is with antibiotics; in case of repeated inflammation, the udder is cut out. The best prevention is proper care taking care of the animal, observing hygiene rules.

Infectious mastitis is an acute inflammation of the udder

Agalaktiya

Often develops together with infectious mastitis. The disease can be cured with antibiotics, although weak immunity the death of the animal is possible. Most often, the first signs of agalactia occur in a female during or after childbirth:

• conjunctivitis;
• fetal loss;
• arthritis;
• increased body temperature and especially udder temperature;
• redness and soreness of the udder;
• change in milk color;
• loss of appetite.

Enterotoxemia

A serious disease that affects the nervous system due to various microbes. It is seasonal, so most often sheep suffer from enterotoxemia in the spring. The disease has several stages: chronic, subacute, acute and hyperacute. Treatment is only effective at the subacute stage, at which point the doctor prescribes antibiotics for the sheep. Manifestations of enterotoxemia are as follows: excessive salivation, mucus from the nose, shortness of breath, problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Enterotoxemia is an infectious disease that affects the nervous system

This is a fairly common disease that is transmitted by ticks. The disease initially manifests itself due to elevated temperature body, weakness and fever. Symptoms disappear after a few days, and after the virus invades the brain, the temperature rises again. The nervous system may also be affected.

If death does not occur within the first few days, then spontaneous recovery is possible. Tick-borne encephalitis can affect both adult and child sheep of any breed. For newborn lambs, the course of the disease is especially unfavorable.

The tick is the carrier of tick-borne encephalitis

Melophagosis

Infection occurs by wingless flies, which multiply very quickly and can lay eggs in the fur. That is why it is dangerous to infect the entire herd. Children and adult sheep can be affected, regardless of breed. Manifestations of the disease: tearing of one's own fur, severe exhaustion, decreased milk supply, diarrhea.

Helminthiasis

• hair loss;
• lack of appetite;
• anemia;
• exhaustion;
• diarrhea;
• hemorrhage in the intestines.

For treatment, the veterinarian conducts a thorough diagnosis and prescribes necessary medications. Most the best prevention is the addition of anthelmintic drugs to food at certain intervals.

Fascioliasis

• hair loss;
• diarrhea or constipation;
• increased body temperature;
• weakness;
• lack of appetite;
• exhaustion;
• anemia;
• swelling of the eyelids;
• swelling of the abdomen.

In order to cure an animal, it is necessary to use anthelmintics, which will be prescribed by a veterinarian. You also need to carry out deworming 2 times a year.

Coenurosis (twirling)

A serious disease of sheep, in which the animal's brain is affected by cestode larvae. Animals can become infected from water, food or sick dogs. In almost all cases death occurs. Symptoms of whirling are as follows: excessive fearfulness or aggression, convulsions, hyperemia (plethora) of the mucous membrane, poor coordination of movements, lack of reflexes, lethargy, throwing back the head.

Coenurosis (twirling) affects the brain of animals

Echinococcosis

A very common disease among sheep, regardless of breed. The internal organs of animals become infected with cestode larvae (echinococcus). Initially, the disease does not manifest itself in any way and only after certain time can be observed following signs: diarrhea, lack of appetite, weight loss, exhaustion.

Unfortunately, at the moment, no rehabilitation methods have been identified. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to limit the contact of sheep with dogs that carry the disease.

Piroplasmosis

• yellowing of mucous membranes;
• diarrhea;
• lack of appetite (including refusal of water);
• urine with a red tint;
• rapid breathing;
• elevated temperature up to 42 degrees;
• fatigue.

As you can see for yourself, sheep are very susceptible to various diseases, regardless of breed. Many of the diseases are fatal. It is necessary to carefully care for animals, monitor their food and hygiene.

When raising sheep, farmers often face various problems. They begin with the fact that a sheep may abandon a newborn lamb and the baby must be fed and brought to the point where it can independently feed on adult food. Diseases that affect young offspring continue. At the same time, diseases of lambs may not be as terrible as it might seem. But in the case when you don’t know what you’re dealing with and what ailment has struck the young lambs, there is considerable cause for concern.

In the first months of life, lambs are prone to developing various diseases. This is especially true for individuals located on artificial feeding and those who did not receive the required portion of starting immunity from the ewe. Farmers who encounter the manifestations of diseases for the first time do not always understand how to react and seek help from veterinary clinic. This is the right decision, but often it is not necessary, because to get rid of unwanted symptoms it is enough to simply change the conditions in which the lamb is kept.

Non-communicable diseases

The most common disease most often seen in lambs is pneumonia. As in humans, this disease occurs when the lamb is in a damp room with continuous drafts. In addition, the cause of the disease can be stale air containing ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gases, which accumulate in a tight space filled with a large number of sheep. Pneumonia manifests itself as a cough, difficulty breathing with an increased frequency of breaths, lack of appetite and high temperature bodies. If you suspect that your lamb has pneumonia, you should contact your veterinarian and have the animal examined. The disease is usually treated with a course of antibiotics.

In the first days of life, lambs often suffer from colored diarrhea. The symptoms of this disease are obvious, but in addition, the cub becomes less active and anxiety increases. To avoid similar phenomenon Timely prevention is important in the form of taking antibiotics, a few hours after birth. If trouble does occur, the treatment is the same: antibiotics. They will help quickly relieve the baby from the disorder and return him wellness. There is no need to contact a veterinarian.

Another disease that affects small sheep and lambs of the Romanov breed is rickets. This is a disease characterized by a lack of vitamins, especially vitamin D, which can cause deformation of the animal’s bones. To prevent the occurrence, you should monitor the nutritional balance of newborn lambs and include substances containing vitamins and calcium in the diet. If symptoms of rickets occur, it is necessary to strengthen vitamin composition food consumed. If this is not done in time the lamb may die.

Another disease that is caused malnutrition young individuals – white muscle disease. It is characterized by weakness, lameness, changes in nervous system, weakening skeletal muscles. Lambs under four months of age are especially susceptible to this disease. This disease affects not only musculoskeletal system, but also the heart of a young lamb. He develops arrhythmia, his blood pressure drops, and convulsions appear, which is why he may experience a stilted gait (if this symptom occurs, it is necessary to exclude the occurrence of tetanus). Unfortunately, it is often impossible to cure this disease, so it is important to prevent it from the moment lambs are born. For this purpose, selenium injections are given to pregnant ewes. Lambs are also given vitamin complexes in the diet, vitamin E is given separately and selenium injections are given if symptoms are suspected.

Bezoar disease in lambs is also a consequence of unbalanced nutrition. It affects not only lambs of the Romanov breed, but also calves. The bottom line is that in the absence of full, balanced feeding, lambs begin to suck on contaminated shreds of wool from the ewe, and subsequently from each other, tearing out and swallowing shreds of wool. It, in turn, accumulates and clumps in the stomach. Lambs can also begin to eat soil in the pasture, which also transforms into bezoars in the stomach. They irritate the mucous membrane of the abomasum and cause its inflammation, and subsequently lead to gastrointestinal obstruction. Small bezoars can be passed in the stool; larger ones can usually be removed surgically. Only a veterinarian can diagnose the disease. Sick lambs are isolated from the uterus and their diet is optimized. Laxatives are also prescribed to remove small bezoars. Also good effect provides the introduction of branch feed.

Another ailment that lamb often suffers from is foot rot. This is an inflammation of the hoof pulp, a common manifestation of which is a number of signs: lameness, difficulty moving, damage to the limbs. The disease can be prevented by trimming the hooves of small lambs.

Infectious diseases

Such diseases pose a great danger. The occurrence of such a disease in a flock can harm the entire herd, so the sick animal must be isolated from the rest.

Advice! It is important to urgently provide assistance to an animal infected with an infectious disease, since some diseases in an advanced state can be transmitted to humans. It is important to remember that their symptoms do not always appear immediately, but have an incubation period.

One of the most common diseases is listeriosis. It is spread by individuals who are sick or have had the disease. Enters the body through damaged skin, mucous membranes of the eyes, sometimes even in utero. Lambs are more often susceptible to the causative agent of this disease; other livestock are less susceptible. Prevention of the disease is vaccination of livestock. Treatment is effective only until the appearance of clinical symptoms. On initial stages there is loss of appetite, lacrimation, and depression. After a week, symptoms of central nervous system damage begin to subside. In most cases, the disease ends in the death of the animal.

Bradzot is an infectious disease caused by general poisoning body. The manifestation of the disease is inflammation of the abomasum and duodenum. Bacteria are found in the soil and actively multiply there. Vaccination is used to prevent the disease.

The most terrible disease transmitted by ticks is tick-borne encephalitis. A small proportion of animals that have suffered from this disease continue to develop fully. Symptoms are caused by fever and fever. Symptoms disappear after a while, but then return. The disease has high rate mortality.

Melophagosis is a skin disease caused by a fly that lays eggs under the skin of an animal. The disease quickly affects surrounding animals. Symptoms: itching, hair tearing, weight loss, intestinal disorders.

Most often, the occurrence of such diseases occurs due to poor hygiene and poor living conditions. The right approach in this matter will help to avoid diseases that are difficult to treat.

Content:

Sheep, especially young animals, are susceptible to diseases of various origins and etiology. Pathogenic microorganisms, viruses, bacteria, fungi are ubiquitous in nature. Infection of agricultural animals occurs through contact, nutritional, fecal-oral, and aerogenic routes. Some infections are transmitted transplacentally (in utero). Infected newborn lambs are born weakened and nonviable.

Predisposing factors that contribute to mass infection of farm animals include:

• congenital, chronic pathologies;
• weakening of resistance and immunity;
• non-compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards and rules;
• poor quality, unbalanced, poor diet;
• crowded keeping of animals.

The risk group includes lambs with an immature, incompletely formed system, weakened, emaciated individuals, animals that are kept in unfavorable conditions.

Infectious diseases

Infectious diseases represent real threat for the health and life of sheep and can cause mass death of the entire livestock. Most diseases are viral bacterial etiology characterized by lightning-fast development and rapid spread. Some infections are incurable and in 100% of cases result in the death of animals.

Contagious diseases of sheep:

• bradzot;
• infectious agalactia, mastitis;
• smallpox;
• listeriosis;
• hyperplasia (pulmonary adenomatosis);
• enterotoxemia.

The dynamics of the development of pathological processes, symptoms, and the intensity of clinical manifestations of infections depend on age, immunity, virulence, virus serotype, quantity, localization pathogenic flora in the body of animals.

Bradzot

Bradzot is an acute, highly contagious infectious disease of sheep. Everyone is susceptible to infection age groups and breeds of sheep. The infection spreads at lightning speed. The causative agent is an anaerobic bacillus, which long time retains its virulence in damp soil.

The disease is characterized by severe poisoning and intoxication of the body. Manifested by hemorrhagic lesions of the gastrointestinal mucosa, flatulence, disturbances of digestive processes, paresis, muscle cramps.

Bradzot - deadly dangerous disease. The mortality rate is 100% because no treatment has been developed. The disease causes great economic damage to farms. The only way prevent infection of sheep - preventive vaccination.

Smallpox

Smallpox - contagious disease agricultural animals, which is caused by a DNA virus. The source of infection is sick, recovered sheep. This disease is very poorly tolerated by young animals.

Symptoms of smallpox:

• lethargy, apathy, depression;
• hair loss;
• increase in general temperature;
• refusal of food;
• blisters, skin rashes;
• conjunctivitis, swelling of the eyelids;
• profuse discharge from the nose and eyes;
• fast weight loss.

Treatment of smallpox involves antibacterial therapy. Animals are prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics, immunomodulators, symptomatic medicines.

Pulmonary adenomatosis

Pulmonary hyperplasia or adenomatosis is an infectious disease characterized by the development catarrhal pneumonia. The danger of the disease lies in prolonged incubation period. The disease has a long asymptomatic.

With pulmonary adenomatosis, the temperature of sick sheep increases. Shortness of breath, cough, and difficulty breathing are noted. Mucous exudate is released from the eyes and nose. If pulmonary adenomatosis is not diagnosed in time, the disease will cause the death of affected individuals.

Listeriosis

The infection is transmitted by contact, nutritional, and fecal-oral routes. Listeriosis is an incurable disease that can cause mass death of animals. Unfortunately, effective therapeutic therapy not developed. The infection is manifested by convulsions, muscle spasms, exhaustion, intoxication, lethargy, apathy, and loss of appetite. The lambs cannot stand on their legs, stagger, and constantly fall on their legs.

Only preventive vaccination and quarantine measures will help prevent infection of lambs and adult sheep.

The disease is characterized by the development of an acute inflammatory process that affects the udder of sheep. Caused by Staphylococcus aureus, micrococcus, and other types of pathogenic flora.

In sick sheep, the general temperature rises, the pulse quickens, the appetite decreases, and there is no chewing. The udder feels hot and swollen to the touch. The milk takes on a watery consistency. Fibrin flakes and bloody clots are noticeable.

If treatment is not started in time, inflammatory process spreads to nearby tissues. Gangrene may develop. Treatment is carried out with antibiotics.

Infectious agalactia

The disease is provoked by mycoplasmas that affect joints, mammary glands, and eyes. Most often, viral agalactia is diagnosed in ewes after pregnancy, during lactation.

The disease is accompanied by general weakness, lethargy, depression, an allergic rash on the body, and an increase in general temperature. If the mammary gland is affected, purulent exudate is released from the milk bags. The udder is inflamed. Regional lymph nodes painful, enlarged. The milk contains impurities of pus, bloody clots, inclusions, and threads. Against the background of agalactia, purulent mastitis may develop.

If treatment is not prescribed, the disease can cause the death of animals. In therapeutic therapy, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, decongestant, restorative drugs. Treatment is carried out comprehensively. Antibiotics (tetracycline) are administered intramuscularly to sheep, and local treatment ointments, liniments, talkers are used.

Non-communicable diseases and their symptoms

Non-communicable diseases are no less dangerous to the life and health of sheep. Usually, non-communicable diseases accompanied by systemic functional disorders in the work of various internal organs and systems.

Important! In most cases, due to pathologies of non-contagious etiology, animals experience malfunctions in the digestive, endocrine, immune, nervous, respiratory, and excretory systems.

The most common disease that affects young lambs is pneumonia. Development is promoted by humidity and dampness in the premises where animals are kept. The disease is accompanied sharp increase fever, cough, shortness of breath, frequent shallow breathing, weight loss. The prognosis is favorable, but only if treatment is carried out in the early stages of development pathological process.

Sheep are also diagnosed with:

• poisoning of various etiologies;
• rumen flatulence;
• allergic reactions;
• paronychia (hoof rot);
• bezoar disease.

Non-communicable diseases are most often provoked by poor living conditions, poor-quality, unbalanced diet. Lack of minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids leads to the development of rickets. Lambs are lagging behind in growth and development. In adult sheep, productivity decreases.

Poisoning

Eating poisonous herbs and plants, feeding animals with rotten or moldy feed provokes digestive disorders, poisoning of varying severity, and metabolic disruptions. In case of poisoning, vomiting, diarrhea, refusal to feed, increased thirst, and flatulence are noted.

To normalize the condition of animals, symptomatic therapy is carried out. Sheep are prescribed adsorbents and administered i.v. saline solutions. At severe poisoning wash out the stomach saline solutions.

White muscle disease

White muscle disease is very often diagnosed in newborn lambs. Unfortunately, there is no cure, so farmers must devote every effort to preventing this insidious disease. The mortality rate is 60–70%.

Symptoms of white muscle disease in lambs:

• lameness;
• cramps, muscle spasms;
• respiratory dysfunction;
• nervous disorders;
• weakness, depressed state.

The disease develops due to a lack of vitamins and minerals, against the background of hypo-vitaminosis. Deficiency of B vitamins, vitamins E, A, magnesium, selenium, cobalt, copper, others essential minerals contributes to the development of this disease in young animals.

Bezoar disease

The non-contagious disease of sheep is caused by an unbalanced, poor diet. Due to the lack of macro- and microelements, lambs and adult animals eat their wool, which leads to the accumulation of lumps in the stomach that are practically not digested. Digestive processes are disrupted.

Sick sheep show anxiety, make uncharacteristic sounds, and quickly lose weight. Appetite is reduced or absent altogether. Problems with defecation, flatulence, and constipation are noted. In most cases, treatment of bezoar disease is ineffective.

Rumen flatulence

This disease affects the gastrointestinal tract of animals. Sheep suffer from flatulence, regardless of age and breed. Bloating, indigestion, loss of appetite, refusal of water, weakness, weight loss, anxiety are the main symptoms of this disease. One of the sheep's stomachs stops functioning.

The main reason for rumen flatulence is violation of feeding rules, feeding rotten, moldy, low-quality feed to lambs and sheep.

To normalize the condition of the sheep, a probe is inserted into the stomach to remove excess gases. Assign enzyme agents, probiotics. In severe cases, a puncture of the scar is performed.

Foot rot (paronychia)

Usually, this disease, which is accompanied by inflammation of the hoof pulp, most often affects lambs and young sheep. The sick lamb has difficulty moving, walks with difficulty, and staggers from side to side. Coordination of movement is impaired. Animals become weaker, constantly lie down, are reluctant to respond to external stimuli, and experience severe pain. The limbs are swollen, the hoof plates are separated.

To alleviate the condition of animals, it is necessary to trim their hooves. Appointed symptomatic treatment.

Symptoms:

• diarrhea;
• cyanosis of mucous membranes;
• disruption of the gastrointestinal tract;
• exhaustion, intoxication;
• weight loss;
• anemia;
• swelling of the eyelids, swelling of the abdomen;
• weakness.

Sheep are treated with complex anthelmintics. For prevention purposes, preventive deworming should be carried out two to three times a year.

Echinococcosis

The disease is caused by piroplasmas. The disease is transmitted by insects. Infection occurs through a bite. Outbreaks of piroplasmosis are most often recorded in the spring-summer period, in the fall.

Diarrhea, anemia, exhaustion, depression, jaundice, pale mucous membranes, fever, refusal to feed are the main signs of piroplasmosis in sheep. If treatment is not started in a timely manner, the invasive disease can cause death. Piroplasmosis is especially dangerous for lambs and weakened animals.

Coenurosis

Helminthiasis

Helminths violate the integrity of mucous membranes and tissues, provoke systemic and functional disorders in the body of varying severity, and disrupt digestion and metabolism. Strong helminthic infestation may lead to the death of animals due to rupture or blockage of the intestines.

Treatment of helminthiases in sheep and rams is carried out using comprehensive anthelmintic drugs. Deworming will help prevent infection.

Sheep farming is a profitable, profitable branch of livestock farming. But in order to grow strong healthy livestock sheep, prevent infection of animals dangerous infections, farmers must create optimal living conditions, think over a diet that should be balanced, nutritious, and fortified. Preventive vaccinations and deworming will help prevent infection with viruses, bacteria, and helminths. Having noticed the first signs of disease, immediately after the first symptoms, you need to treat the sheep. The optimal treatment will be determined by your veterinarian.