Sheep with overnight sores on face

[KJenkins91]

Hi! My lamb (~7mo) has what looks like warts/pustules with scabs suddenly this morning on the side of the face and under the neck. Backstory- her and sister were brutally attacked by stray dogs that got over our fence 2 weeks ago. We had to cull one sheep as she was too badly injured and we have been rehabbing this one, hoping she will make it. She appeared to be bit by a dog on her right front shoulder and the left side of her neck. The neck wound immediately healed but I think it broke her neck or dislocated it. It is crooked and hard and she can’t lift her head up very far from the ground but it hasn’t stopped her from eating/drinking. Her other wound on front shoulder was bad and we’ve been doing antibiotics, aspirin when needed, vetericyn spray and cleaning the wounds with water and soap, colloidal silver spray topically and into her mouth, vitamin B complex, nutridrench, bluekote, and neosporin. It definitely got infected but I believe is getting better day by day. An outer layer of skin lost hair and hardened from the bluekote and is starting to finally peel back and crack at edges to reveal new skin underneath. She’s started putting a little amount of weight on that leg but mostly hobbles with the other 3 legs. Enough of backstory, we got a new sheep last night from the same person we got the injured one from so she wouldn’t be alone anymore. This was also her first night back in the fence instead of isolated. I don’t know what’s happened to her face. If it’s not one thing it’s another. Could it be something from flies, bees, wasps, etc? Wounds from plants? Different infection? I don’t think it’s scabby mouth as her mouth seems fine really. This just appeared overnight…. Added pic of our poor girl bluekote and all in case anyone has any ideas as far as quality of life with a crooked neck. We are happy she’s up and grazing and feeling better because initial days were rough.

 

[Ridgetop]

Look like bite puncture marks to me, probably infected. I would remove several scabs and see if they would drain - squeeze to see if anything comes out. Sometimes puncture wounds close up, the skin healsI looking like everything is ok even with antibiotics. Infection is left under the skin causing problem. If this is what has happened, you will have to drain the punctures of pus. Then use a syringe (remove needle) to inject iodine soution into the holes and flush out any infection and pus. I use mastitis tubes (off lable use) to inject the antibiotic solution into the punctures which can be a couple inches deep.

Punctures are one of the hardest injuries to clean out and disinfect because the skin will heal over the hole and the infection remains in the wound.

 

[Baymule]

She definitely has a neck injury. I don’t know how that will affect her being able to have lambs. If she can’t raise her head, then my advice would be to never breed her.

What have you done to secure the fence so strays can’t get over the fence.

 

[Baymule]

I just read your comment on an old thread about a neck injury. You mentioned the possibility of culling her. I didn’t mention that in my post because I didn’t know how you felt about that. But here goes.

If she can’t raise her head, she can’t raise lambs. She won’t be able to mother them, care for them, probably won’t be able to lick them clean after birth and encourage them to stand up. If you weren’t right there to grab them, they would die. Then you would have the expense of bottle feeding them plus lots of time. Observe your other sheep, watch how she uses her head, her movements. Your injured ewe can’t do those movements. Just like us, with severe injuries, arthritis can set in, causing pain and even more restricted movement-and she won’t be able to tell you. Let her heal up from her other injuries. If she continues to not be able to raise her head, I would cull her. You can use the meat if you keep her past withdrawal period from all the medications, if that’s something that you want to do. I’m sorry for her and I’m sorry for you.