[twizzel]

Just found one of my tame lambs struck  gutted- they were due yesterday for crovect again. I guess this hot muggy damp weather hasn't helped.

So need to bring them in today, sods law they are in the furthest field away from the sheds. He's got a patch about a hand's width on his top shoulder just below the base of his neck. Do I need to clip fleece or just apply crovect straight to the affected areas? I could see 1 maggot but lots of eggs (without poking around too much). I guess then an antibiotic jab to prevent any infection and then obviously check the rest of them for any signs and treat with crovect again to prevent?

 

[Foobar]

Yes, clip the affected area (that will remove a lot of the eggs and reveal any more maggots) [dispose of clippings carefully too!].  I've always then just applied the Crovect, but maybe if there is a big wound rinse with antiseptic first and then dry it before applying the Crovect?  To be honest, maggots eat flesh so they will probably have cleaned the wound up for you anyway .


You don't need the antibiotic, unless the wound is very bad and been there for a while, i.e. it's infected.  Don't encourage antibiotic resistance!

[twizzel]

Ok thanks. I'm hoping I caught it early I.e there were lots of eggs but only 1 maggot that I could see.

Picked up some fly strike cream in the local country store to use afterwards on the skin too. Now just got to wait until there's someone to help me bring them in- always happens when everyone is out!

[Remy]

Yes definitely clip as sometimes you find struck areas under the fleece that aren't obvious just looking.  I lost a lamb yesterday to strike - did a headcount the day before, all were up and walking/grazing, no obvious problems. Then went to check again next day, this lamb could hardly walk, I brought it in and it was severely struck.  Clipped and treated it but the stress must have been too much and it died overnight ..     . It's the second lamb I've lost to strike over the years, it's horrible and can go from not much to too much to deal with literally in a day.

[Melmarsh]

Sorry to hear about your lamb but you must treat sooner rather than later. I would clip treat, give a long acting antibiotic and a pain killer, metacam or as advised by your vet. The maggots in this weather hatch very quickly and the smell  brings in more flies to lay eggs so before you know it you have a dead lamb. The antibiotic and painkiller are because the maggots produce toxins  and will make the lamb feel pretty grotty. Best of luck.

[twizzel]

Well we pulled them all in. On further inspection it just seems like the one isolated case although all have been retreated as they were due to have crovect this week.

The lamb that has the strike... well we caught him, and started to clip the bit that we could see was struck, then kept clipping... and clipping, and clipping. He's pretty much got a saddle shaped clip on his shoulders/ back now, very strange his back end was clean too. They had just started to penetrate the skin so we've isolated him, treated with crovect to which it brought out all of the maggots buried inside him, and I'll go back down after dinner to give a shot of Alamycin and some creep as he's looking a little sorry for himself now.

I'm kicking myself because I had the crovect ready to treat this week but we just never got round to it as OH is busy on harvest but it's sorted now. We ran out of crovect so need to pick up some more tomorrow to treat the last 3 lambs but at least he is sorted now. I've got some summer fly cream to put on him too especially for flystruck sheep which should help once all the maggots have come off.

[Backinwellies]

Crovect is not a great preventative ... so be very vigilant even after application.  Only effective where it touches does not spread prevention across fleece like Clik does,.

[twizzel]

It has been a good preventative for us for the past 3 seasons but I will keep a closer eye now on them. The main reason we use it is the withdrawal period which is a lot less than click.

[Hellybee]

We ve had both here.  Crovect 8 days clic 60 odd.   Crovect is a preventative and treatment, clic is just preventative. like them both.


Was in the royal welsh and went to mole valley stand, they have they're own version, anyone tried that?

[Badger Nadgers]

The active ingredient is the same in MoleEcto and Crovet:  1.25% w/v high-cis cypermethrin (Cypermethrin Cis 80:Trans 20)

From:  www.vmd.defra.gov.uk

MoleEcto http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/ProductInformationDatabase/SPC_Documents/SPC_470868.DOC
and appears involve Novartis http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/ProductInformationDatabase/UKPAR_Documents/UKPAR_488114.doc

Crovect http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/ProductInformationDatabase/SPC_Documents/SPC_172727.DOC and http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/ProductInformationDatabase/PAA_Documents/PAA_539957.doc which is of course a Novartis product (as is Clik).

Strangely enough, neither product seems to be on the Mole Valley site any more....

[Hellybee]

That's odd, they've gone they were on ther a few days ago...weird..

[twizzel]

Not any coincidence with there being a shortage of crovect at the moment? Appreciate it's a bad year for fly strike but I managed to get a small 0.8l bottle last week send down from a mole valley store further away from me, but this week tried to get some more and had to buy 2.2l as no countrystore around me had the small bottle or knew when it was coming back yet 

[Hellybee]

We picked some up at the local farmer s co op as we need to have it waiting.  They're called CCF, based in clunderwen. 

[babysham]

I have just had a lamb that I jabbed yesterday for scald brought back inside as it was stood looking about to die and nearly threw up when found all the maggots up the leg and all over the chest and shoulders. The skin is black. I rang the vet and he told me to clip the affected area fully and then used a weak solution of Jeys Fluid and apply it with a sponge to all the affected areas which will kill the maggots. Tomorrow I have to start treating the skin which will be infected with hibiscrub and jab again in a couple of days. He said there is a national shortage of the stuff you all mention but as I have only 14 he is going to supply Spot On instead. He said the lamb may well die of shock overnight. I am also going to apply Lime to wall sides and gates etc for the scald. The Vet said scald and blow fly are terrible this year. 

Cannot believe how quick they took hold.

[Melmarsh]

How awful for the lamb and you. If the weather is right, hot and humid it can take as little as 9hours for eggs to hatch and start nibbling way. Your vet would do as well to give you pain relief ie:-metacam for the lamb as well as antibiotic if your lamb makes it till you can get some.  I hope luck is on your side, strike is an aweful thing.