Treating listeria

[valtraman]

I have a ewe with mild symptoms of listeria . What’s the best thing to treat with . Never had a lot of success in past

 

[milkloss]

We've always used high doses of pen&strep. Might have used micotil possibly too. Seem to remember using a vitamin jab in combination .... B maybe.... sorry, a while since we had sheep

 

[Woolless]

Just successfully treated a lamb with a high dose of Alamycin LA and 2ml loxicom. 50% strike rate, as a lamb that was slightly further on with it died on the same treatment regime (The kids' pet ).

 

[Pistonbroke]

Had two here lately. First showed symptoms at dinner time and was dead in twenty four hours,second couldn't stand ,eat or drink for a week and I was drenching her to keep her going,started nibbling cake but couldn't drink or stand for another week. Went in the shed yesterday and she's walking round fine eating hay and drinking at the tank. Pen and strep was all I had

 

[Dave6170]

Dad uses alamycin la

 

[TexelBen]

Vet told me use simple antibiotics like penicillin to try get into the brain, more complicated ones like alymycin don't work as well.
Had 2 this year, one died, and other got a bullet

 

[unlacedgecko]

I’ve never successfully treated a sheep for listeria.

 

[valtraman]

I’ve treated with Alamycin

 

[Skintagain]

Alamycin or pen and strep big dose. Makes me feel better not sure about the sheep think it’s just pot luck

 

[DartmoorEwe]

I successfully treated listeria in a couple of hogs with lambs. I can't post a link to the thread as Im not that good. Lots of pen and strep and daily fluid drenches as they could not stand to drink and had no coordination and daily supporting them to stand so they can fart and pee and hourly position changes and nursing for pressure sores. Had 2 alive hogs at the end of 10 days and both went on to continue to bring up their lambs but a battle it certainly was.

 

[nelly55]

Had 2 cows this year,never had it before.Both died even after my best efforts and the vets.

 

[milkloss]

If you catch them with just a droopy ear then I think you stand a chance. We had two that could have been a spinal abscess that can do the same sort of thing. Mrs had a pet lamb which we x rayed! A bit keen but it did survive and still alive at 11 years old.

 

[valtraman]

Somebody said to keep it hydrated? It is a bit frothy mouth . Bottle of water over its neck ?

 

[milkloss]

Somebody said to keep it hydrated? It is a bit frothy mouth . Bottle of water over its neck ?

I think it needs to drink it rather than have a shower!

 

[Becs]

I had one that was real bad in the summer that pulled through and due to lamb this week. Betamox - I think it was 8 mls twice daily ( I remember it was at least double of how often I’d usually give it) and metacam to reduce the swelling in the brain. Lots of nursing to keep it hydrated and turned. Time consuming but worth it if they pull through. My 6 year old granddaughter took a great interest in the ewe and helped me out So thank god it did survive!

 

[Nithsdale]

Phone the vet. Should give you a strong penicillin and a shot of steroids.

 

[valtraman]

The bugger died

 

[valtraman]

Christ I’m having a bad run of it . Lost 6 out of 250 so far. Did speak to a vet other day briefly about treatment whilst doing a visit on some cattle and basically just said keep doing what I’m doing with antibiotics. Looking up on web and was saying could have been picked up out of forage a fortnight ago before knocking them now also read a bit about quality of forage . I’m feeding lovely smelling haylaga albeit from a very old pasture so quality isn’t probably there. Should I be feeding top quality haylage/silage instead? Or safer with hay? Buggers are getting me down

 

[Cowmansam]

Hay would be safer I would think don’t think it matters on the quality of the silage it’s just if it’s gotten contaminated with soil

 

[kfpben]

I’ve always avoided hay with ewes due to toxoplasmosis?
Generally try to avoid feeding bales at all to sheep unless I have to, though I know I’m writing from the sunny south.