The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Pete2 on June 11, 2019, 04:30:40 pm

Title: Botfly
Post by: Pete2 on June 11, 2019, 04:30:40 pm
Hi
Has anyone out there any experience of dealing with and diagnosing Botflys? Three of my ewes have in the last few days started getting snotty noses and one now has blood in the snot, have been treating as pneumonia but seems the AB is not working and  one of them is spending a lot of time lying flat, neck at full extent with its mouth and nose pushed slightly downward into the grass. Never had Bots in them before but I`m leaning towards that rather pneumonia - breathing is not laboured either. Are Bots a common problem in sheep in the UK? and is there a surefire way of diagnosing them?
Thanks all
Title: Re: Botfly
Post by: shep53 on June 11, 2019, 07:19:53 pm
Fairly common in uk, the symptoms you describe are classic ( pneumonia is all about the breathing )  Ivermectin , Moxidectin  , Avermectin , Closantel ,wormers treat nasal bots
Title: Re: Botfly
Post by: Pete2 on June 11, 2019, 08:14:24 pm
Thanks - I will get some wormer that will cover it tomorrow and drench all of them and hopefully that will put them right. Reading up on Bots it looks like any damage is not too long term which is always the worry with Pneumonia. If it is Bots I`m wondering if it could have been the long hot summer drought we had last year that lead to a rise in the fly population, be interesting to see if anyone else has had it this year for the first time.
Title: Re: Botfly
Post by: moprabbit on June 17, 2019, 02:15:06 pm
Some of my ewes had  snotty noses with some blood in, earlier this year. The vet didn't think it would be nasal bots but the symptoms were just as my book described. I gave them all a jab of Closamectin and it seemed to do the trick. Wondered how you were getting on?
Title: Re: Botfly
Post by: kanisha on June 17, 2019, 09:03:09 pm
Have had this problem many years ago correct treatment to eradicate the critters at the right time of year avoids the problem which can be debilitati g. Frost will kill off pupae in the ground but they can also over winter in the nasal passages. I treated in autumn after a hard frost and again in early spring. Not had a problem in years.
Title: Re: Botfly
Post by: Pete2 on June 18, 2019, 04:50:06 pm
Hi
I bought some Oramec and drenched them last Friday and by Sunday they were looking about 75% better and Monday 100%. Checked them again this morning and no snotty noses and so I am hoping that they are cured.
 Thanks all.
P