[Anke]

The vet could test the scab for scab, or a skin scraping, but it would be best for him/her to take a sample to make sure it is right.

However if it is only one, and so far none of the others have shown any sign I would leave it and see. What about ringworm? That should also clear up if there is not secondary infection.

[dyedinthewool]

Thanks Anke,

I think I will keep a close eye on her and the others and wait and see if any thing developes.  She seems lively enough to-day, eating up with the others, haven't seen her rubbing her belly - but then it's been raining most of the day  

 

[waterhouse]

Trust me if it's scab the sheep don't look happy whatever the weather.  And the vet didn't need any tests either.

[dyedinthewool]

The worst has happened 
I noticed that my herdwick had some pulled wool on her back - I could see some on a bit of barbed wire - how I hate that stuff  part of the fencing we haven't done yet (OH putting trusses on the new extension in between storms) so rushed out to local farm store and bought some electric fencing stakes and fenced that area off.
I got them in to feed this evening and shut the door on them, thought I may as well check their feet (Black sheep had limped today) and give them a fluke wormer with all the wet weather we have had; (did the lambs a weeks ago) and checked Herdy's back - great tufts of wool came off in my hand and she has huge patches of 'scabs' the size of a dinner plate all since yesterday!!.

  The original 'itchy' Shaggy sheep hasn't lost any fleece and hasn't itched - not while I've been in their paddock bramble cutting this week - in between the storms.

 None of the others seem effected as yet!!

 So I'll be down to the vets first thing in the morning to get Dectomax. Meanwhile rightly or not I am keeping them in overnight. They will all get a jab just to be on the safe side.
 B****rs up my tupping plans - the ram I was borrowing was coming on Tuesday, I will have to let the guy know about Herdy.

Any idea how long I should wait before it would be alright for Ram to come?

Just had a thought I have seem a lot of Fox trade in the paddock recently, Foxes have mange could that be related, as they push through our hedges/fences etc (a neigbour rang me the other lunchtime saying a large Fox had just gone throught their yard and coming my way thinking my hens range the paddock.
Any thoughts on Foxes being the cause as I can't think of how it has got onto the holding.?

[waterhouse]

The reason why sheep used to be dipped and scab used to be a notifiable disease is that its easy to catch (and this is the time of year) and very damaging to the animal.

The advice we had was to keep them out of contact with others for 14 days.  Ours stopped scratching completely in a few days and have grown back their wool and put on condition. 

We've certainly got fox traffic across our fields but I don't know if its connected.  There's no other sheep for some miles.

[dyedinthewool]

Hi Waterhouse,

Called into the vets this morning, she says that if it was Scab then Herdy would be scratching herself silly - which she isn't.  They have a 'rubbing branch' in their paddock and she's not rubbing on that, nor is there any wool on the wire fence.  She has advised me to take a scraping and pluck some wool from her on monday and take into the lab in Carmarthen meanwhile she gave me some antibiotics 'Alamycin' until I get the results of the scab/wool etc.  So they all had a jab, due to the wet weather two of the girls had started to limp with scald so this injection will help to cure that.

Vet said check for lice just in case, I can't see any on her.

Will have to wait until monday before I know what's happening.

[waterhouse]

I agree. With scab we had wool all over the pasture and we were pulling it out of their teeth.  They itch BIG time.