Author Topic: Blowfly Strike (Read 8216 times)

Sheepish · « **on:** September 20, 2008, 06:38:05 pm »

Help! My Ewe has got flystrike I have treated her but feel it could be too late, I am giving her water but she is just managing to breath

. I don't know what else I can do?

kanisha · « **Reply #1 on:** September 20, 2008, 08:35:23 pm »

call a vet

garden cottage · « **Reply #2 on:** September 21, 2008, 09:31:23 am »

if strike is in advanced state with breathing problems i fear it may be to late, clip affected area remove all the wool remove as many maggots as possible,gently apply proprietry fly strike treatment availiable from any agri merchant/countrywide to area and surrounding fleece. probably need antibiotics jab from vet to control secondary bacterial infection. if lumps of flesh are coming away in your hand get vet immeadiately. good luck neil

Francis Bacon · « **Reply #3 on:** September 21, 2008, 09:55:36 am »

Sheepish, Any news on your Ewe?

Sheepish · « **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2008, 08:52:10 pm »

Thanks for your advice, She is still alive, but in a bad way, I have been giving her water and food which she is taking but she hasn't stood up and I am a bit concerned about this.

kanisha · « **Reply #5 on:** September 22, 2008, 10:56:31 am »

I'm a troll fol de roll

Farmer Giles · « **Reply #6 on:** September 22, 2008, 11:40:21 am »

Sheepish, oh dear how is the ewe & have you had a vet out yet??

Where in the world are you, as there are some really good products available for the aftermath of flystrike depending on where you are.

We had two ewes affected here and not knowing what to do we panicked a little and as others have suggested cut away the affected fleece and applied a detergent, diluted with water, that is used to delouse chicken houses. It is a sort of pine oil product and it really worked well. Horrifically the maggots were falling out of the sheep as if it was a horror film, really sickening but and a big but it worked.

After the event we were told of a really good product called Aluspray which is available from chemists here in France, maybe available elsewhere??

Good luck and please let us know how things go.

Rosemary · « **Reply #7 on:** September 22, 2008, 06:28:24 pm »

We had one affected this year. Fortunately, we caught it quick; cut away the fleece and applied Crovect. It WAS like a horror movie with the maggots dropping off but she was better immediately - obviously relieved to be rid of her burden.

Francis Bacon · « **Reply #8 on:** September 22, 2008, 08:05:44 pm »

Quote

I'm a troll fol de roll

I'm pretty new to sheep, what does that mean?

?

ballingall · « **Reply #9 on:** September 22, 2008, 10:16:26 pm »

Blowfly strike has to be the worst thing possible. As others have said you can only cut away the fleece and wash out the maggots/infection as much as possible. If there's been a big internal infection then get a long acting course of antibiotics to heal along.

Its one of the things that annoys me about organic lamb, the farmers aren't allowed to use spot on etc to keep the flies away, therefore something stupid like 1 in 5 lambs gets blowfly strike as a result.

hexhammeasure · « **Reply #10 on:** September 24, 2008, 12:14:17 am »

We use the click pour on and crovect on some of our lambs to prevent fly-strike as well as licks that contain garlic as a repellent. I have heard That vinegar spray is good as a repellant and also sage tea or sage dust as organic alternatives for PREVENTION. but i've never been confident enough to trial it so i can't say it definately works