The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: AccidentalShepherdess on September 03, 2020, 10:21:47 am
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3 weeks ago I found a young tup in the field that was badly struck... It was so bad you could hear the maggots ????. Now how I missed this I have NO idea.... I check them every single day... None of his fleece was pulled away, hanging off or anything, the only way I knew something was that he had separated himself and when I went to check him I look under his fleece and he was crawling ????. I clipped him, washed him with dettol and thought if he was still alive by the morning there was a hope. He's done okay for the last 3 weeks, living in the garden, massive appetite, drinking getting about and having an enthusiasm about life. Anyway 4 days ago I noticed a massive lump on his leg so I squeezed it and it popped... Abscess obviously, I drained it and gave antibiotics. Ever since then he's gone straight down hill, he can't even walk or stand! I also noticed some of his healing skin had pus underneath and is infected ????I have washed and cleaned what I can. But is still hungry... Eating hay... Even though he's lying down, he has a great interest in everything that's going on around him but he cannot walk or even sit up...... I just don't know what to do with him??? Any advice is greatly appreciated. I feel as if maybe there is no hope and I should somehow help him to die? At the farm I used to work at we would have been instructed to shoot him with a bolt gun already but I don't have one. Completely at a loss.
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Sorry , even when you try your best s**t happens , he really needed AB when the skin was damaged . Is there a hunt kennel any where near or phone the national fallen stock company , failing that a vet will put him to sleep but you still need to dispose of the body
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Urgh! The sound of maggots munching, plus the smell they give off is stomach churning. First thing to do with a fly strike that breaks the skin is antibiotic cover. I worry that with all the emphasis on not using antibiotics unneccessarily then folk don't use them when they are essential. Your lad obviously has a strong constitution to have survived so long with a brewing infection.
What happens to him now? Basically, he is in pain and would have a long and hard recovery ahead of him if it was possible for him to recover. Without actually seeing him, it sounds from your thorough description that he will not recover. In such an instance we use a gun to the head asap (while the animal is penned and munching something tasty). If you don't have a gun and none of your neighbours has one they are willing to use, then the way to go is to call in the official deadstock disposal company. The driver is equiped with a captive bolt gun and will do the job quickly and efficiently, then remove the body for you.
We don't have any hate icons but I HATE MAGGOTS :rant: The whole episode is awful for you :hug:
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Is Dettol safe to use? I thought it was a no no for animals?
Not being critical just thinking that it would be best to treat further cases with something else.
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I think you really need to call a vet asap.
Dettol on broken skin is really not a good idea, if it ever happens again you can use maggot oil which will sooth and kill the maggots, then lots of sudocreme. to protect the damaged skin. Antibiotics would also be an good idea if badly struck
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Blowflies as they grow cut the skin with special hooks then secrete an enzyme to break down the flesh this can lead to a bacterial infection & septacemia
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Is Dettol safe to use? I thought it was a no no for animals?
Not being critical just thinking that it would be best to treat further cases with something else.
Dettol is highly toxic to cats, and not recommended to be used near other household pets, but as far as I know there is no specific issue with using it on sheep. I wouldn't use it on cattle as they lick themselves and each other.
I do think there are better options, which, once you've had flystrike once, you would keep on hand. I can understand anyone using it if it's what they have to hand in the emergency situation the first time it happens.
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I had a similar situation. Saw lamb separated but couldn’t catch it in the morning. Managed in the evening. Started trimming back and maggots everywhere over his back legs. It was our first dealing with it and took him to a friend who has sheep. He sprayed the area with iodine which killed the maggots, but in retrospect wasn’t a good idea as it ended up drying his skin out and it subsequently kept breaking away as it was on his legs which were obviously moving all the time. It took a lot of time and effort to get him right. He did have a dose of antibiotic but the scab area was often green and gammy which we treated with topical sprays (blue and SCP).
Someone else I know used blue spray on their struck sheep but I don’t know whether this is recommended not too excessively on broken skin?
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Check out MAGGOT OIL it deters flies and keeps the skin supple , and keeps for ages
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Before you use Battles maggot oil, please read this:
https://static.shearwell.com/Content/UK/Pdf/COSHH/Maggot_Oil_-_Battles.pdf (https://static.shearwell.com/Content/UK/Pdf/COSHH/Maggot_Oil_-_Battles.pdf)
Just to quote a bit: "Danger Hazards statements May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways. May cause an allergic skin reaction. Causes serious eye irritation. Precautionary statements Wear protective gloves/eye protection. IF SWALLOWED: Immediately call a POISON CENTRE/doctor Do NOT induce vomiting" usw
Also, it is applied after removing all maggots so not really for killing them.
The main active ingredient appears to be Chlorocresol which not only is pretty toxic to people, but is also a toxin to waterways and the environment.
'Maggot oil' sounds so benign doesn't it!
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Chlorocreasol is used in skin disinfection & wound treatment ,as a preservative in creams /cosmetics and preperations for external use . Some hand wash and as a preservative in some injectable's .