The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1914-06-25
TREATMENT FOR
SHEEP "B|CHEAD"


The serious sheep disease known as
"bighead," which has caused losses
lin Utah, Idaho, Nevada and wyom-
| ing, is caused by sun and heat rather
| than locality, acocrdino to DR.. H. J.
| Frederick, veterinarian Of tho rksh
Experiment station, who has been
investigating the disease in co-opera-
tion with the U. s. Department Of Ag-
riculturc. Many herders claim that
by avoiding certain sDots noted for
| the contraction of the disease, they
may avoid the disease. Inv estiga-
tions now seem to have proved that IL
sheep are not driven too long nor
| too fast during the heat of the day
none of them will contract bighead,
no matter what trail they are follow
ing.
| This disease does not seem to be
transmissible to other sheep and 9TH
| err animals do not contract it. It is
seldom seen in young lambs. If the
affection is only slight the animal
may recover. Most sheep, however,
do not recover once they have taken
the disease.
| The disease is characterized by sud-
den swelling of the head and ears.
The swelled portions Of the head be-
come filed with straw-colared serum
that often drips from the parts. The
swelling is often 50 severe that the
animal IS vision is clouded. The IT.
fected tissues present an appearance
| like gelatin.
The affection cause the animal to
| be extremely restless. It will walk
about aimlessly until exhausted. The
skin often peels of the swelled por-
| tions. Many animals loose the wool
from the entire body. Many Of the
ewes that carry lambs lose them
The few that do recover are never so
good as formerly.
Preventatives and Treatment Rec
commended.
The definite cause of tbigheadn il
not positively known. 1t seems, how
ever, that climatic conditions have
much to do with it. Sheep are usual
! ly affected during the spring and ear
ly summer while being driven from the
winter to the summer ranges, more
commonly before shearing. Bighead
seems most prevalent after a cold or
stormy night, when the day following
| turns hot with sunshine and the sheep
are driven fast in the hot sun, ana
where they are compelled to inhale
considerable alkali dust. Care in driv-
| ing sheep during the hot part of the
day, particularly after a cold night or
storm is the greatest preventative for
the disease.
Again il some Of the animals that
contracted this condition are dropped
out of the herd, or the entire herd is
stopped and allowed to get in the
shade, the affection may be avoided or
overcome. IF sheep are held imme-
diately after they show symptoms Of
| this trouble, the affection is usually
overcome in from eight to twenty
hours, the animals appearing as we'll
as at any time; while on the other
hand, if they are driven fast during
the hot part of the day, many con-
tract the trouble and succumb as :
result.
| For the swelling of the head such
agents as sugar Of lead and alum have
been used with some success. The
substances doing the animals most
good were emollients applied to the
head, as vaseline and olive oil. When
ever bighead sheep not too seriously
affected had absolute rest and some
protection from the direct days Of the
sun and their heads were smeared
with emollients, they made . COM
plete recovery in short time Sheep
with swelled heads should have their
heads anointed with olive oil or vase
line and kept quiet from ~ to "a
hours.
| Sheep should be moved only during
cooler parts of the day.
| Sheepmen should not become excit-
ed when bighead develops among
their flocks and force their herders to
rush their sheep over the ground a.
they do when poisonous plants exist,
as there is no particular place for big
head to develop.
Keep cool and keep the animals cool
as far as possible, and many losses
can be prevented.
The practice Of scarifying or cut
ting open the swellings is not advis-
ed, although many shepherds do this
when their sheep are affected. This
practice exposes the parts to infec-
tion, and dust and dirt get into the
wounds which often cause the ami
mails death, Irrespective of the big
head.