Lambs with a scabby mouth

[Tommy_T]

I have a molly lamb on the bottle and have noticed he’s got two or three hardened/scabby spots above his top lip. He’s the only molly I have so he hasn’t shared bottles, but I thought where he is a vigorous sucker maybe he’s made it sore. However I’ve noticed another lamb with the same type of scab, although more prolific around his mouth. He is with his Mum and sister, can’t see his sister is affected.
They’re in grass pasture and there’s no stubble.
This is my first time lambing so looking for advice. I have read about orf but not sure if this is what this is, or how they would have got it. We run a closed flock. There aren’t any lesions or open sores and the affected area isn’t wet, or oozy.
Appreciate a photo would help, which I’ll try and upload tomorrow.

 

[wr.]

Orf.

 

[Man_in_black]

Wear gloves when handling/bottle them as orf can pass to you (apologies if teaching grandma to suck eggs)

 

[Princess Pooper]

Wear gloves when handling/bottle them as orf can pass to you (apologies if teaching grandma to suck eggs)

Orf can be horrendous, occasionally it can morph into something much more serious, a friend ended up in A and E with an reaction more akin to anaphalaxis last year, but it was definitely from the orf scab on her hand.

 

[delilah]

green rockies, Dennis Brinicombe frobut, dallas keith salt buckets, whichever you can get hold of the quickest.

 

[Tommy_T]

green rockies, Dennis Brinicombe frobut, dallas keith salt buckets, whichever you can get hold of the quickest.

Possibly get the green Rockies from the local co-op. They already have the purple zinc Rockie in the field - what’s the difference?
What do I need to do to treat this?
(I’ll start wearing gloves from now on as well.)

 

[delilah]

Only had it two years out of 10, will let more experienced folks advise on if should treat but I think the perceived wisdom is that better left dry than spraying with anything so long as no secondary infection ? All we have done is get them on some source of salt asap and seemed to help, though i'm sure someone will say it just has to run its course ?

 

[twizzel]

Possibly get the green Rockies from the local co-op. They already have the purple zinc Rockie in the field - what’s the difference?
What do I need to do to treat this?
(I’ll start wearing gloves from now on as well.)

It’ll clear up within a week or 2. A bit of blue spray on the sores can dry them up if bad and prevent infection. Biggest thing is to watch the ewes’ udders- they can get orf on the teat/udder which makes them reluctant to let lamb suck and causes mastitis.I had it in a few pets this year, all ewes and lambs have frobut tubs which has nipped it in the bud out in field, the pets have rock salt and cleared up well. They won’t go out with the ewes and lambs until totally clear.

 

[Tommy_T]

So orf itself should clear in time, just have to watch out for secondary/bacterial infection?
Guessing it’s the salt in the licks that dries it out?

 

[Man_in_black]

So orf itself should clear in time, just have to watch out for secondary/bacterial infection?
Guessing it’s the salt in the licks that dries it out?

Spot on. It will spread easily between them if sharing bottles, at creep feeder etc so we usually isolate (current buzz word!).

 

[milkloss]

Be careful...... you don’t want orf yourself

 

[Lili]

Be careful...... you don’t want orf yourself

As above, and please don't let any children handle them.

 

[Tommy_T]

Handling with gloves and/or thoroughly washing hands afterwards. No children to worry about!
No Frobut tubs in local co-op so have ordered a couple of Himalayan rock salt on a rope to hang up. When I asked the guy in there he said about the zinc Rockies which are already in.
I’ve applied Sudocrem topically. The twin ewe had it a bit as well. They went straight for a drink after so some of this will rub off on the teat area too.
Will now monitor.
Thanks for the advice all. When I’ve read of Orf it’s always been the nasty infected stage. Didn’t realise it was something that can come and go naturally.

 

[GrannyAching]

It’ll clear up within a week or 2. A bit of blue spray on the sores can dry them up if bad and prevent infection. Biggest thing is to watch the ewes’ udders- they can get orf on the teat/udder which makes them reluctant to let lamb suck and causes mastitis.I had it in a few pets this year, all ewes and lambs have frobut tubs which has nipped it in the bud out in field, the pets have rock salt and cleared up well. They won’t go out with the ewes and lambs until totally clear.

So orf itself should clear in time, just have to watch out for secondary/bacterial infection?
Guessing it’s the salt in the licks that dries it out?

You really need to catch the ewe and check her udder. As @twizzel has said, you can end up with underfed or dead lambs through lack of milk intake when the ewe gets it on her udder - also quite possible for the udder to get infected with staph bugs. You did say you were first time lambing so I am flagging it with you like you don't know these things. Sorry if you do.

 

[Tommy_T]

You really need to catch the ewe and check her udder. As @twizzel has said, you can end up with underfed or dead lambs through lack of milk intake when the ewe gets it on her udder - also quite possible for the udder to get infected with staph bugs. You did say you were first time lambing so I am flagging it with you like you don't know these things. Sorry if you do.

No I am absolutely open to all advice! I had a look today whilst she was eating and seemed okay but I will pull her over tomorrow when I have some assistance and have a proper look.
If she has any marks I’ll pop some Sudocrem on them. (I tend to think anything suitable for babies is okay for the animals.) I know that’s good at drying scabs out and will also act as an antiseptic ?

 

[GrannyAching]

No I am absolutely open to all advice! I had a look today whilst she was eating and seemed okay but I will pull her over tomorrow when I have some assistance and have a proper look.
If she has any marks I’ll pop some Sudocrem on them. (I tend to think anything suitable for babies is okay for the animals.) I know that’s good at drying scabs out and will also act as an antiseptic ?

Just remember orf is a virus. The animal has to have it and get immunity which will last a varying amount of time. Just be careful spreading anything around on an infected animal because you can be spreading it into other cuts etc. I hate it here because we almost always get staph infections on top - one year staph aureus which took two vets before they confirmed it and a lot of antibiotics to shift it. Two animals really couldn't shake this secondary infection, it affected their eating and so growth rate and they were ten moths old when they got it.

 

[Tommy_T]

Got a couple of others showing signs now so creaming them as well. One looks to be drying up.

The one that has it worst - one area looked like the scab was splitting. So if I apply the antibiotic spray do I literally spray this straight on (pointing it downwards away from the eyes)? Worried about him breathing it in??

 

[clod hopper]

Got a couple of others showing signs now so creaming them as well. One looks to be drying up.

The one that has it worst - one area looked like the scab was splitting. So if I apply the antibiotic spray do I literally spray this straight on (pointing it downwards away from the eyes)? Worried about him breathing it in??

No, go for it. Give it a good spray, it will taste funny that's all. If you are spraying away from the eyes it can't breathe it in

 

[jonny]

This is what it looks like on a hand Got in a nick from shearing the rams last year

 

[Tommy_T]

Oh gosh! That looks horrendous Has it cleared up now?