Ewe with swollen head

J

JSmith

Member

Livestock Farmer

• Feb 28, 2021

• #1

Found a texel cross ewe this morning with a swollen head, no injuries, not been stuck as far as I can tell, swollen up as if sometimes they do when bitten by a dog! It’s bothering her, shaking her head about an looking sick with it!!! Treated with pen-strep, any ideas???

 

shumungus

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

Ballyclare Northern Ireland

• Feb 28, 2021

• #2

Is she in lamb or lambed?

 

hally

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

cumbria

• Feb 28, 2021

• #3

JSmith said:

Found a texel cross ewe this morning with a swollen head, no injuries, not been stuck as far as I can tell, swollen up as if sometimes they do when bitten by a dog! It’s bothering her, shaking her head about an looking sick with it!!! Treated with pen-strep, any ideas???

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Quite common in texels either big dose of hexasol or metacam/teramycin. Normally reduces in a day or two

 

J

JSmith

Member

Livestock Farmer

• Feb 28, 2021

• #4

shumungus said:

Is she in lamb or lambed?

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She’s lambed a fortnight probably

 

J

JSmith

Member

Livestock Farmer

• Feb 28, 2021

• #5

hally said:

Quite common in texels either big dose of hexasol or metacam/teramycin. Normally reduces in a day or two

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What causes that then? Don’t think I’ve seen it before, she’s probably 3/4 bred texel

 

shumungus

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

Ballyclare Northern Ireland

• Feb 28, 2021

• #6

As @hally said above you need an anti-inflammatory in her as well as an antibiotic. As she has lambed I would tend to use a steroid ie. colvasone or dexafort as they may be a bit stronger but doesn't really matter.

 

hally

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

cumbria

• Feb 28, 2021

• #7

No idea, we get a couple every year. Perhaps some kind of allergy

 

shumungus

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

Ballyclare Northern Ireland

• Feb 28, 2021

• #8

Had it here and put it down to allergic reaction to either a bite or something they ate.

 

Guleesh

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

Isle of Skye

• Feb 28, 2021

• #9

We've had the odd one with photosensitivity whose head swelled up, thought to be caused by eating kingcups. similar to how eating bog asphodel causes yellows in lambs.

 

J

JSmith

Member

Livestock Farmer

• Feb 28, 2021

• #10

pretty confident she’s not been bitten by anything, she might of eaten something but can’t think what really, they’re on new seeds an it’s quite clean, can’t see anything out of the ordinary yet! I’ve given her metacam an penstrep because that’s all I’ve got at the minute, will see how she is in the morning, not got my hopes up though!! Thanks for the advice, new one on me

 

twizzel

Member

• Feb 28, 2021

• #11

I had a ewe whose head swelled up just as she was licking her lambs dry last year. Reckon it was a spider bite or something bit her in the bonding pen. The vet gave steroids which bought the swelling down pretty quickly.

 

aangus

Member

Location

cumbria

• Mar 1, 2021

• #12

Had a couple do the same last year. Jagged with Alamycin and Metacam took about a week to come right

 

F

Farmer 83563

Member

• Mar 1, 2021

• #13

Guleesh said:

We've had the odd one with photosensitivity whose head swelled up, thought to be caused by eating kingcups. similar to how eating bog asphodel causes yellows in lambs.

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If it is photosensitivity put her somewhere dark / out if direct sunlight if you can

 

Chasingmytail

Member

Location

Newport, SE Wales

• Mar 1, 2021

• #14

I agree with photosensitivity had a few over the years. Pen and strep is for pus infection youd be better with Metacam and Alamycin or similar. Perhaps an oral drench of vits. Make sure you either bolus or provide plenty of lick buckets.