Sheep and Goats: Early Signs of Illness to Watch For

As prey animals, sheep and goats often show few signs until they are quite ill. A short daily look at your flock or herd is one of the best tools you have.

Daily check

• Behaviour - an animal standing apart from the group, head down, or reluctant to get up.
• Appetite and cud chewing - healthy sheep and goats spend a lot of time chewing cud.
• Droppings - normally firm pellets; diarrhoea or soiling around the tail needs attention.
• Breathing - fast or laboured breathing, coughing or nasal discharge.
• Movement - limping can point to foot problems that spread in damp or dirty conditions.

Red flags that need a vet quickly

• Bloat - a swollen left side of the belly, discomfort and difficulty breathing. Bloat can be fatal and needs urgent help.
• Pale inner eyelids and gums - can indicate anaemia, often caused by blood-sucking stomach worms. Some vets use an eyelid colour chart to decide which animals need treatment.
• Swelling under the jaw ("bottle jaw") - another sign linked to severe worm burdens.
• Not eating, sudden weakness, high fever or difficulty giving birth.

Prevention

• Work with your vet on a vaccination programme suited to your area.
• Follow a parasite control plan based on testing where possible - overusing dewormers makes worms resistant.
• Provide clean water, shade and good-quality feed, and introduce feed changes gradually.
• Keep new animals separate for a period before mixing them with the rest.
• Keep records of treatments, births and illnesses.

Some livestock diseases can spread to people. Wear gloves when handling sick animals or birth fluids, and wash your hands well afterwards.