Small Ruminants Flashcards

Flashcards about small ruminants - goats and sheep

Ewe

Adult female sheep.

Doe/Nanny

Adult female goat.

Ram

Adult male sheep.

Buck/Billy

Adult male goat.

Wether

Castrated male sheep or goat.

Lamb

Neonate sheep.

Kid

Neonate goat.

Lambing

Act of parturition in sheep.

Kidding

Act of parturition in goats.

Estrous cycle frequency in sheep

Average every 17 days

Duration of Estrus in sheep

Average 30 hours

Type of estrous cycle in sheep

Seasonally Polyestrous (short-day)

Type of placenta in sheep

Placentomes

Gestation period in sheep

148 days

Litter size in sheep

1 to 3

Weaning age in sheep

9 to 12 weeks

Estrous cycle frequency in goats

Average every 22 days

Duration of estrus in goats

2-3 days

Type of estrous cycle in goats

Varies by breed

Type of placenta in goats

Placentomes

Gestation period in Goats

Average 151 days

Type of estrous cycle in goats

Varies by breed

Litter size in goats

1 to 3

Weaning age in goats

3 months

Normal temperature for sheep

101-104° F

Normal temperature for goats

101-104° F

Normal pulse rate for sheep

70-90/min

Normal pulse rate for goats

70-90/min

Normal respiratory rate for sheep

12-25 bpm

Normal respiratory rate for goats

12-30 bpm

Small Ruminant:  Basic Physical Examination

• Rumen contractions: 1-2/min

• Eructation: about 10/hour

• Pulse is easily taken at femoral artery

• Auscultation of heart and lungs same borders as horse

FAMACHA anemia system

Estimates the level of anemia in small ruminants.

 Tip of the nose should be lower than the poll to prevent tracheal aspiration during oral medication administration

 Oral meds- standing restraint- straddle at shoulder level, use a balling gun for bolus meds or oral dosing syringe for liquids

IM injections

•  lateral cervical, or semimembranosus muscle

• 1-inch needles, 18-20 gauge for adults

SQ injections

•  lateral cervical, axilla, or flank fold

• 1-inch needles, 18-22 gauge

Common Clinical/Surgical Procedures

•  Dehorning/disbudding

•  Hoof trimming

•  Tail docking (sheep)

•  Vaccinations

•  Bloat relief

•  Urolithiasis

•  Obstetrical procedures (dystocia, vaginal prolapse)

•  Castration

Descenting

• Castration and disbudding at an early age will reduce odor and self-urination behavior

• Intact male goats urinate on themselves, primarily on their head, beard, and forelegs, especially during the breeding season (fall)

• Primary scent glands

• Located at the caudomedial base of each horn (or horned prominences in polled goats)

• Smaller glands are scattered about the neck and shoulders

Tail Docking (Lambs)

•  Reduce fecal build-up that attracts flies (fly strike)

•  Less than 2 weeks of age is ideal, local anesthetic

•  Remove tail distal to the tail fold (if too short may cause rectal prolapse)

• Methods:

• Emasculator

• Heat cautery

• Scalpel blade

• Elastrator band – controversial as causes gradual ischemic necrosis

C-section

• Dystocia- mutation requires small hands and small chains (common in sheep, uncommon in goats)

•  C-section is preferable for live lambs/kids

•  Avoid general anesthesia if possible due to risks of hypoventilation, bloat, aspiration pneumonia

•  Retained placenta (more than 8 hours post-delivery)- more common following C-section, dystocia, abortion, and hypocalcemia

Vaginal prolapse

• common in ewes and cows, uncommon in does

•  Due to obesity, change in weather, short tail dock, hypocalcemia, respiratory diseases with coughing, +/- genetics, nutrition

•  Treatment- caudal epidural, replace tissue, sutured closed or plastic retainer

• Tend to recur- recommend culling

Causes of rectal prolapse in young lambs

Intestinal parasites, change in weather, diarrhea

common in young lambs

Urolithiasis

•  Seen commonly in rams, bucks, wethers (females have short, wide urethra)

•  Fed high concentrate diet with excess calcium and phosphorus salts that form urinary calculi

•  Urethral process is long and narrow

•  Urethral process can be removed or penile amputation

•  Perineal Urethrostomy (PU) or temporary tube cystotomy 

•  Will recur without change in nutrition- client education is vital!

Castration

• Done in the same manner as for calves—with a blade

• Goats and sheep: 2 to 4 weeks of age

• Pigs: 1 to 21 days of age

• Anesthetic

• None is needed for sheep, cattle, pigs, or goats

• Should give tetanus antitoxin to goat and sheep

• Can use antibiotics as preventative

• Sheep and goats can be banded (emasculator bands

Common vaccines for small ruminants and other diseases

 CDT - Clostridium perfringens type C and D + Clostridium tetani

 Pasteurella multocida/Mannheimia haemolytica

 +/- Chlamydia, Leptospirosis, Vibrio

 +/- Footrot

 +/- Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL)

 +/- Contagious ovine ecthyma (sore mouth – seen in both goats and sheep)

 +/- BlueTongue

•Scrapie

Caseous Lymphadenitis

• Caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

•  Clinical signs:

  • Dyspnea, tachypnea

  • Cough

  • Lymph node abscesses

  • Weight loss

•  Contagious – contact with infected material (found in manure and soil or on the skin or in infected organs)

•  Difficult to eradicate, Culling recommended

•  Not very responsive to medications

•  Prevention:  good hygiene during castration, tail docking and shearing

•  Vaccine is controversial

Contagious Ecthyma or Sore Mouth

• Viral infection (causes orf in people) transmitted by direct or indirect contact with environmental contaminants.

•  Clinical signs:

  • Papules, vesicles, pustules & scabs on the lips, muzzle, eyelids, in the mouth, on the udders, teats & feet

  • Decrease in food consumption

  • Depression, anorexia, fever

  • Zoonotic

•  Vaccine given only to herds showing disease

•  Vaccine is given by scratching an ‘X’  in the skin (of inner thigh, ear or under tail where hairless) and live vaccine is brushed over the scratch (vaccinated animals are contagious for up to 8 weeks)

BlueTongue

• A non-contagious viral disease caused by an orbivirus transmitted by insects.

•  Clinical signs:

  • Ulcers on the mouth or nose

  • Swollen, nose, tongue

  • Fever

  • Excessive salivation

  • Cyanosis of the tongue

  • Lameness, red band at top of hoof

  • Abortions, stillbirths, weak lambs

•  Vaccinate to prevent/insect control

Scrapie

• Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy similar to mad cow disease, caused by a prion that affects the central nervous system.

•  Become infected at birth

•  Takes years to develop signs (~3 ½ years)

•  Clinical signs:

  • Ataxia, weight loss, pruritus and wool loss, muscle tremors of the face, abnormal gait, seizures and death

•  No treatment available

•  Disease is fatal and must be reported

•  Results in slaughter of entire flock

•  Confirmation on necropsy of brain

Rabies Vaccine

•  Large Animal rabies vaccine labeled for horses, cattle, and sheep

•  No FDA approved rabies vaccine for goats - can give large animal rabies vaccine (extra-label use)

•  Since rabies is uncommon in large animal species and this vaccine must be given by a DVM, it is not routinely done in a herd situation

•  For pets and small herds, can be added to the annual vaccination protocol