Itake it everyone has survived the winter blast and snow that we have had. We are headed to spring and new babies are hitting the ground. First to deliver in small ruminants is sheep and goats.
The first thing everyone should know is FAMACHA. If you do not use this method of parasite control, then you need to learn. If you do not, you will end up with parasites that are resistant to every deworming agent that we have. This is where we check the eyelids for pinkish color. The pinker, the better. The paler to white they are, the more worm load we have. This test is checking for Haemonchus contortus, the barber pole worm. This worm can suck the blood totally out of a small ruminant. The paler pink the eyelids are gives us a good indicator as to how infected the animal is with this worm. This barber pole worm can also become resistant to every deworming agent we have. This is why we only want to use a deworming agent when the score is around a four and at the prescribed dose for small ruminants.
The dose for small ruminants is different than for cattle with most deworming agents. For example, fenbendazole is dosed at 2.3 ml per 100# in cattle, but in small ruminants I like the dose of 8 ml per 100#, orally. The smaller dose will work, but we will get many worms living through it and cause resistance. If we are going to upset our ecosystem in the body, then let’s do some good and get rid of as many worms as possible.
The other point to remember is that FAMACHA is a reading on red cells and anemia. After deworming an animal it will take 3-4 weeks for the eyelids to return to a bright pink color. This happens because it takes the body 3-4 weeks to replenish the red cells.
Now, I have also had other parasitic infections in small ruminants and the recommendation is to have fecals run on your herd at least once or twice a year. This will screen your herd for other parasites that you need to be aware of. Then you can institute a special deworming plan for them.
The other thing that I see a lot of is pregnancy toxemia. This is where we lack enough energy to support the pregnancy. This pregnant ewe or doe goes down or just doesn’t act right. With the added energy, they perk right up and do just fine. To avoid some of this immediately after delivery of their babies, I recommend their first one gallon of water be sweet water. This is a gallon of water with two ounces of molasses added to it. If you do not have molasses, Karo, honey, Mrs. Butterworth or any pancake syrup can be used.
Dr. Tim O’Neill owns Country Veterinary Clinic in Farmington, Ark.
