Fly spray is NOT working on ram's wound

[Southdown]

My rams middle "toes" are getting chewed off by flies. I spray his feet with Prozap Screw Worm Aerosal (permethrin) before work and after work. It does not appear to be effective. When I come home from work, I see that the flies are all over his toes and today it is open and bloody. I know how dangerous flies on open blood can be, so I am very concerned. I'm not sure what else I can try besides this spray, especially since it's now open and bloody. I've thought about wrapping his feet with gauze to cover it up, but I'm not sure if it would stay on. I've also thought about coating with vaseline, but I'm not sure the flies would stay off that. Any ideas?

 

[SheepGirl]

It's hard for me to imagine what this wound looks like. Do you have a picture?

 

[BrownSheep]

Scarlet oil is what we use for flys and wounds.

 

[CritterZone]

Try Swat. It is greasy like vaseline, but it repels flies and it is good for use on open wounds. I can't imaging having flies so bad that they create wounds on the sheeps feet. Have you ever considered fly predators to deal with the fly problem?

 

[Southdown]

Since we cleaned the barn, the flies aren't bad at all in there, but yet they are bad out in the pastures!?

Where can I purchase the swat and scarlet oil? The swat sounds like a possible choice if it's nice and thick like vaseline.

 

[BrownSheep]

You can get scarlet oil at most feed stores. We don't have chains around here so I don't know who carries what.

 

[purplequeenvt]

It looks like the gland between his toes is infected. See if you can squeeze any of that gunk out. Scrub his foot with warm soapy water and then use Blue-kote or the Scarlet oil on it daily until it has healed.

 

[SheepGirl]

X2, it looks infected. I would squeeze out whatever you can out of it. I have heard people spray listerine on infected toe glands to heal it. I've never dealt with it so I'm not sure of an effective treatment plan. eta: Consider getting an antibiotic ointment or giving him an antibiotic if he has a temperature.

Also, how much fly spray are you putting on his foot? It should turn the whole area blue. I've only sprayed it on rear ends, but it still lasts about a day or two before the sheep lick it off/it fades away.

This is fly spray still on after a day and a half...you can see it on the lamb and also the ewe (flies were bothering her vulva and biting her back there)

 

[BHOBCFarms]

Clean it, pack it with ointment. Wrap with non-stick pad and gauze. Then wrap with co-flex (vetwrap). You won't have to worry about flys or keeping it clean. Change it every day to check progress and let it breathe. Don't let it get wet or sit in damp mud,etc.

 

[Southdown]

He's always had these large "toes," or I guess glands, as I've now learned, since we bought him about three years ago. They haven't changed in size. What exactly is the gland? I'm scared to squeeze it. Is there supposed to be fluid inside it? My ewes have these also, but they are so much smaller.

SheepGirl: I spray a lot of the blue spray so that it's dripping. My can is probably half gone already. When I come home nine hours later, the blue is gone.