katahdin sheep with scours

[cbar]

I have been unsuccessfully treating this Katahdin ewe with scours for more than a month. About three weeks ago, a fecal exam came back positive for strongly and nothing else. So I gave her ivermectin (sheep drench) and I repeated the dose two weeks later. I have isolated her and put on a dry hay only diet, removed the grains , tried pepto-bismol, probiotic, electrolytes. Nothing works. She has good appetite but is loosing weight. She is a good mother and I want to save her, but I am running out of options. Should I try one more dose of ivermectin? Any advice?

 

[cassie]

I have been unsuccessfully treating this Katahdin ewe with scours for more than a month. About three weeks ago, a fecal exam came back positive for strongly and nothing else. So I gave her ivermectin (sheep drench) and I repeated the dose two weeks later. I have isolated her and put on a dry hay only diet, removed the grains , tried pepto-bismol, probiotic, electrolytes. Nothing works. She has good appetite but is loosing weight. She is a good mother and I want to save her, but I am running out of options. Should I try one more dose of ivermectin? Any advice?

Have her checked for Johnes. As a matter of curiosity, was this sheep normal until shortly after lambing and then start to go downhill? Is she anemic?

 

[cassie]

Something I forgot to mention. Has a fecal test been done since you gave her the Ivermectin? There is always the possibility that the worms have developed a resistance to it and you need to try something else.

 

[cbar]

Thank you for all the advice. Jones's possibility sounds scary and I didn't find a lab to do the test here in Seattle area. I talked with a vet, I will have the ewe checked next week.
To answer the questions: she was up and down since lambing. She lost weight after lambing, but she also provided plenty of milk to the twins. Then she seemed to recover, got into scours with the fresh grass in spring, got better again until July, then got worse. She is also the troublemaker, the first one to figure out how to get to the dog food bin and how to open it, or how to open the gate to the vegetable garden. I guess, I was paying more attention to what she was up to, than to her health. I do not know how to check for
anemia, I hope the vet will do.
Ivermectin resistance is also a possibility, I didn't repeat the test. As far I know, ivermectin is the only option for strongly.
Let see what the vet says, I will keep you posted.

 

[cassie]

Thank you for all the advice. Jones's possibility sounds scary and I didn't find a lab to do the test here in Seattle area. I talked with a vet, I will have the ewe checked next week.
To answer the questions: she was up and down since lambing. She lost weight after lambing, but she also provided plenty of milk to the twins. Then she seemed to recover, got into scours with the fresh grass in spring, got better again until July, then got worse. She is also the troublemaker, the first one to figure out how to get to the dog food bin and how to open it, or how to open the gate to the vegetable garden. I guess, I was paying more attention to what she was up to, than to her health. I do not know how to check for
anemia, I hope the vet will do.
Ivermectin resistance is also a possibility, I didn't repeat the test. As far I know, ivermectin is the only option for strongly.
Let see what the vet says, I will keep you posted.

WSU there in Washington should be able to do the Johnes test for you. Your vet can send them the samples, or if you can draw blood you can probably do it yourself. Pull down the lower eyelid and check the color. It should be a bright or dark pink. Pale pink or white indicates anemia. Both worms and Johnes can cause anemia. As for Johnes, the animal is usually infected while young, but it may not show symptoms for many years. Typically the animal will seem fine until shortly after giving birth. Then it will steadily lose condition. It will be alert and the appetite remains good. Cattle with Johnes develop a chronic and profuse scours. Goats with Johnes may or may not develop scours. I am not familiar with Johnes in sheep.

 

[cbar]

A month later, Johns test came back negative, another fecal exam came clean, the vet say no anemia signs. It looks like a lost cause.

 

[cassie]

A month later, Johns test came back negative, another fecal exam came clean, the vet say no anemia signs. It looks like a lost cause.

Was the Johnes test a fecal test or a blood test? Infected animals don't shed all the time, so with a fecal test you may get a negative reading even though the animal is really positive. That said, if there is no sign of anemia, chances are the sheep doesn't have Johnes. I jsut threw that in FYI.

 

[cbar]

The johnes test was blood based.