FACIAL ECZEMA IN SHEEP.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1492, 15 July 1912, Page 8

FACIAL ECZEMA IN SHEEP.

THE COMPLALNT AND ITS REMEDY. Facial eczema, a condition which is brought about in .sheep as a result of depasturing upon 11 luxuriant growth of lank autumn feed, \\a> made itself noticeable to some extent in several quarters this year, but, so far, only to a small extent. .At limes great (rouble has been caused in the North Island by thi» complaint, slieepowners in some districts h:iving sulVered heavily. Last season the feed in the early autumn was short, tho rains coming 100 late to produce the feeding conditions of the previous season, when tho complaint was very prevalent, Not a Contagious Disease. At the Wallaecviilo laboratory last year some further practical experiments were carried out in order to corroborate the conclusion!! previously arrived at that facial eczema was not confas'cuis. Sheep iitTected with this 'disease were penned up closely with other sheep, certain of the healthy animals having the skin of the face and the lips first scarified in order to render them more susceptible to contagion if it 'existed. Though kept in close contact forjMiJip weeks—in fact, until the affected' animals had practically recovered (save one which died)—none of.tho healthy --•hcep contracted the disease. When (lie disease has developed to the full,'the sheep present a most distressing appearance. 'J'he fice and cars are bare of hair, Ihe skin is , covered with a dry brown coloured scab, which when peeled off shows a deeper surface more or less covered with thrck matter. Often the troubk extends to the eyes, which become inflamed and sightless, their condition ljp'in» nindo worse by the fart that the sheep in its efforts to allay the. irritation attempts to scratch at its face with one or the other hind foot, the eye being liable. to"direct injury in 'consequence. Death often results, this being caused by tho absorption into the system of a poisonous material produced by (ho germs' which have taken possession of the ,skin rf the face. If ?heep recover, they take i lanj time to regain their normal health ami condition. Treatment of the Disease, < The great point in treatment is, according to expert opinion, to get lo work prompt]}- as soon as the first indication of the • presence of. the disease is noticed. Theaffected (lock should l;e taken to. the yards, and dratted one by one through a nice. 'Every sheep showing the. slightest indication of liuuble.f-hould luive the skin of its face and ears well bathed with a strong solution of lysoll .leye's or.iT.awe's fluid, or, if nqthiiii else be available, non-poisonous dip. This solution should bo of a strength of one part in twenty parts of. wafer. This ' treatment should be repealed twice , at intervals of three days. The entire flock shouM also be immediately transferred t«. another p-addocß, preferably one with short clean feed. In moving the sheen they should tie taken as quietly as possible, and not bustled •in any way. Even when the later and worse condition is developed bathing the affected part 'with one of the solutions [escribed above is of considerable benefit, as tho liquid not only destroys any germs with which it comes in contact, but-also allays the irritation of the skin. Preventive Measures. As stated above investigation has failed to prove that the <lisen?t> is contagious. Healthy sheep have hern kept closely confined with badly affected sheep, and have remained healthy, and the only iv«y in which the disease'has been experimentally conveyed from one to another is by. direct inoculation. ■ Hence farmers must look to feeding condition as being the primary" cause, aiul take preventive measures accordingly. If possible, the sheep should not be allowed to depasture on paddocks* in which there is ■ a heavy growth of rank ■autumn grass, or if no better feed be available, they should lie frequently changed from one paddock to another. When beinir travelled they should not be unduly hurried, as this is liable to disturb the proper continuance of the digestive functions, and set up sufficient internal disturbance to bring about a beginning of the trouble.