Sheep ticks

Gilally

We lost one sheep to ticks yesterday and another one has some on their ears. Anyone have any experience with them. Also I am a bit worried about lyme disease! As a bit of google can be dangerous.:eek:

Any tips for treating the sheep? I read online that vaseline and dipping. It is our first year to have sheep and the land we rented wasnt spread with lime, we will know for next year!

Any advice appreciated.

Username John

Gilally wrote: »

We lost one sheep to ticks yesterday and another one has some on their ears. Anyone have any experience with them. Also I am a bit worried about lyme disease! As a bit of google can be dangerous.:eek:

Any tips for treating the sheep? I read online that vaseline and dipping. It is our first year to have sheep and the land we rented wasnt spread with lime, we will know for next year!

Any advice appreciated.

What do you mean you lost a sheep?

I haven't heard of ticks killing a sheep before, so interested to hear exactly what happened.

Gilally

Sheep was sick from what we think were ticks so it died.

Username John

Gilally wrote: »

Sheep was sick from what we think were ticks so it died.

Sorry to hear that. Also - maybe my first post was a bit direct.

Were the sheep scratching a lot, had they pulled out bits of wool off themselves? Could you see ticks? Was the sheep pining away for a while, or just died all of a sudden?

Like I say - I haven't heard of ticks killing sheep before, so interested to hear why you think it was ticks.

For what its worth - last year a few of my sheep were scratching a lot, pulled out some wool, were uncomfortable in themselves - I found Spot-on did the trick & stopped em scratching. Not sure it helps tho...

Username John

Gilally wrote: »

Sheep was sick from what we think were ticks so it died.

Have you considered a post mortem? I had one done on a sheep that died, and I didn't know the cause last year. Wasn't as dear as I thought it would be either.

johngalway

Username John wrote: »

Have you considered a post mortem? I had one done on a sheep that died, and I didn't know the cause last year. Wasn't as dear as I thought it would be either.

Do you mind me asking how much John? Could be handy for the future.

Username John

johngalway wrote: »

Do you mind me asking how much John? Could be handy for the future.

I was trying to think there, and I think it was around 30 - 35 euro?

Now - its another expense on top of losing the ewe and then paying to get rid of the ewe, but for a vet I thought it was cheap enough.

johngalway

Username John wrote: »

I was trying to think there, and I think it was around 30 - 35 euro?

Now - its another expense on top of losing the ewe and then paying to get rid of the ewe, but for a vet I thought it was cheap enough.

Not bad at all John, I was thinking at least €50. When it's an unknown death it's good to try and find out what happened.

Gilally

We already have arranged for disposal of the animal so I think too late for a post mortem. My husband just said that the sheep was covered in ticks, she was also in lamb.

THanks for the replies.

fodda

Was it this ? Also maybe able to affect humans ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louping_ill

Gilally

certainly sounds like it, all I know is the sheep had ticks.

Poor Farmer in the hills

ticks can kill a sheep that has not been exposed to them before when she is moved onto land with ticks on it . Treat all sheep with spot on and do lambs few days after birth as they are easily killed.

razor8

Sligo Reg Lab charge €12.70 to do a post mortem on a ewe and they dispose

Highland

Ticks won't kill sheep. They act as vectors for disease's which do the job for them. There are numerous disease's, some cause illness from which most sheep recover, while others cause abortion, paralysis and death. Red water in cattle, louping ill, tick borne fever, tick pyaemia, etc in sheep. Spot on, dipping, vector will kill and prevent ticks reattaching for various periods. However most disease's act slowly so sheep are sick or paralysed for a period of time before death.

Lymes disease is more an issue for humans. Its very treatable if detected early. If you are working with sheep/in areas where there are a lot of ticks present you should check yourself daily for ticks. Remove any ticks and keep an eye on the bite area - if you get a rash or feel unwell go to doctor and tell him/her that you suspect lymes disease - there is a blood test and early treatment works well.

johngalway

Highland wrote: »

Lymes disease is more an issue for humans.

My girlfriend got Lyme disease, it's nothing trivial at all and the possible consequences can be quite serious. People should read up on it.

CJhaughey

johngalway wrote: »

My girlfriend got Lyme disease, it's nothing trivial at all and the possible consequences can be quite serious. People should read up on it.

Very serious, I know a guy who is now in a mobility scooter because of lyme disease.
This is a great source of info:
http://www.ticktalkireland.org/

Highland

I agree Lymes disease is not trivial, but if you check in most cases where the consequences are serious it's because it wasnt diagnosed in time. Doctors in Ireland don't come across it that often compared to on the continent or in the USA. I contracted it from a tick bite while deer stalking but knew what to look out for and said it to Doctor so he prescribed appropriate drugs - no problems since. A friend of mine who lives in the Blackforest in Germany has had it 5 times but its very common over there and doctors are used to treating for it.

There is a lot of histeria about it in the press and people should not be afraid to go out into the Country, all that is needed is a awareness of the disease, a knowledge of what to look out for and more importantly people need to tell doctors that they suspect that they may have it if they feel unwell following tick bites. Farmers need to be aware also - same ticks on sheep/cattle as on deer

Gilally

Highland wrote: »

I agree Lymes disease is not trivial, but if you check in most cases where the consequences are serious it's because it wasnt diagnosed in time. Doctors in Ireland don't come across it that often compared to on the continent or in the USA. I contracted it from a tick bite while deer stalking but knew what to look out for and said it to Doctor so he prescribed appropriate drugs - no problems since. A friend of mine who lives in the Blackforest in Germany has had it 5 times but its very common over there and doctors are used to treating for it.

There is a lot of histeria about it in the press and people should not be afraid to go out into the Country, all that is needed is a awareness of the disease, a knowledge of what to look out for and more importantly people need to tell doctors that they suspect that they may have it if they feel unwell following tick bites. Farmers need to be aware also - same ticks on sheep/cattle as on deer

A second sheep is showing similar symptoms any advice how to treat we dipped yesterday again.

rancher

Gilally wrote: »

A second sheep is showing similar symptoms any advice how to treat we dipped yesterday again.

have you shown it to a vet yet

Birdnuts

Does spreading lime on land work as well for ticks as it does for fluke

LongTail

Spot on is a good job. A lock of pour on dip as well would help. It can weaken sheep extremely quickly if left untreated. Check the ears, the 'arm pits' on the front legs and the back legs. Make sure to pick them off if you see them. They will be full of blood the wee tramps.

LostCovey

Birdnuts wrote: »

Does spreading lime on land work as well for ticks as it does for fluke

I don't think lime does anything to prevent either, birdnuts to be honest.

Could be mistaken, but I don't think soil pH has anything to do with it. Fluke need snails & wet areas, ticks need rough vegetation & good cover when they're off the animal.

Highland

Gilally wrote: »

A second sheep is showing similar symptoms any advice how to treat we dipped yesterday again.

Find out what the problem is - send off bloods, talk to your vet - it might not be tick related at all. Killings ticks is one thing. If the ticks have already passed on the disease then even though the ticks are gone some of the sheep may still get ill.

Highland

Birdnuts wrote: »

Does spreading lime on land work as well for ticks as it does for fluke

Lime doesnt do anything for either ticks or fluke.

Gilally

Highland wrote: »

Birdnuts wrote: »

Does spreading lime on land work as well for ticks as it does for fluke

Lime doesnt do anything for either ticks or fluke.

What is reccomended for ticks and fluke ?

Username John

Gilally wrote: »

What is reccomended for ticks and fluke ?

Ticks - not 100%, but did someone on this thread not say Spot-on was good?

Fluke - I was advised to use a clostanel based product last time I dosed. I think it was called flukiver.

I screwed up dosing for fluke last year, so I can tell you first hand its something that you need a plan for...
The best piece of advice I can give is talk to your vet re an overall plan / approach for dealing with fluke & whatever else. As different things work for different people / places.

supersean1999

2 years ago i lost two hoggets, from meningitus, they had ticks, i was told to put baticol(WRONG SPELLIN) 2ml on there skin at back of neck,all ticks died, this year i done all lambs when there around 2-3 weeks old great job.

johngalway

Lambs are covered in them here. Next dry day they'll be getting Vector, used it for the past two years and it seems to do the job well.

Gilally

johngalway wrote: »

Lambs are covered in them here. Next dry day they'll be getting Vector, used it for the past two years and it seems to do the job well.

Thanks for all the advice, is there anything you can spray on the land to reduce them?
The neighbouring farmers told us they spray the land with lime to kill ticks??

johngalway

Gilally wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice, is there anything you can spray on the land to reduce them?
The neighbouring farmers told us they spray the land with lime to kill ticks??

Not to give you a short answer, but I don't know.

rancher

Gilally wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice, is there anything you can spray on the land to reduce them?
The neighbouring farmers told us they spray the land with lime to kill ticks??

Lime won't kill them but I'm sure you can get a pesticide that'll kill them..... along with butterflies, ladybirds, aphids etc.....don't think so. Think its better to just treat the sheep

Highland

Forget about trying to rid the land of ticks - it wont work - they live in long dense vegetation - you havent a hope. Just treat sheep periodically with either dipping, vector pour on or spot on. Same applies to fluke treat sheep for fluke, you wont eliminate Fluke from you farm unless you eliminate all the mudsnails which are intermediate hosts and there are millions of them per acre in wet land.