vet advice please, fly strike, ?

[Jonno]

Hey all,

I have just inherited (typo edit)* 35 head of sheep and 14 have fly strike.
The local vet over the phone suggested putting them down as the cheapest solution

I need advice on what to do with sheep with fly strike, poor animals are being eaten away by maggots.

How can I treat it, I have already crutched them and used the stuff that was in the shed.

I need serious veterinarian and or experienced advice please.

Maybe in future I should muse them to stop this?
Savage shit but in the long run it seems to work the best. (bit like circumcision)

I know Blackmagic is a vet nurse and I hope she can offer some solution, Wendy please I need help with this....?

Cheers

J

[Ben]

Mulesing can only really be done when they are young and is a good idea (others disagree, but you cut a piece of skin off one finger and put a marking ring on the other and tell me which one stops hurting first) but as long as you got all the maggots out and they hadn't eaten to much they will be fine other wise putting them down would be the only other option, unless $$$ is on issues for medical attention

[zx6rider]

If you could pen the 14 sheep, crutch them (as you have already done) clean out all the maggots and use fly strike oil, and check on them each day to ensure they are not getting any worse, but you really need to keep an eye on them every day. If the vet says they need to be put down they must be bad? has he actually seen them?

[Jonno]

Yeah done that, but it seems non-affective.
Like i said it was over the phone so no. but I have to do something in the next 24hrs for a few of them at least.
I have seen this before on the farm as a kid and can spread, these sheep have been in a paddock for months without attention until now when I found them on my deceased dads estate. It surprises me because he said all stock was gone before he died

Thats why I was asking for advice from someone in veterinary science to talk about the details about what chemicals to use, shots etc. I know a bullet is only 22cents x 14 is way cheaper than a vet bill
Not that you use a rifle on sheep rather a throat slit being the preferred method for a quick end.

Crutching them was just plain sickening with maggots crawling over my hand and shears not to mention the rank stench and puss but the ewes moved quick afterwards so I think there is hope yet and may have some time.

[zx6rider]

We have only got 2 sheep at the moment, normally keep a few more just for meat. But I have only ever seen 1 with fly strike and it was not a pretty sight, it came good after treating it though.
Sorry I cant be of any more help.

[Jonno]

We have only got 2 sheep at the moment, normally keep a few more just for meat. But I have only ever seen 1 with fly strike and it was not a pretty sight, it came good after treating it though.
Sorry I cant be of any more help.

Thanks.

Thing is I have isolated the affected ones as sheep flocking together seem to get this affliction when others have it. Mainly I think because the fly's are already there on others and the environment for the suckers is ripe.

Yeah I have seen it when I was a kid with our animals and it was bad and I remember burning quite a few of them, but I never took notice of what the old man did to fix the others .

Oh well, the property is to be settled soon, the new buyers alerted me too it and we were very surprised especially about the number of the wooly buggers.

[Black Magic]

I know Blackmagic is a vet nurse and I hope she can offer some solution, Wendy please I need help with this....?

Cheers

J

You need to use a Diazinon based dressing. You should be able to get on top of it at this stage.
I have sent you a PM with information from the Dept of Primary Industries- to much info to post up here.
Hope it helps.

[Jonno]

Thanks for your help, unfortunately we got to some of them too late as it turns out, got the vet$ out this morning and the problem is sorted.