DIARRHEA IN SHEEP & GOATS of Different Age Groups

DIARRHEA IN SHEEP & GOATS of Different Age Groups

 Compiled by : Dr.ASHOK KUMAR VALUPADASU Asst.Director- V&AH Dept- Govt of Telangana 8500404016 grass2meat@gmail.com

@drakvalupadasu

 In livestock, diarrhea is called Scours.
 Diarrheais defined as an increased frequency fluidity or volume of fecal excretion.
 The feces may contain blood or mucous
 The feces may be smelly.
 The color of the feces may be abnormal.
 It is not possible to definitively determine the infectious organism by looking at the color, consistency or odor of the feces.
 A definitive identification requires a sample for microbiological analysis.
 There can be many causes of diarrhea like:

1. Bacterial
2. Viral
3. Parasites
4. Diet

DIARRHEA IN LAMBS & KIDS @ 0-30 DAYS AGE

 Diarrhea is the most commondisease affecting young/neonatal lambs & Kids.
 It is costly disease
 It is a complex, multi-factorial disease involving the
a. Animal
b. Environment
c. Nutrition and
d. Infectious agents.

 The four major infectious causes of diarrhea in lambs & kids during the first month of life are

1. E.Coli (Bacteria)
2. Rota virus (Virus)
3. Cryposporidium Sp (Protozoa)
4. Salmonella (Bacteria)

 Among above 4 causes, E. coli scours are most common.

 Usually the cause of death in scouring lambs and kids is due to

a. Dehydration caused by loss of large amounts of fluids &
Electrolytes such as Sodium & chloride
b. Acidosis

 Whatever the microbial cause of scours, the most effective treatment for a scouring lamb or kid is rehydration (by administering fluids) & use of suitable Antibiotic ( as required ).

E. Coli: E. coli scours is associated with unfavorable environmental conditions and poor sanitation. It is seen in lambs and kids of 0 -10days of age Is most common at 1-4 days of age. It presents itself as an outbreak in lambs and kids between 12-48 hours after birth. It is called as Watery Mouth Disease (WMD)also as affected lambs salivate and have a cold mouth.

Prevention & Control :

 Rehydration of affected with fluids and electrolytes, such as Sodium and Chlorine.
 Antibiotics are used for both treatment and prevention of E. coli scours in lambs. Neomycin shall be considered.
 Adequate ingestion of Colostrum by newborns decreases the incidence of the disease.
 Proper sanitation & Hygiene

Rotavirus: Rotavirus( Group-B) causes diarrhea in lambs and kids at 2 to 14 days of age. Young animals become very depressed and dehydrated. Rotavirus tend to be less a cause of diarrhea in lambs and kids than calves.

Prevention & Control :

 Rehydration of affected with fluids and electrolytes, such as Sodium and Chlorine.
 Antibiotics (Neomycin or Amikacin) are used for both treatment and prevention of Rotavirus scours in lambs.
 Adequate ingestion of Colostrum by newborns decreases the incidence of the disease.
 Proper sanitation & Hygiene

Cryptosporidium : Cryptosporidium parvum is a Protozoa that causes diarrhea similar to that of Rotavirus infection. It cause diarrhea in lambs and kids of 5-10 days of age.

Symptoms :

a. Affected lambs and Kids are often active,alert and nursing.
b. The diarrhea is usually very liquid and yellow. Prevention & Control :

 There is no effective treatment
 Rehydration of affected with fluids and electrolytes,such as Sodium and Chlorine.
 Ammonia and formalin are effective at removing Cryptosporidium from the environment.
 The best control is getting adequate immunity through colostrum soon after birth

Salmonella The bacteria Salmonella has thousands of serotypes and all can potentially cause diarrhea in animals. Salmonella can cause diarrhea in lambs and kids of any age.

Symptoms :

a. Lambs & Kids less than 1 week of age are more likely to die without clinical
signs
b. Lambs & Kids older than 1 week are more likely to have diarrhea.
c.Salmonella also causes outbreaks of diarrhea in late gestation and is frequently associated with abortion.

Prevention & Control :

 The best control is getting adequate immunity through colostrum soon after birth
 Hygiene & Sanitation :Bleach is an effective disinfectant to use during an outbreak.
 Rehydration of affected with fluids and electrolytes, such as Sodium and Chlorine.

Giardia (Protozoa) Giardia-induced diarrhea is more common, but not limited to 2 to 4 week old lambs and kids.

Symptoms :

a. The diarrhea is usually transient
b. Infected animals can continue to shed cysts for many weeks, providing a
source of infection for other animals and possibly humans. Prevention & Control :

 Infected animals can be treated effectively with fenbendazole
 The best control is getting adequate immunity through colostrum soon after birth
 Hygiene & Sanitation :Bleach is an effective disinfectant to use during an outbreak.
 Rehydration of affected with fluids and electrolytes,such as Sodium and Chlorine.

Nutritional causes of Diarrhea in lambs & Kids Nutritional diarrhea is most common in orphaned animals as a result of poor quality milk replacers, and overfeeding. Consumption of lush pasture or high- energy diets can also result in diarrhea in young lambs and kids.

DIARRHEA IN LAMBS & KIDS @ > 30 DAYS AGE

The most common causes of diarrhea in older lambs & kids are

1. Coccidiosis (Protozoa)
2. GI Parasites ( Internal worms)
3. Clostridium Perfringens (Bacteria)
4. Rumen acidosis
5. Nutritional

Coccidiosis Coccidosis is a protozoan parasitic disease that is a common cause of diarrhea in lambs and kids. It may also cause subclinical production losses. Lambs and kids are most susceptible to the problem at 1 to 4 months of age, although younger animals may be affected. Lambs are resistant to the disease in their first few weeks of life. Exposure to the protozoa during this time confers immunity and resistance to later infections.

Predisposing factors :

1. Weaning stress
2. Feed changes
3. Shipping.

Symptoms :
o The diarrhea of lambs and kids is usually not bloody
o may contain blood or mucous
o be very watery.

Treatment : • Supportive care
• Adminstration of Coccidiostats.
• Treating all lambs & kids of flock during an outbreak ( not just affected) Prevention :  Improved sanitation
 use of Coccidiostats in creep feed
 Getting adequate immunity through colostrum soon after birth

Gastro-intestinal worms
The Barber pole worm ( Haemonchus contortus ) is the major worm species affecting Sheep and Goats in warm, moist climates that experience summer rainfall. It is not characterized by diarrhea. Heavy loads of other Gastro-intestinal worms can also cause diarrhea in Sheep & Goats. For Ex

• Ostertagia circumcincta (medium or brown stomach worm)
• Trichostrongylus (bankrupt or hair worm )
• Cooperia sp. (small intestinal worm)
• Nematodirus sp. (thread neck worm)
Control : is best achieved via a. good pasture grazing b. good animal management c. strategic and /or selective deworming of affected individuals with effective Anthelmintics.

Clostridium perfringins Clostridium perfringins types A, B, C, and D can all cause diarrhea in lambs and kids. With type D the most common agent the onset of neurologic signs followed by sudden death is more common in Sheep In Goats signs of diarrhea seen before death.

Treatment :

a.Rarely effective
b.Aggressive supportive care
c. administration of the antitoxin. Clostridium perfringens type C affect very young lambs of <2 weeks of age Symptoms:

 Bloody diarrhea
 Hemorrhagic enteritis
 Bloody Scours. Prevention :

• Vaccinating pregnant Ewes/Does about three weeks prior to delivery
• Subsequent vaccination of offspring.
• Getting passive immunity by consumption of adequate, high quality Colostrum.

Rumen Acidosis

 Acidosis is caused by too much grain or concentrate, which causes a change in rumen acidity and bacteria population.
 The increase in acid causes an inflammation of the rumen wall and a reduction in the bacteria needed to digest fiber.
 Symptoms may include depression, off feed, bloat, founder, scours, and occasionally death.
 Treatment includes drenching with mineral oil or antacids.
 Acidosis is prevented by proper feeding management. Concentrates (grain) should be introduced to the diet slowly and increased incrementally to give time for the rumen to adjust.

Nutritional

 Nutritional scours can be caused by anything that disrupts normal habits.
 It can also be the result of low intake of dry matter to fluid ratio.
 A lamb needs to consume at least 2.5 % of its body weight in dry matter daily.
 Young or fast growing lambs turned out to pasture must eat large quantities of grass to satisfy their nutritional needs. Green grass is high in moisture.
 They may develop diarrhea if they aren’t getting enough dry matter in their diet.

DIARRHEA IN SHEEP AND GOATS @ ADULTS

o Adult – onset diarrhea is less common than in lambs and kids, but nevertheless is possible.
o Parasitism can cause diarrhea in adult Sheep and Goats.
o Coccidiosis can occur in adults under extreme stress or due to lack of immunity.
o Ingestion of toxins can also cause diarrhea.
o Grazing lush or wet pasture cause Diarrhea.

Johne’s Disease Diarrhea is not a common symptom of Sheep and Goats infected with Johne's disease. less than 20 percent of Sheep and Goats with Johne's show diarrhea. Johne's disease is an incurable, contagious bacterial disease of the intestinal tract.

Prevention of Fly strike risk due to Diarrhea

Sheep that have diarrhea are more prone to fly strike
( blowflies or maggots ). To prevent fly strike, it is recommended that

 lambs ( M & F ) be docked.
 The dock should be left long enough to cover the vulva of the Ewe and an equivalent length on a Ram lamb.
 If a lamb can “wag” its tail, it will be able to use its tail to project away feces. Otherwise the feces will run down the lamb’s back end.
TREATMENT STRATEGIES OF SCOURS

 Diarrhea is not an illness . It is a symptom of other health problems e.g. Bloat, Acidosis, Enterotoxaemia, and Polio-Encephalitis.
 Diarrhea is not always the result of an infectious disease.
 It is induced by stress, poor management and nutrition.
 Many of the common causes of diarrhea are self-limiting.
 Major goals of treatment is to keep the animal physiologically intact while the diarrhea runs its course.
 Determine reasons of scouring before starting treatment.
 If body temperature is above the normal, fever medications and antibiotics are to be used to control the infection.
 Oral anti-diarrheal medications preferred.
 Kaolin-Pectin can be used to treat non-infectious causes of diarrhea.
 Drugs which decrease gut motility should not be used.
 Oral yogurt or probiotics are often given to restore a more normal gutflora.
 Treatment with antibiotics is usually not useful when animals are infected with viruses or protozoa.
 Antibiotics are useful when bacterial infections are the primary infective agent or where the risk of secondary bacterial infections is high.
 Sulfa- antibiotics or Amprolium should be used in the case of Coccidia.