RE: [blackbelly] Blackbelly mastitis

[Crawford, Dr. Stephen]

Title: Message

John:   We had one ewe this past lambing season that had masititis. She was very swollen on one side of her utter and the nipples were very big. You really need to expel milk from the bag to relieve the pressure and unblock the blockage. We did this to our ewe by milking her. My son and I held her tight and my wife, who is a register nurse did the milking. Within a day, she was better and her lambs were eating away. Expel as much milk as possible. Do not keep it or feed it to the lambs as it is no longer potible.   Hope this helps. Steve     *********************************************** Dr. Stephen Crawford Director of Bands & Percussion Studies University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 900 College St. Belton, TX  76513 PH: 254-295-4816 FAX: 254-295-4158 EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] **********************************************   -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2004 8:43 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [blackbelly] Blackbelly mastitis Rookie questions: How common of a problem is mastitis in BB sheep? One of mine ewes' bag seems swollen and upon inspection I found that a portion of the lower bag that was more firm (hard) as compared to the other ewes. She is still producing milk but I'm weaning her lambs this week so I can see if the swelling goes down. How much of a concern is this and, presuming the worst, what is the treatment?   I also noticed that where the bag joins the abdomen, on either side there is an almost hairless fold of skin in the shape of a hole (similar to a human navel). Some of these areas (adult and 4 month old lambs) were particularly dirty and I was even thinking that there may have been a "fly strike". Is this normal? I spent time cleaning the area just to be sure.   Lastly, any recommendations for good hoof trimming tools?   J. Carlton