- Location
- Yelverton, UK
I have a microscope for FEC. I can't find anywhere that explains how to take a skin scraping or wool sample to discover what is making my sheep itch.
Any experts out there?
Any experts out there?
scab or lice
- Thread starter DartmoorEwe
- Start date
devonbrion1998
Member
- Location
- Radnage Buckinhamshire
No Expert, but can tell you what my vet friend just done,took a scraping from affected area,which was with a scalpel type knife
before scraping he put some mineral oil over the bald spot,then scraped the skin collecting some of the oil in the process,then onto the slide...No idea what to look for though,Lice in our case...Good Luck
before scraping he put some mineral oil over the bald spot,then scraped the skin collecting some of the oil in the process,then onto the slide...No idea what to look for though,Lice in our case...Good Luck
devonbrion1998
Member
- Location
- Radnage Buckinhamshire
Yeh, Its not that easy not somthing i would want to do,thing is a sheep could have Lice and Scab at the same time,got to know what you are at i think.
- Location
- Highland
Probably lice. The cattle have been murdered with them this year. Changed from Spot-On to Dectospot. Mistake.
Lice cut the hair at skin level and lay eggs so you get small clumps of wool/hair coming away with a kind of gritty tan gunge at the base. Can;t say how that compares to scab as I've never seen it. A cold spell can bring on a lice "attack" as they live on the animal but only go down to skin level for warmth when it gets cold. Si I believe.
In your case as said I would check, some treatments IIRC cover both lice and scab?
Lice cut the hair at skin level and lay eggs so you get small clumps of wool/hair coming away with a kind of gritty tan gunge at the base. Can;t say how that compares to scab as I've never seen it. A cold spell can bring on a lice "attack" as they live on the animal but only go down to skin level for warmth when it gets cold. Si I believe.
In your case as said I would check, some treatments IIRC cover both lice and scab?
devonbrion1998
Member
- Location
- Radnage Buckinhamshire
Wondering,if the cattle lice are the same as sheep?and can they catch from each other?
- Location
- Highland
No different species
- Location
- Galloway
Lice are quite easy to see by eye or with my specks on
- Location
- Yelverton, UK
The only thing that treats both is dipping. Dectomax treats scab and crovect treats for lice. I'll dip in August after weaning if I still have a problem. In the meantime ...
- Location
- our house, Norn Iron
Indeed, pulled a bit of hair from cattle & put it in a clear plastic bag ( the plastic tounge & groove type ) can roll the hair about without any escaping to see what's what. Did all ours for lice earlier in the year but had to do them again with something else, think we have it this time, last stuff may as well have been water but worked ok last year.
- Location
- Yelverton, UK
So just pick a bit of lose fluff from a sheep and look really closely? ... a few blackish specs, can't see any legs, could be just dirt. I'll check out youtube for taking and looking at a skin scrape.
- Location
- Yelverton, UK
I'm not a teacher but I've had head lice - picked them up from my youth group, nasty things. Discovered that sheep lice are about 2mm and scab mites are about 0.5mm. I'm still hoping to find something on the fleeces that I can see - not yet.
capfits
Member
If you have suspect scab please ensure that the sheep are avoiding neighbouring flocks.
Notify your neighbours and vet that you have suspicions and local animal health officer.
Get samples from the worst affected and isolate them to take more samples later.
It can be tricky to get samples with mites in them at times.
Hope it is not scab.
Notify your neighbours and vet that you have suspicions and local animal health officer.
Get samples from the worst affected and isolate them to take more samples later.
It can be tricky to get samples with mites in them at times.
Hope it is not scab.
- Location
- Yelverton, UK
I have discussed the symptoms with the neighbour who has offered to dip in August. Can't dip now, we're already lambing. Just have to keep it under control till then. Dipping is coming back into fashion round here.
Isolation is probably futile when the problem is on the common but I will set up double boundaries where I can.
Isolation is probably futile when the problem is on the common but I will set up double boundaries where I can.
The sheep dipper man
Member
- Location
- north east
If it is scab you can't put dipping off until August, if that is the option you go for it needs to be done asap as long as lambs are strong enough dip everything,I have dipped lambs at 8-10 weeks old before, however if you didn't feel comfortable at that age inject as you can't leave it if it is scab!
- Location
- Highland
If you could describe the skin it would help. Lice either leave no mark as such, the hair just comes away in clumps, or they form patches and the hair comes away clumped together leaving a larger sore. If the skin is relatively intact, it is lice. Really if you aren't sure what to do you should get the vet out. Lice are an annual annoyance and unsightly, scab is a serious matter that must be dealt with sooner rather than later.
Inject with Cydectin for scab. Easier than dipping, you know it's in there, and no mess from spraying eg Crovect.
Inject with Cydectin for scab. Easier than dipping, you know it's in there, and no mess from spraying eg Crovect.
The sheep dipper man
Member
- Location
- north east
It will all depend on the handling system to if it is going to be easier or not than dipping, however it my sometimes be more practical to inject in certain cases!.
I know from experience that scab is becoming a major problem now all over the country.
Last edited:
Greythundercloudys
Member
My sheep were itching about a month back, l hag them all with cydectin 2 percent, and gave them a pure fluke dose, it has stopped them itching and they look much better, so jag them and be done with it. Before it gets worse.
- Location
- Highland
Just thinking that if you are lambing and haven't done a pre-lambing worming, Cydectin covers that too (obviously depending upon wormer-type resistance in your area etc etc)
I recognise the need to try and only treat what is there, but in the real world we can't always faff around testing and sampling and dithering and navel gazing and waiting for results that tell us, 99% of the time, what we already know. That is the fact of it.
I recognise the need to try and only treat what is there, but in the real world we can't always faff around testing and sampling and dithering and navel gazing and waiting for results that tell us, 99% of the time, what we already know. That is the fact of it.