The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: kaz on July 09, 2012, 05:43:35 pm

Title: Ryeland with a swollen ear.
Post by: kaz on July 09, 2012, 05:43:35 pm

Just brought in one of ewes with a swollen ear. Not come across this before but it seems to have a lot of watery/reddy/poision looking liquid coming from one part of it. I crovect it as some very small maggots but not that many, coming from it, but any ideas as to why ear so large and possible outcome.
She has been treated with Click.

Title: Re: Ryeland with a swollen ear.
Post by: Fleecewife on July 09, 2012, 05:49:05 pm

Is the infection around the ear tag?  If so it is best to remove the tag until the infection clears, then replace.   Another possibility is inflammation caused by contact with a poisonous plant, or a thorn or other scratch.
 
You will need to clean the ear and get rid of the pus/exudate.  Batheing with salty water helps, then spraying with blue Terramycin (or similar) spray, and repeat until the problem has cleared.

Title: Re: Ryeland with a swollen ear.
Post by: kaz on July 09, 2012, 06:02:14 pm

Managed to get rid of a huge amount of the puss. It is not around the ear tag area, but at the base of the ear. I wonder if she had run something in it as we have had a huge amount of those very tiny flies that bite and she has probably been rubbing it on something she shouldn't have.
Have got her near to house with another ewe for company so I can keep an eye on it. Will give it another good bathe tomorrow morning as didn't want to wash the crovect away too soon.

Title: Re: Ryeland with a swollen ear.
Post by: VSS on July 09, 2012, 06:11:15 pm

Sheep's ears do funny things sometimes - we had a lamb last week whose ears swelled up enormously. They have gone down on their own and all is back to normal. No idea what caused it.

We also have a wether that will eventually go in the freezer that has no ears at all! They shrivelled up and dropped off as a result of some sort of photosensitivity.

Sorry Kaz, not really very helpful.

Title: Re: Ryeland with a swollen ear.
Post by: shep53 on July 09, 2012, 06:56:02 pm

Sounds like a cauliflower ear ( aural haematomata ) same as rugby players get fairly common in sheep, called iron lug sometimes as the ear goes very hard and you can't get a tag in . Treatment varies antibiotic plus - do nothing ear swelling goes down ,  - drain the ear with a syringe  until  swelling stops , - lance the ear and once drained then stitch