LUNGWORM IN SHEEP.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 88, 20 May 1914, Page 11

LUNGWORM IN SHEEP.

-This disease is due to the presence in the lungs of the fine thread-like worm (Strongylus Filaria), and in many instances causes heavy mortality, ' .more especially amongst lambs. It is evidenced by frequent and exhausting fits of coughing when the' animal is moved: These parasites set . up what is known as parasitic bronchitis, heiibe the coughing. Also when present in large numbers they block up the bronchial tubes, causing collapse of that portion of the lung situated behind the tube, thus the cells are prevented from exercising their function Avhen the animal may die of suffocation. In. post mortem examination the c ollapsed'areas tire seen as dark blue patches 011 the outea: surface. The worms can also be seen when tlfe bronchial tubes are opened.

Thiese parasites are often found in conjunction \yith the' Strongylus c.ontortus'or stomach /worm, and when the flock is examined symptoms Of both diseases are present. This is only natural' wheii one takes into account that both diseases are contracted in the same manner, viz., from the eggs, which have been'left on the pastures by sheep which have previously been affected. One often hears the- remark that the sheep pastured on the same paddock the previous year were healthy and free from worms. So far as the farmer as concerned this may be so, still it is a well-known fact that during the winter moiltlfs that few, if any, animals are entirely free from the parasite. If;.a careful examination is made, even of fat sheep killed for human consumption, a few of'one, or other of the above-men-tioned- - parasites will invariably- be found, so that the. actual source of infection is always there, although not observed, by the-farmer. Again the season referred to< may- have;been, a dry. one. For the eggs; of these-parasites to hatch arid propagate their species, water is required, therefore it will be seen that the , patUre of Jfch£'. se&son plays a very im-; poHaini ~paj.*t."j as .to , ! .wlrether bur' 'flocks are healthy or. otherwise during tlie' succeeding winter. 1 ' 1 ' , ;^gj|^ l .i,t-'iß;'.\y:eJl' known that lambs are fair. J more subject to become. affected,. t%s,older ( sheep,' owing to their having ," |ess . resisting power. Mature. .. sheep; probably . suffer very little - !C ,inconvenience ; . oh pastures ;which would prove absolutely fatal to lambs. ; Seseing that lambs are greatest, sufferers from this malady, every - care should be exercised to prevent; them becoming infected, as prevention is always, better than cure". . For this purpose ..lambs should always be weaned on to a good, dry paddock of new grass, on which older, sheep have never been or,' better still, on to rape. If this .practice was carried out and the lambs given a small quantity of crushed oats and chaff after the feed begins to go off, lung and stomach worms would give less cause for spxiety to the flock owner thaii they do' to-day. There are few farmers, however, who. go to the trouble of procuring a suitable diet for their lambs, and so long as the haphazard methods at present in vogue are followed our flocks, will continue to puffer." How" seldom our flock owners care t Oj'look these facts, in the face. While/ a few are'giving" their sheep , a proper -diet and rearing their lambs carefully, the great majority are trusting to providence to see them through the winter, and when their lambs ttegin to show the effect of the parasite they fly to their chemist for , a so-called remedy. We have frequently drawn, our readers' attention to,the uselessness of these jsorcalled parasitic 'remedies, still the farmers spend hundreds per. annum dosing their sheep with them, and the benefit'derived is very Slight. How often one' hears the remark: "I dosed my sheep with so and so a few days ago, and they are all right again.'' Only the other- day the writer was informed of a remedy that had proved absolutely successful. ■, It consisted of 4grs. of bluestone .and 4grs. of mustard, . mixed, with, 3 or "4oz. of water. One to three doses iwas guaranteed to kill any; worm known in sheep. If such is the case, one wonders why the recipe was not patented and a fortune made. This socalled remedy is not a good vermifuge, besides it is highly dangerous given internally. 0 These so-called remedies, if not dangerousj may do little harm, and it pleases ; an- owner to tell his neighbour that he cured his sheep with so and so, such and such a thing. Still I venture to say had the animals really suffered forim the parasite, no such success would have followed the remedy. This is '.easily- accounted for. In the first these parasites are very hard to bjeing able to live for hours, days, when taken from the? stomach or lungs and placed in some of the so-called and, secondly, the stomach worms are found in the fourth stomach, so that any remedy that may be given lias to pass through and get mixed with tlie food in the other stomachs before it reaches the parasites. It will be seen from this that, by the time tlie drug comes in contact with the ,parasite its action is considerably weakened,. in fact, anything that wili kill the; jistiasite will kill its host. In the case of the lung-worm, hot only has the drug got to mix with the contents of the stomach, but it has got to'be absorbed'by the blood and carried to the lungs before reaching the parasite, U,e'nce it .will be seen that the action of tlie drug in such cases must be very slight. 1 " •. .i . . • • • ' ' As I have previously advocated, prevention i's better than cure, and as this diseafee >.is' in a great measure preveu.tible it 'behoves the farmer to adopt

those j which will prevent the disease, liamely, procuring suitable food. Not-only will proper* food prevent, the xnaiady,' but it is also the best treatment W;hen' the animal lias contracted the 'di'slase. '' ' In ' 6ye cape .that, came, ii.iid.er the writej" 's notice, a number of sheep that were badly affected with both lung and stomach worms were cut up into "two different lots, one lot was treated medi* finally, i some of the best known remedies,.being used. , This lot was allowed #o run ion the pasture and drenched daily, with'the result that the majority of them died.. The second lot never received any medical remedy whatever, but were allowed a liberal supply of A

crushed oats, bran, and chaff. The result was that the majority of them recovered and afterwards grew into fine healthy sheep. One often hears tlie farmer complain that.such animals won't eat hard feed. This may be so, regarding a few weak ones that are about to die, but the majority will soon take to and relish the good feed. But in this, as in many other things on the farm, slipshod methods of feeding are carried out. A quantity of chaff, probably musty and evil smelling at that, is put in the trough's—as anything is good enough for a sheep. If the animals refuse they don't get a second chance. The excuse is made that sheep won't eat hard feed while on grass. This is absolutely incorrect. If the feed is good the animals soon learn to relish it with beneficial results.