Causes of limping

[Southdown]

What could be some causes of limping? Suffolk ewe is limping. Hooves are great, repeatedly checked and trimmed, nithing wrong. No swelling I can detect. The CD&t shot in the armpit has a firm mass ( a problem I always have, they don't go away). Are there any diseases I should be aware of that would cause a limp, swollen shoulders, and wasting away? My now deceased ram had similar problems: started with a limp, thought foot but nothing there, shoulder later swelled. Vet thought broken shoulder, but not 100% agreement between the vets if it was broken, then they extracted syringes full of pus from his shoulder. He quit walking and got real thin before he died. Now I have two more sheep with similar signs. Ideas? Should I be testing for a disease? Is this arthritis (would think that would affect more thsn one leg), or the stupid cdt vaccine, which always leaves a lump?

 

[B&B Happy goats]

What could be some causes of limping? Suffolk ewe is limping. Hooves are great, repeatedly checked and trimmed, nithing wrong. No swelling I can detect. The CD&t shot in the armpit has a firm mass ( a problem I always have, they don't go away). Are there any diseases I should be aware of that would cause a limp, swollen shoulders, and wasting away? My now deceased ram had similar problems: started with a limp, thought foot but nothing there, shoulder later swelled. Vet thought broken shoulder, but not 100% agreement between the vets if it was broken, then they extracted syringes full of pus from his shoulder. He quit walking and got real thin before he died. Now I have two more sheep with similar signs. Ideas? Should I be testing for a disease? Is this arthritis (would think that would affect more thsn one leg), or the stupid cdt vaccine, which always leaves a lump?

It is a holiday, but will try to get you some sheep people @Mike CHS @Sheepshape @Baymule

 

[Baymule]

I haven't had anything like that and don't know what it is.

I went looking and it may be Johnes. Here is a link with lots of pictures that you can compare to. The site in in the UK, but it has good information.

https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/sheep/johnes-and-other-wasting-diseases-in-sheep/

This outlines some diseases, wasting is a symptom of OPP and CL.
https://www.sheepandgoat.com/overviewsheepdiseases

At the very least, a blood test looking for the bacteria listed by name for these diseases should be performed.

I wish you and your sheep the best. Please let us know what happens. I know it may be hard, but if you share treatments and pictures, it may help the next person who faces something like this.

 

[Baymule]

Do you have your sheep on a good mineral program? Your soil may be deficient in trace minerals which are important in the overall health of the animal. Without adequate minerals, animals, and us too, are open to diseases and sickness.

I give my sheep a commercial sheep mineral. I also give them Azomite, rock dust from an ancient lava flow. They eat it like candy, then at times, ignore it. I put out dolomite lime, especially for pregnant and nursing ewes.

http://www.azomiteinternational.com/resources/coa.pdf

Another option is Sea-90. I don't use it, but I know people who do and they say it is good.

https://seaagri.com/?v=7516fd43adaa

 

[Sheepshape]

Southdown.....SO sorry to hear about the problems you are having.

I haven't had anything quite like you describe, but have had a couple of ewes who have had pus 'by the bucketload'. The first was a ewe who had some kind of injury where the hoof meets the leg, followed by ascending infection. Pus tracked up the tissue planes of the leg to the shoulder. I had to make incisions with a scalpel below the shoulder and below the knee and use heavy doses of antibiotics for about a week to resolve the problem. Yours doesn't sound entirely like this.

Another ewe I had developed a huge swelling on her neck. Initially I thought it was Caseous Lymphadenitis, but couldn't find any other lumps. So....out with the scalpel again...about 700mls of foul smelling pus. She developed a cavity which I irrigated with hydrogen peroxide, but this eventually closed and healed. A sample of pus taken to the vet did not have C pseudotuberculosis, but some mixed organisms grew....so not CL (I think the organism isn't easy to grow, though). So, are there any other lumps and bumps on your sheep which may indicate Caseous Lymphadenitis? (as suggested by Baymule).

Johne's certainly causes wasting in an otherwise bright-looking animal, but I'm struggling to see the link to the pus in the shoulder.

To be honest, I'm a bit stumped. CL would be about top of my list, but the description is far from typical.

I DO hope you're able to find out what is wrong.

 

[Baymule]

Thanks for weighing in @Sheepshape you have vastly more experience than I do.

 

[Sheepshape]

Thanks for weighing in @Sheepshape you have vastly more experience than I do.

Bay, you seem to know about ALL animals, my repertoire is very limited (AND I'm stumped by what is going on here).

 

[Goat Whisperer]

It doesn't really "fit" but I'd be testing for mycoplasma.

Did you take any in for a necropsy? Any repository issues?

 

[Baymule]

Bay, you seem to know about ALL animals, my repertoire is very limited (AND I'm stumped by what is going on here).

I only know enough to recognize that I don't know much. LOL I research things to death, learn all I can and defer to others who have more experience that I do. I have never dealt with anything like this.

It doesn't really "fit" but I'd be testing for mycoplasma.

Did you take any in for a necropsy? Any repository issues?

Mycoplasma? Have you dealt with mycoplasma and can you describe it? Thank you!

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I haven't dealt with it personally, but know others who have. I can't think of any great resources off the top of my head but if you google it you will get some info. There are different strains, and the symptoms can vary some.

Oh! Just remembered this farm, there is some info here. I'm sure you can find more in depth info
https://pholiafarm.com/herd-management/mycoplasma/