[ZacB]

After some opinions from you sheepie folk.
Noticed some ear hair loss on one of the older girls recently & got around to looking at properly this morning. One ear has I’m guessing got infected as a lump has formed by the ear tag (what’s left of it). Injected with Betamox LA this morning and blue sprayed both ears. I’m guessing something has caused the hair loss plus irritation which has lead to an infection. I will be sending photos to our local vet for an opinion/advice but also thought to raise on here.
Any thoughts???

[SallyintNorth]

If it's just one ear on one sheep, it could have been an injury or sting started it off.  Or it could be an advance notice of a mineral deficiency - I think it's cobalt deficiency when it's scabby ears, but we pretty much always give cobalt and selenium if they need anything, and copper once a year (max) and only if we are sure they aren't sensitive to it.

If a group get scabby ears in summer and have access to boggy type ground, or to overgrown weedy meadows, it could be they've rubbed against a plant which causes photosensitivity (such as bog asphodel or hogweed.)

[shep53]

I would cut the remaining bits of tag as they look from the pictures to be infected and bleeding which will atract flies which will cause the sheep to scratch it ears with its back feet or rub against a fence post which will make them sore and atract more flies and so it goes . cut the pin with foot secturs and then treat the hole and hear with cream /pine tar /stockholm tar to keep the flies off and aid healing

[Backinwellies]

I have one the same and am assuming photosensitivity ....  kept in shed for a week it impoved.   treat with battles fly ointment (or yellow gunge as I call it!)

[ZacB]

I would cut the remaining bits of tag as they look from the pictures to be infected and bleeding which will atract flies which will cause the sheep to scratch it ears with its back feet or rub against a fence post which will make them sore and atract more flies and so it goes . cut the pin with foot secturs and then treat the hole and hear with cream /pine tar /stockholm tar to keep the flies off and aid healing

Cheers Shep, some sound advice, tags to come out.
Sally, both ears affected which is what caught my initial attention.
Injected with noromectin yesterday following advice from our local vet - going down the parasitic route. 2nd injection due in a weeks time - will update & let you good folk know the outcome.

[ZacB]

Update on the ears - a lot better & the hair is now returning. There was a abscess on one by the tag so tags removed which allowed to drain. We also used summer fly cream on the ears as flies were a bother to her.