Ownership of sheep and goats seems to be on the upswing in the area over the last several years, and with that comes increased opportunities to provide health care for new clients. While many of the diseases seen in sheep and goats are similar to those seen in cattle, there are some unique differences that can make medicating small ruminants challenging.
When evaluating disease in sheep and goats, my rule of thumb is always “parasites are the problem until proven otherwise.” Internal parasitism is by far the number one disease issue I see in both sheep and goats. Because of the way they graze, nipping grass off near the base of the plant. Internal parasite larvae live in the base of grass plants and are ingested in large numbers when pastures are contaminated. Another factor contributing to increased parasitism is that often owners stock large numbers of animals on relatively small acreages, thus increasing the manure concentration and contaminating the pasture with more parasite eggs.
Developing a plan to treat internal parasites is a multifactorial approach in my opinion. I first recommend collecting multiple fresh manure samples and doing fecal flotation exams to determine parasite load within a group of animals. The number of samples varies with the number of animals; your veterinarian can help determine the best number of samples. Once a diagnosis and parasite burden has been determined, treatment plans can be tailored to best fit the needs of the flock. Always consult with your veterinarian when deworming sheep and goats; because these animals metabolize medications differently than cattle, dosages are much different. Also, there are few products that are labeled for small ruminants, making deworming products an extra label drug use in a food animal.
Management changes can also help decrease parasite caused disease. Reducing stocking rates on pastures, providing pastures with brush plants that sheep and goats can browse rather than graze at ground level to decrease parasite larva ingestion, and rotating pastures to decrease pasture contamination can all help control parasitism.
In addition to parasites, small ruminants suffer from many of the same disease conditions we see in all livestock. Respiratory disease is a common problem, especially in crowded groupings and young, stressed animals. Getting a proper diagnosis and using appropriate drugs usually lead to successful outcomes. Dystocia is a common problem seen during lambing or kidding season, as twins and triplets are common.
While there are some unique differences between small ruminants and their larger counterparts, good nutrition, husbandry and facility management are just as important to maintain the health of these increasingly popular livestock options.
