The North Star Sale is history, good sheep were presented that sold for reasonable prices. NAILE will soon be upon us and perhaps past by the time you receive this letter. I am looking forward to Louisville. My new book Pipestone's Veterinary Guide to Sheep and Goats has just come off the press and acceptance has been remarkable. This time of year is a slow time in the business as harvest is completed, lambs are sold and lambing hasn't begun. For those that have fall lambs it is a different story but they are somewhat easy as well.
Questions I receive this time of year other than about worming are somewhat unpredictable. I have had a couple about photosensitization. This condition occurs when an animal consumes vegetation, most likely in pasture but occasionally in hay, and when the animal is exposed to sun light an allergic reaction occurs with swelling of the entire head, referred to as big head. Black sheep are not susceptible because their pigment protects them. Treatment involves removing from sun light and changing diet.
Worming issues continue to evolve. I am convinced that the parasite resistance issues are the result of misuse of wormers and the adoption of management practices that were not possible prior to the Ivermectins. I still like to worm ewes coming off pasture and the only white wormer I would use is Valbazen if I were concerned about flukes and that should not be used in pregnant animals. Dectomax would be my first choice followed by Prohibit but others work well as well. I recommend worming again in the spring prior to going to pasture.
I promised I wouldn't talk about NSIP again but I continue to find information that substantiates my position. In the Katahdin breed the good old boys treat as a second class citizen if you challenge their position on NSIP. I find it interesting that just 3% of their members actually participate by turning in numbers. Another 1 1/2% enroll but don't keep records. I am appalled that ASI endorses this program to grow the industry.
At a recent sheep symposium a panel discussion occurred and it was the opinion among the group that ASI wasn’t doing enough on the internal parasites including working to gain approval of anthelmintics used overseas in countries from which we import lamb from. I would say just the opposite, ASI probably has a better record than dealing with the bureaucracy of any other group representing other species. The overseas issue and importing product that has a history of being treated with a product not approved by the FDA/CVM isn’t news it is history. Sheep are now considered a minor species and it only takes seven million dollars to get drug approval instead of 14 million. Seven million probably exceeds the annual entire animal health cost for sheep in the U.S. If you limited it to health products that had a sheep label there is no question that seven million would cover several times.
Probably a bigger issue facing the industry is how producers obtain prescription products. A VCPR veterinarian, client, patient relationship has to exist. This is a growing concern in the sheep and goat industry as the numbers don’t work. Flocks and potential business they represent do not constitute an economic unit in a lot of practices and therefore the veterinarian has no interest. Products like Nuflor,Draxxin and now Zactran are antibiotics that are essential but not available without a prescription. Banamine, dexamethasone and oxytocin are other examples.
Fortunately, there are a number of over the counter products intended for other species that can be obtained. Slaughter withdrawal times need to be closely observed. Quite frankly for the sheep producer, it’s a challenge and without veterinary help and advice it continues to get more difficult.
Another concern should be about new proposed regulations that while the government doesn't specifically request a VCPR those that believe they represent the practitioner on the veterinary side answer with the VCPR as the solution. That would require a drug such as Sulfamethazine that is commonly used in the drinking water to become an RX product. This product has been over the counter for over a half a century so what’s the issue now.
Availability of drugs, vaccines and veterinary services is a constant and ongoing problem for sheep and goat producers. Economics are involved related to size and location of the enterprise. quite often enterprises are not of significant value to a veterinarians practice.
Flocks of 300 sheep and lambs constitute 43% of total numbers. Availability of drugs, vaccines and veterinary service and information is already a significant problem for this group and further regulation will be a detriment to animal welfare and survival of these producers.
By: Dr. G.F. Kennedy
