Author Topic: Scouring Ewe (Read 1760 times)

Julia1521 · « **on:** August 23, 2020, 04:02:06 pm »

Hi everyone,

One of my ewes has had scours for a couple of days now. She's a pet sheep and is around 10. Its not awful, not really watery but pretty loose (I'd liken it to dog poo) and smelly.

Otherwise in herself she seems completely normal. Eating and drinking fine and behaving as usual. She on just grass at the moment and has minerals available.

I wasn't too worried initially because it was following a day of rain so thought it might be to do with eating lots of wet grass. But its been going on for about 4 days now and doesn't seem to be doing any better. And given the risk of fly strike at the moment its not ideal, although I did clean her up a few days ago and treat her and the rest of the flock with crovect so she's pretty clean.

I'm currently waiting on the results from a fecal sample I sent off to the vets last week so hopefully this will be able to tell me if it is worms or not. I dont know if they check for coccidia? I've never done one before so am not sure but would assume so?

In the mean time does anyone have any advice on what to do? I know many causes of scours can he contagious so should I seperate her from the rest of the flock? I have two stables in the field so could shut her in one and put up a double fence so the others can't get close to her?

And I don't know how long to leave it before calling the vet.

Any advice would be great!

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #1 on:** August 23, 2020, 05:04:07 pm »

My first reaction is what the heck are you feeding your dog?!?!!

I manage my dogs' feeding by inspection of their poops : if I couldn't easily and cleanly pick their presents up in my bare hands (but they have no difficulty squeezing them out), I am not feeding the dogs right!!

If the sheep's poop is just a bit sloppy as opposed to rabbit pellets, it is probably fine. In a given batch on decent grass, particularly when there has been quite a bit of rain, some will be making pellets, some will be more of a large soft single poop (maybe similar to a cake mixture? but not as sloppy as a batter...) Some will be in between (and closer to what my dogs produce! lol). Anything that lands like a cow pat (splat! and spreads out like liquid : like a coating batter) is too loose.

vfr400boy · « **Reply #2 on:** August 23, 2020, 07:33:30 pm »

Hmmm last time I lick the cake mixture

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #3 on:** August 23, 2020, 10:26:47 pm »

Quote from: vfr400boy on August 23, 2020, 07:33:30 pm

Hmmm last time I lick the cake mixture

Anke · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2020, 02:34:26 pm »

If she is otherwise fit and well (not skinny), eating well and the worm count comes back negaitive, I would get her to fill up on hay before she goes out on grass for the day, it may just be the wet grass making her loose. If she has been a pet ewe on a pretty good diet all her life, I wouldn't rule out Johne's without a blood test, but only if she is also skinny (but no loss of appetite).

But with her being older she could also be more affected by a relatively small amount of worms/eggs present.

Nelson International · « **Reply #5 on:** August 24, 2020, 10:52:27 pm »

Quote from: Julia1521 on August 23, 2020, 04:02:06 pm

I'm currently waiting on the results from a fecal sample I sent off to the vets last week so hopefully this will be able to tell me if it is worms or not. I dont know if they check for coccidia? I've never done one before so am not sure but would assume so?
!

Fwiw, I've just had a fec test done and the results did include coccidia counts. As it happens mine were a bit high and the guy said a) they can't tell if they are the bad kind or an ok kind without a full vet call out b) if it's the bad kind, they cause very dark minging scours but c) it's much less of a concern in older sheep, mostly just the lambs.