VETERINARY TREATMENT

OF SHEEP AND GOATS

Graham R. Duncanson
1 64
blood smears. Splenomegaly will be seen on
post-mortem. PCR and ELISA tests will be
available soon.
Trypanosomiasis
Trypanosomes are, other than a very few
exceptions, spread by tsetse flies (Glossina
spp.). These flies are found in Africa south of
the Sahara and north of the Limpopo River.
Trypanosomiasis is therefore mainly restricted
to this very large belt across Africa. The tsetse
cannot withstand low temperatures and so it
is not found at altitudes of over 1500 m, alti-
tudes below which wool sheep are not kept,
so they are not affected by trypanosomiasis.
However goats and hair sheep will contract
the disease. If there are large numbers of
tsetse flies the challenge to the animals and
indeed the humans will be too great, and so
only game animals will exist in these areas,
many of which include the famous national
game parks. Sheep and goats will contract
trypanosomiasis in areas where there are not
so many tsetse flies.
Trypanosomes are flagellate protozoa
with an undulating membrane. The three main
species that infect sheep and goats are, in order
of size, Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma vivax
and Trypanosoma congolense. There is consid-
erable debate as to how pathogenic these
trypanosomes are to sheep and goats. They are
definitely pathogenic, but whether they can
cause disease in their own right is questioned.
In the author's experience they will die of the
disease if they are stressed in any way, for
instance by starvation, intestinal parasites or
being driven on foot over long distances.
T. vivax and T. congolense can readily be seen in
the bloodstream and are best found on a thick
smear stained with Giemsa, but can also be
found with more careful observation on a thin
smear also stained with Giemsa. They prima-
rily cause anaemia and pyrexia. T. brucei tends
Chapter 11
to invade the lymphatics so swollen peripheral
lymph nodes will be seen. The trypanosomes
may be seen in the blood but also may be
found on a lymph node smear.
The perceived tolerance to trypano-
somiasis shown by sheep and goats may be
because tsetse flies would rather feed on other
mammalian species. Certainly pregnant goats
are bitten more frequently than non-pregnant
females, and males are very rarely bitten. The
author only has experience with Glossina mor-
sitans and Glossina pallidipes. Other Glossina
spp. may have different feeding habits. In the
author's experience goats and sheep that are
born and reared in a tsetse area seem consid-
erably more tolerant than naive animals.
Diminazene aceturate can be used to cure
all these infections. It is supplied in 1.05 g
sachets for reconstitution in 12.5 ml of water
to make a 12.5% solution. This will treat ten
adult goats. It should be made up in as ster-
ile a manner as possible to avoid causing
abscesses. Isometamidium can be used to
treat all three species but there is widespread
resistance and so the author would not advise
its use without careful follow-up.
Quinapyramine can be used as either the
sulfate or the chloride preparation. There is
also now very widespread resistance in infec-
tions of T. brucei, T. congolense and T. vivax,
and so this drug, together with homidium
either as the sulfate or chloride preparation, is
probably best avoided.
Tumours of the Cardiovascular System
By far the most common tumours are hae-
mangiomas. These may be found in the
spleen, liver, intestine and subcutis. They are
normally benign but will haemorrhage and
cause anaemia. Clinically, this will resemble
haemonchosis. Fibromas are very rarely seen
in the heart muscle. These do not normally
show clinically, only on post-mortem.