BLOOD-POISONING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1558, 30 September 1912, Page 8

BLOOD-POISONING.

"'A 'SHEEP AND LAMB TROUBLE. : GOJfMON AFTER DOCKING AND SHEAKING. ■ Blood-poisoning in slieep after shearing, ind iu lambs aftev'dockiDg or castration, is tho cause of considerable loss to sheepbrooders annually in several districts of tlio_ Dominion, and as' docking timo is ugain approaching it may bo of advantage ■ to farmers to bo given a reminder on tho Jtbrive 'head. ..'.'•..*•' Generally, tho first tiling that draws the owner's attention seriously to the condition cf his flock is tho. discovery, in from, thirty-sis to forty-eight hours, after docking ,or shearing, of a few dead slieep r lying in various parts of the paddocks. Next morning ho finds a few more dead, and so on for three or four days, when, as a rule, the mortality ceases. In the early stages of the disease in question the animal seems listless, disinclined to move about, and, if the sun is shining strongly, prefers .to lie in the shade. If forced to move, the hind legs ore drawn forward with a peculiar stiff, dragging motion, as if there were no joints. , There are slight muscular tremors all over the body, which, become spasmodic as the disease progresses. If the flock-;be driven-about, much the.diseased animal soon shows' signs of great fatigue, ultimately dropping .to the ground thoroughly exhausted. Tho breathing is fast and.painful, being maintained more by a series of; spasmodic, jerks than by any regular, act., The pulse is quick and weak) the temperature is very high, reg-istering-106 degrees to 108 degrees Fahr., showing acute fever; the eyes close, and the whole face is expressive of great pain. Graduclly 1 the spasms cease, aud coma sets in, resulting in death. The scrotum (purse) and surrounding skin right along tho, floor, of, the. abdomen and between the r hind legs become swollen and black. This gangrenous tissue, when, present before -deatu,"can' be pelctl *oIT without pain to the animal. Tho cause of Wood-poisoning. is a microbe found in many dirty yards, swampy soils, etc.,.and on gaining entrance to tho system "of almost any animal by means of a wound it rapidly increases in. numbers, producing' gangrene or death of the part 'affected first, and ultimately tho death of the animal. Preventive Measures, "Curative'treatment is practically useless, 1 tut preventive measures can be adopted,, and by the exercise of a little caro, and troublo'niuch' may be accomplished, i The live stock experts of HitAgricultural Department deal with the question of prevention as under:--"•"Being organisms capable of producing spores'(seeds), tho bacilli have great re-sistihg-power, and in all probability may'remain for years in the soil. Tho practice 0f,,; leavings carcasses of animals dead of this disease on tho paddocks to rot'and be"torn to pieces by hawks is very pernicious.. As a result fresh centres of infection are formed through, the absorption of the bacilli" by the earth, and probably tho disease is spread to considerable distances directly by the carrionhawks, through dropping portions of the flesh,' and, indirectly, possibly, (hrough the bacilli passing out of the intestinal, canal of tho hawk,' uninjured, among the faeces.^. One means of prevention strongly indicated, therefore, "is the destruction of,the. carcasses, of animals which havo succumbed to this disease, by efficient burial or by fire. It 'would appear that in most instances the contagion is present in the yards'or surroundings of the wool-, shod,.and : is consequently extremely difficult to get rid of. In order to do so it is necessary to employ some means such as following : l Eenipye, the. surface-soil of the'yards" and surroundings to a depth of about (Jin.,, and place in a heap, whore it should be thoroughly mixed with quicklime. Then saturate the fresh surface exposed with a strong solution., of crude carbolic acid or of some non-poisonous disinfectant sheep-dip, that'whieli remains after the usual sheep-dipping operations, where such dip is' Employed, being'admirably suited for such a purpose. It is advisable, also, to thoroughly clean the floors and.walls, of tho sheds, and apply, strong hot lime-wash, with which should be mixed somo powerful disinfectant, such, as crude carbolic, acid, in the proportion of pne'iiv fifty.' Along with'tho above precautionary measures it is absolutely necessary; to adopt .some ' means of preventing the germs from gaining entrance into tho flesh-cuts made by the shears, or tho .docking and castrating knife. !;: tlie',sheanng : shed. it should bo imperative .that.thV stiearc.iyon making a .cut, especially in the region of the breast, belly, <or legs, should immediately apply somo tat or-other antiseptic to the wound. This practice is in force in several sheds with •distinct advantage, but in many no pre'caufionsiwJiatevcr aroiaken. For lambs at docking and castrating time the application of caiboliscd oil (1-12) to the wounds oft 'the scrotum and tail before releasing' the animal after the operation is recommended, and- where this has been acted upDn the benfits have been marked;- Docking and tailing-knives should for preference-be boiled before use. In ;soveral .instances this disease has been -prevented from occurring in lambs ,by, castrating in temporary yards made of Movable hurdles, situated in a fresh paddock; there have been cases where thiswas not'followed by the success anticipated.' Tliq reason was to be found in the adjac--eht- swamps, where probably in former years animals had died or tho same dis.ease, and.'tlic, carcasses .being left to rot, • the water Tiad'gradually, disseminated the 'germs throughout the swanTpy area. The lambs, feeling weak from loss of blood, had taken to the shelter'of tho long tussocky grass growing in these swampy areas, and thcwoiinds, coming in contact with the infected ground, had become ' contaminated. 'This , demonstrates tho necessity.for using antiseptic applications even when temporary yards are employed, and for. keeping sheep and lambs after the oporation'-in a paddock free.from swampy patches.' ..'■''