The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: mark@farmhouse on September 14, 2012, 11:06:53 pm
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Hi everyone I have heard scab is on the increase but never seen it what are the symptoms and can you vaccinate against it and if you get it how do you treat it the article I was reading never explained how to deal with it just said it was an airborne mite I think
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Symptoms - very itchy sheep, rubbing on fences etc, lumps of wool coming off leaving red scabby flesh. Plus your neighbours offering to dip your sheep for you. ;)
Dipping works but requires licensed operatives. Some injectables cover scab, eg Dectomax.
It's caused by a mite (Psoroptes ovis) and as far as I know is not airborne. But the thing persists on fences, gateposts and things, so you have to treat your entire flock at the same time, as do any fence-sharing neighbours.
(We haven't had it, so all of that is what I am told and have read, rather than firsthand experience.)
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You can't vaccinate against it and for a small flock the easiest treatment, if you are unfortunate to get it, is by injection, as Sally says.
It's not normally airborn, though would be possible if a wisp of infected wool got blown away. Transmission is therefore from another infected sheep, either by direct contact or from some wool caught on a fence. The mites can live for up to 14 days on a bit of wool.
One of the most common ways of it spreading is through markets, which is why, if in doubt it is best to isolate any new stock of unknown origin for at least 14 days.
My flock caught it some years ago. I lent out my ram and he came back with it. Unknown to me, the person I lent him to bought some more ewes from market and they were affected. He realised, injected them all, including my ram, then gave me the ram back without telling me. So, as he hadn't waited a fortnight, the ram was still carrying live mites. They spread very gradually and suddenly hit with a vengeance just as I started lambing. Everything was rubbing and itching like mad, including newborn lambs. It was awful and scab was the last thing I suspected, or I would have acted earlier. Anyway I injected with Dectamax and we got rid of it, but it knocked the ewes back so much that it took a long time to fatten the lambs that year.
So the characteristic signs are intense rubbing (not the odd scratch) till the wool comes off, leaving the skin all red, rough and raw. But if you keep a closed flock and they don't come into contact with any other sheep, or their wool, then you are unlikely to get it :fc:
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Thanks for info I take it is more of a nuiscence than life threatrning
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It will kill your sheep in less than week from when you see it. They can't stop rubbing. Very nasty to see and they all go down together but dectomax has them sorted in about a day. You can't miss it, there's wool everywhere. We got it with no new stock coming on to the land in the previous year.
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Is it notifiable? Certainly your neighbours would think very poorly of you if you let it go untreated, as it spreads across boundary fences very quickly.
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..but itchy sheep with lots of wool loss can also be biting lice (not so serious, different treatment 'spot on' or something like it..). With biting lice you only see pinprick wounds. My cograzer thought mine had scab - we dectomaxed them all... and it wasnt that at all. if you can, take a lice down to vet for ID they are small and buff coloured, look a bit like a spec of lanolin but move. A couple of mine have started itching and sheding again - so I'll be like a baboon with them again today.
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Is it notifiable? Certainly your neighbours would think very poorly of you if you let it go untreated, as it spreads across boundary fences very quickly.
It is notifiable in Scotland. It is not in England.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/notifiable/ (http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/notifiable/)
http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/documents/scops-flow.pdf (http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/documents/scops-flow.pdf)
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Didn't Vetrazin used to cover it? I miss Vetrazin, Clik only does flies.
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Didn't Vetrazin used to cover it? I miss Vetrazin, Clik only does flies.
NO insect growth regulator same as Clik / Clikzin . Only DIPPING or CYDECTIN 1% /2% ZERMEX 1% / 2% can prevent or control SCAB . DECTOMAX or one of the many IVERMECTIN injectables only control . I have had scab twice in large numbers of sheep and seen / heard of it in many flocks and never had /heard of any deaths :raining:
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My neighbour injected his ewes and lambs with cydectin to cover off something he referred to as lumpy wool disease, is this the same as Scab?
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No - different thing.
Lumpy wool is caused by bacteria, not mites. You still get some irritation and scabs, but NOTHING LIKE the intense itching you get with scab.
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Didn't Vetrazin used to cover it? I miss Vetrazin, Clik only does flies.
I thought Vetrazin had been discontinued - but yesterday saw it on the shelves at the local vets??? In between Clik and Crovect.
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The license expired for Vetrazin. I was hoping we might see a cheaprer generic version, but maybe not.
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Re Vetrazin. I think I might buy a bottle and check the dates. If the licence has expired, how can they still be selling it? sorry I've hijacked this thread :-[
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I'd understood 'the license' to mean the period of exclusivity - so that other manufacturers can now make a similar product. Or have I got that all wrong? ::)
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NOVARTIS VETRAZIN seems to be for sale on many on line pharmacies
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We've just been through this very thing- Weve now got it under control-
Closamectin injections- 2ml for lambs on day 1- also controls fluke. After 7 days inject again with 2ml Ivermectin. DO NOT use closamectin second time round- use Ivermectin only as there is no fluke guard in it. Its also an idea to treat with a pour on as you might find an infestation of maggots with flies being attracted t othe scabs and sores on the sheep- especially around the bum!!
Hope this helps.
Declan
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I'd understood 'the license' to mean the period of exclusivity - so that other manufacturers can now make a similar product. Or have I got that all wrong? ::)
Yes, thats what it means. Novartis probably still hold the copyright on the name, but were the license to expire you could, in essence make a product that was the same chemical and market it. 'BudgetZin' anyone?