Ewe with swollen head

[JSmith]

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]

Is she in lamb or lambed?

 

[hally]

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???

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

 

[JSmith]

Is she in lamb or lambed?

She’s lambed a fortnight probably

 

[JSmith]

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

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

 

[shumungus]

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]

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

 

[shumungus]

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

 

[Guleesh]

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.

 

[JSmith]

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]

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]

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

 

[Farmer 83563]

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.

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

 

[Chasingmytail]

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.