[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Can anyone advise me about my itchy ewe please? She is prone to sensitive scaly areas on her ears which seems to be relieved when I put sudocreme on them but she has been quite itchy generally since being sheared mid June. She has started spending a lot of time in the shelter out of the sun/heat, which seemed reasonable so I didn't worry about it, just kept an eye but she seems even more itchy (rubs herself along the walls) so I wonder if she might have lice? This is only my second year with sheep, so I haven't experienced lice in them before, I can't actually see any. They were Cliked 3 weeks ago and no sign of strike. I read an old post on the forum which mentioned a spot on treatment for lice for an itchy ram. Do I need a vet to prescribe this? Can I treat her this close to her Clik treatment? Is it worth doing this just to see if she improves as I am at a loss as to what to do with her? She seems OK in all other respects just agitated and not as out and about as much as the other 3, who are all fine.
Thankyou for your help

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Here is some info which may help?
http://www.farmanimalhealth.co.uk/sheep-lice

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Thankyou WBF. Am now unsure about lice as, on reading the information on the link, it seems to be the wrong time of year for lice and she isn't in poor condition either. Maybe it's something else. She is a Zwartble which, if she has lice, would explain why I can't see them if they are that colour!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I would consider getting vet in just in case it is an underlying condition, what about flystrike?

[SallyintNorth]

There are biting lice, sucking lice, mites, keds.  And other diseases too, more sinister, including scrapie and scab.

Best to get a skin scraping to the vet - or, if you can, the ewe to the vet to do their own scraping.  You need to know what the problem is in order to select the right treatment.

Another thought is 'yellows', though I've not heard of it in a black sheep before.  It's photo sensitivity, sometimes caused by the bog asphodel plant.  Scabby itchy ears are often a precursor.  No treatment other than what you and she are doing - cream on the affected areas, and stay in the shade.  Some think minerals and vitamins can help - B12 and cobalt. 

[Marches Farmer]

St John's Wort can also cause photosensitivity.  I'd consult a vet since something is clearly bothering her and she'll soon start to lose condition.

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Thankyou all for your replies, much appreciated. Will get vet to have a look at her.

[Jukes Mum]

Morning! How is Itchy doing?

[Foobar]

The scabby ears might be midges esp if she is black.  But rubbing her body implies something else maybe lice.  You could try a Spot-On if it's lice - like this: http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Coopers-Spot-On/productinfo/SPOTON/   (originally called Coopers, the Pfizer, now it's Zoetis Spot-On)  not cheap but lasts for ages.

[kanisha]

when you say shes itchy......how much more compared to the other sheep my boys shorn mid july are all having a good rub against fences etc.

Is your ewe white?

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Thankyou for asking after her. She has been looked at by the very experienced local shepherd who sheared her in June. He says it's definitely nothing that I need to call a vet out for and is sure it's due to midges. As well as her ears being scabby, she had an area on her belly (where the wool doesn't grow) which is exactly the same. As sudocreme helped her ears, we put loads of the same on her belly. It has definitely improved it enormously, scaly areas coming off, sore areas (where she kept scratching herself) now gone.  No sign of infection so no need for AB's. We are going to do the same again in a few days time. As I mentioned before, she had this last year on her ears in the summer. Kanisha, she is black (Zwartble) and my other 3 sheep (one of which is also black and her full sister) are fine. This one has stopped rubbing herself all over now that areas are soothed.
I have looked up Foobars suggested spot on treatment (Thankyou Foobar) and can't see if this does midges, so need to investigate that further but have found on Internet (I know, I know...but am at a complete loss as to how to protect my poor sheep) that Cypermethrin is effective in treating many biting insects, including midges. My next step is trying to identify a topical treatment that contains this that I can buy for one sheep. She is OK in herself but if she comes out of the shelter and gets bitten (I can see the reaction in her when it happens) she goes running back inside again. It's such a shame. If she was a horse, I would say she had sweet itch.

[Foobar]

Ok, I have the same problem with midges on my Black Welsh Mountains, and yes they will kick their bellies raw too.  And armpits. And rub their face raw.

Crovect will put the midges off for a while (make sure you put some up their neck), but you would have to keep reapplying it every 6 weeks say.  That's not something I want to do.  Stockholm tar works very well, but a) its sticky, messy and the smell lingers on you for days, and b) you will have to do that every week.

The option that I have gone for is to cull.  I have had this problem for a few years and have noticed that it is hereditary.  So anything that gets scabby ears or worse goes for the freezer.  Sorry.  it's like in people, some folks are more tasty to midges than others.  I think also, some black sheep can have a more allergic reaction to midges too.  And thus, its not fair on the sheep to propagate that trait.

For now I would treat with stockholm tar.

Also, for info, mine seem to get it worse in April/May and then again in August/Sept.

[Foobar]

Actually I have two ewes (nice ewes too ) in my shed ready to go in on Monday morning for this very reason.  If I remember I will post some photos, one is pretty bad having had it earlier in the year the hair hasn't grown back yet.

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Thanks Foobar. I don't breed from my ewes (pets/mowers) so won't be passing this on to any offspring but I did wonder if her succeptibilty to this might be hereditary.
On the basis that I wouldn't cull a horse if it had sweet itch, I don't want to cull Floss because she has this problem either. I completely understand why someone having sheep for other reasons would consider this as an appropriate option though. I apologise for being a bit soft but I'm very fond of her and these are my first sheep. I never hesitate to 'do the right thing' when necessary for any of my animals but want to exhaust all other ideas before being faced with such a drastic outcome. She is such a healthy and very happy sheep at all other times except for this issue. 

[Foobar]

yes, I understand totally .  Just be aware that it will probably happen every year, so be prepared.  If she's friendly then you could tar her up frequently without any problems.  It's cheap and cheerful and not harmful in any way, and as she's black no one will notice .