Childwanderer
Loving the herd life
My yearling ewe had been spilling cud/leaving puddles of green drool, and had a sore on the corner of her mouth where the cud was leaking out. The shearers said it was most likely caused by an abscessed tooth. I took her to the vet, who looked at her and said that while she was missing a tooth, there was no abscess and the most likely cause was Orf. He said that he could prescribe isolation, steroids, and antibiotics to help her fight it while protecting the herd, but we agreed that simply butchering a little early (she was earmarked to go in September, being the slowest-growing of the lamb crop) would be appropriate.
I butchered her, but while the rest of the carcass looked fine, there were many small, firm cysts on the outer surface of her lower intestine, from just near the anus to about a foot and a half from it. (See photo for example.)
I don't see how Orf could cause either the cud-spilling or the intestinal cysts, but I can see how constantly spilling rumen contents could make the corner of her mouth raw and inflamed. I also doubt the Orf diagnosis on the grounds that her condition, though it seemed to get better and then worse again, was not self-limiting over the course of a few months and neither her herdmates (including nursing lambs, older ewes, peers, and a ram) nor her human caretakers have shown any signs of infection. I will look for a picture of her mouth and post it if I can.
Orf wouldn't condemn a carcass for household consumption, but mystery digestive disease might. Any ideas what was going on with this sheep? I made sure to dispose of the entrails where my dog couldn't access them. I kept the sample of intestine in question, but unfortunately I put it in the freezer before I realized doing so would make the sample useless to the A&M necropsy people.
I butchered her, but while the rest of the carcass looked fine, there were many small, firm cysts on the outer surface of her lower intestine, from just near the anus to about a foot and a half from it. (See photo for example.)
I don't see how Orf could cause either the cud-spilling or the intestinal cysts, but I can see how constantly spilling rumen contents could make the corner of her mouth raw and inflamed. I also doubt the Orf diagnosis on the grounds that her condition, though it seemed to get better and then worse again, was not self-limiting over the course of a few months and neither her herdmates (including nursing lambs, older ewes, peers, and a ram) nor her human caretakers have shown any signs of infection. I will look for a picture of her mouth and post it if I can.
Orf wouldn't condemn a carcass for household consumption, but mystery digestive disease might. Any ideas what was going on with this sheep? I made sure to dispose of the entrails where my dog couldn't access them. I kept the sample of intestine in question, but unfortunately I put it in the freezer before I realized doing so would make the sample useless to the A&M necropsy people.
Giardia is starting to make sense...
