Lambs with a scabby mouth

[jonny]

Oh gosh! That looks horrendous [emoji20] Has it cleared up now?

Took it a while to clear up still very tender after 8 months. No real treatment except keep it treated with iodine Can’t believe I got it as I’ve been using scabivax for nearly 30 years

 

[Eiddwen]

A friend of mine got orf a couple of years ago on his thumb and was told by a retired vet to keep putting bleach on the affected area which he did with some initial trepidation (expecting it to be painful but proved to be bearable!) and it cleared up within a couple of weeks.

 

[primmiemoo]

I had urticaria all over as a reaction to the orf infection. Deeply unpleasant!
I still have a scar on my hand from the pustule, even though it didn't pick up bacterial infection.

Dry orf in lambs is just one of those things, but when there's an outbreak of the vicious sort - thinking about it, could it be brought about by there being greater viral load in some years? - it can kill a lamb with underlying vulnerability, especially if there is secondary bacterial infection.

Hope your tibbies heal soon, @Tommy_T

 

[Tommy_T]

Check today and the little girls that had a spot of it yesterday seem to have got rid of it already. The little molly is improving. And the twin that picked it up after her brother looks clear as well. Her brother is still the worst though. It looked drier so I’ve just used the cream again but if it’s not improved tomorrow I’ll probably spray him. What a nasty thing - and nothing really to cure it.

 

[clod hopper]

This is what it looks like on a hand Got in a nick from shearing the rams last year View attachment 867403

Daaaaaaaaam!¡!! That's bad!!?

 

[GrannyAching]

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??

I put a rubber glove on and stick my fingers in the nostrils while I spray.

 

[GrannyAching]

This is what it looks like on a hand Got in a nick from shearing the rams last year View attachment 867403

I got blood poisoning in one I had on my hand. Firstly, I didn't think it was orf as looked like nothing on a sheep I've ever seen - learnt at the hosp that it can present in two forms. Secondly, sitting at the table eating tea and the OH says "I think you've got blood poisoning." Me "What do you mean?" OH points meaningfully at the red line we could see visibly travelling up the back of my hand - just the 45 minutes to the out of hours!

 

[Tommy_T]

It’s a dangerous business isn’t it? And things like this where you don’t even necessarily realise what you’ve done.

 

[Hartwig]

We have scabby mouth now the 3rd year in row here in our small flock in germany which is a PIA really and effects quite a few lambs. We lamb our Easycare shedders outdoors from end april on, so treating affected lambs is not that easy.
It starts to show on maybe 2 weeks old lambs and we also have trouble with lame lambs in these last 3 years - is that maybe related to this orf-infection ?? Scabby mouth and lameness disappear mostly after several weeks, but make a lot of trouble until then and is certainly bad for those lambs affected.

Why is that hitting us year after year and not building up a herd immunity ??

What is this Scabivax - vaccination ?? It seems not allowed in germany from my google-search ....

Is there an alternative to vaccination, maybe a possibility to boost immune-system of ewes or lambs to help prevent the outbreak ??

 

[Lili]

Can you get Himalayan rock salt in Germany?

 

[yellowbelly]

Can you get Himalayan rock salt in Germany?

....or Tubby buckets??

 

[Hartwig]

Rock salt certainly - just hang it up somewhere for the lambs right after birth or when the first signs are coming ?? And what does it do ??

Tubby buckets are not known as far as I know - what is in it ?? And lambs go for it ?? For ewes and lambs ??

 

[primmiemoo]

Rock salt certainly - just hang it up somewhere for the lambs right after birth or when the first signs are coming ?? And what does it do ??

Tubby buckets are not known as far as I know - what is in it ?? And lambs go for it ?? For ewes and lambs ??

A salt lick will help dessicate the scabs on lips and mouths and wither the virus that causes them. If a sheep has a mild exposure to the orf virus, it builds its immunity. If the amount of virus in the environment is kept low enough to only cause mild disease, then the idea is that orf is then kept in check.

Salt blocks can be given free access for sheep, and lambs will find them out of curiosity.

 

[yellowbelly]

Tubby buckets are not known as far as I know - what is in it ?? And lambs go for it ?? For ewes and lambs ??

We use these......

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Sheep Tubbys - product range - UK farmers - Brinicombe

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