Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1912-09-21
Stomach Worms in
Sheep and Calves
By WARD Cu.TNER. State vstsrinaran.
East LAnsiug. Michigan


The losses from stomach worms in
sheep undoubtedly exceed the combin-
ed losses from all other causes which
bring about death In sheep.
My attention has recently been call
cd to stomach worms on account OF
finding them In bunch of young cat
tie. This Is the first time that l have
seen this worm in calves In Michigan,
but 1t Is well known that In certain
parts Of tie south i has caused enor>
NOUS losses to bovines.
The losses of sheep, especially
lambs, have been very serious during
| the past few years. ! have seen as
much as $1,000 Of loss within sight of
one farm house. This loss usually in
dicates ignorance on the part of the
owner as to the nature of sheep dis
eases. The experienced flock master
does not suffer such losses, as rule,
since he knows the deadly character
this worm and plans from year to
ear in order to fight its ravages.
| The stomach worm, technically
known as Haemonchus, scontortus, is
minute worm about an inch In length
when mature, and derives its name.
contortus. from It's appearance, which
suggests very fine brown silk thread
twisted about an equally fine, white
thread. The brownish color has
very dire significance. 1t is due to
blood pigments. The worm Is found
In enormous numbers In the sick lamb
or calf in the fourth or true stomach,
which Is properly called the aboma-
sum. This stomach Is the one Of
which the small intestine Is continu-
alton. The worms may be found fire.
quently in that portion of the small
Intestine attached to the fourth stom-
ach. The diagnosis at post-mortem,
then, Is made by opening the true
stomach and examining carefully in
q good light the lining membrane OF
this organ. If the animal has Just
died, or just been killed, these worms
will be found in seething mass, in
some cases, covering the membrane.
They attach themselves. at least tenn
porarily to the membrane and with
draw blood. This results in an irri-
tation of the lining OF the stomach
and In depletion OF the system from
blood withdrawn. There may be poi
sons secreted, also, but this cannot be
definitely stated. 1t Is quite notice
able that when the animal has bled to
death, the quantity of blood is quite
small. The young lamb, which Is es-
pecially susceptible to the ravages Of
this worm, usually stays apart from
the flock and tires very easily. The
appetite is impaired, and the hind
limbs appear weak. Usually In the
space between the branches Of the
lower Jaw there is doughy swelling.
This swelling may exist between the
front legs, also, and Is due TO the
bloodless condition of the lamb. The
mucous membrane of the eye and
mouth become very pale, although it
Is sometimes brownish in color. Lambs
may cough when affected with stom-
ach worms, but the cough is very apt
to be due to a complication due to the
lung worm.
The lung worm Is very apt TO be
found on the same pastures that are
infested with the stomach worm. The
lung worm is considerably larger than
the stomach worm, and pearly white
In color, can be found by making an
incision through the lung and pressing
out the contents of the affected bron-
chial tubes.
The season is now beginning for
these worms to be serious, and We
wish to call attention to the means
hi he
come, at least to degree. The life
history Of these worms is not fully
understood, but we know that they
lay enormous numbers of minute eggs
The embryo or young worm Matched
from these eggs Is picked up from the
grass or water by the sheep or young
cattle, and enter the stomach to start
the irritating process which We have
described. IT can be readily under
stood that permanent pasture, and
especially ono that has low, wet
places in 1t, will be most liable to in
festation. We do not see how a per-
manent pasture can be used for sheep
or young cattle when these worms
have once been introduced. The
eggs undoubtedly live through the win
ter and are ready to infest the lambs
when turned out in the spring. In
view of this fact, we would recommend
that the farmer contemplate some
method whereby he can maintain a
rotation Of pastures, and before turn
Ing out young stock on the spring pas
ture, IL there Is any possibility that
they are affected with stomach worms,
treat them In q manner to destroy the
worms before they enter the pasture.
The whole idea of the treatment Is
to separate the worm from the lamb or
calf, and starve out the worm, which
probably cannot live for more than
year in the absence OF some such
animal host. We would recommend
that the treatment be conducted as
follows:
Place the animals to be treated In
a small enclosure free from all litter,
give them nothing but water for "a
| houro. salt aprinkled with furnentipo