Antibiotic
Pen-Aqueous
Intramammary antibiotics
Extra-label
Long-acting antibiotic
LA-200® Extra-label
CD-T Vaccine
Needles
Syringes
Anthelmintic (Cydectin®)
A coccidiostat can be added
to feed, mineral, or water.
Sulfa drug for treating
coccidiosis (extra-label)
Oral dosing syringes
Always follow label instructions
Tools for vaccinating
Subcutaneous injection
Properly dispose of sharps
For treating digestive upsets
Drug use in sheep
A drug is a product used to treat or prevent an illness. Drugs can play an important role in preserving the health of individual sheep and the flock as a whole. However, they need to be used in a responsible manner. Moreover, producers should strive to minimize drug use and should never use drugs in place of good management and feeding practices.
There are two classes of drugs: over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (RX). OTC drugs are available to producers from many sources: feed and farm supply stores and via mail order. Prescription (RX) drugs can only be purchased and used under the guidance of a veterinarian.
Extra-Label Drug Use
All drugs should be used in accordance with the manufacturer's label or product insert. Using a drug in any manner that is not consistent with the manufacturer's label constitutes "extra-label" drug use and requires approval from a veterinarian who is familiar with the client, patient(s) and case.
In addition to using a drug that is not labeled for a particular species, giving a higher dosage of an "approved" drug or administering it in a different manner also constitutes extra-label drug use.
Extra-label drug use can be legal when the health of an animal is threatened and there is no other treatment alternative. However unapproved drugs cannot be used "off-label" to improve performance or control reproduction. As compared to cattle, horses, pigs, and swine, fewer drugs are federally-approved for use in sheep.
Withdrawal period
A withdrawal period is the amount of time it takes for the drug to "clear" the animal's system, so that unsafe levels of drug residues do not remain in the tissues. Every federally-approved drug or animal health product has a withdrawal period printed on the product label or package insert. Products carry meat withdrawal periods ranging from 0 to 60 days. Withdrawal periods can be an important consideration when choosing which drug to use to treat a sick animal.
Withdrawal periods should be extended when combinations of drugs are used or when drugs are used in an extra-label manner. In these situations or at any time a producer is uncertain of a specific drug withdrawal period, a veterinarian should be consulted. Veterinarians have access to the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database (FARAD) which provides withdrawal information on drugs used in an extra-label manner.
Antibiotics
An antibiotic is a medication used to treat or prevent bacterial infections. When used appropriately, antibiotics are a powerful tool for maintaining healthy animals. Not all antibiotics work the same and each acts against different types of bacterial infections. Sometimes, cultures are necessary to determine which antibiotic a bacteria is sensitive to.
Producers should limit antibiotic treatment to those animals that are sick or are legitimately at-risk of becoming sick. If antibiotics are not used appropriately, the opportunity for resistant bacteria to evolve increases needlessly and can compromise future antibiotic therapy. Detailed and accurate records of antibiotic treatments and outcomes should be recorded.
Antibiotics FDA-approved for sheep (source: Animal Drugs @ FDA)
Aureomycin® Chlorotetracycline 20-50 g/ton (lambs) Biosol® Neomycin sulfate 10 mg/lb, < 14 days Micotil® Tilmicosin Phosphate 10 mg/kg SQ
single treatmentNaxcel® Ceftiofur sodium 0.5-1.0 mg/lb. IM for 3 days Pro-Pen G Penicillin G Procaine 1 ml/100 lbs. IM
< 4 consecutive daysTerramycin® Oxytetracycline 10-20 g/ton feed
10 mg/lb.
When deemed necessary, the following antibiotics may be prescribed for use in sheep by veterinarians only. When using drugs extra-label, you cannot assume the withdrawal period indicated on the label is adequate for sheep.
Extra label antibiotics (source: Animal Drugs @ FDA)
Sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics
Sub-therapeutic means below the dosage level to treat disease. Sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics are sometimes fed to sheep and/or lambs to prevent disease outbreaks. Feeding antibiotics to ewes during late pregnancy can help to control abortions. When a ewe has been assisted in the delivery of her lamb(s), it is recommended that she be given an antibiotic to prevent uterine infections.
Antibiotic use is prohibited under USDA certified organic and natural standards of livestock and meat production. While it is not recommended that treatment be withheld from a sick animal, if an animal is treated with an antibiotic, it cannot be marketed as certified organic or natural. It's milk cannot be used to make in organic products.
Anthelmintics
An anthelmintic is a medication which kills worms. It is also called a "dewormer." Anthelmintics are available as drenches, boluses, pastes, injectables, pour-ons, and as products that you mix with the feed. All anthelmintics may be purchased over-the-counter.
It is recommended that sheep and lambs always be treated with oral products: drenches and boluses. These formulations are more effective and less likely to promote drug resistance. In the U.S., they are the only products FDA-approved for use in sheep and lambs. When treating sheep for parasites, make sure you give them the proper dose. Underdosing promotes the development of drug-resistant worms. Anthelmintics should be delivered over the sheep's tongue using a syringe with a long metal nozzle.It is not recommended that sheep and lambs be dewormed on a regular or scheduled basis or that all animals in a group be treated with an anthelmintic. Selective anthelminic use should be integrated with other worm control practices.
Under USDA organic standards, animals destined for slaughter cannot be treated with an anthelmintic. While it is not recommended that treatment be withheld from a clinically parasitized animal, if it is treated, it cannot be sold as certified organic, even if proper withdrawal periods are observed.
Anthelmintics FDA-approved for sheep and lambs (source: Animal Drugs @ FDA)
Coccidiostats
A coccidiostat is a compound added to animal feed to partially inhibit or delay the development of coccidia, a protozoan parasite that causes scouring and damage to the lining of the small intestines. In the U.S., Bovatec® (lasalocid) is approved as a coccidiostat for sheep maintained in confinement. 20 to 30 grams of Bovatec® may be mixed in a ton of sheep feed. Ionophores are permitted under USDA natural standards, but not under USDA organic standards. There is no slaughter withdrawal.
Deccox® (decoquinate) is also approved as a coccidiostat for young sheep. It can be mixed in the feed or milk replacer. Rumensin® (monensin) is not approved for use in sheep, but can be prescribed by a veterinarian. It is toxic to members of the equine family.Coccidiostats FDA-approved for young sheep (source: Animal Drugs @ FDA)
Corid® (amprolium) is the only coccidiostat used as both a preventative and treatment therapy for coccidiosis, though it is not labeled for sheep. Corid can be mixed in the drinking water to prevent outbreaks of coccidiosis or it can be administered to individual animals at a higher dose to treat clinical coccidiosis. Corid has a unique mode of action. It mimics thiamine (vitamin B12). When the coccidia ingest Corid, they experience thiamine deficiency and starve from malnutrition. Sulfa drugs are also used to treat coccidiosis.
Extra label drugs for treating coccidiosis (source: Animal Drugs @ FDA)
4 cc of 12% solution/25 lbs.
Vaccines (biologics)
A vaccine is a biological preparation which is used to establish or improve immunity to a particular disease. Sheep and lambs are commonly vaccinated for clostridial diseases and other diseases as situations warrant.
A vaccine stimulates the body's defense system to build immunity to a particular disease, by exposing the animal to either the live organism in a safe form (e.g. sore mouth) or to a killed or inactivated organism or part of an organism (e.g. clostrididal diseases).
Vaccinations in an annual program require an initial dose the first year followed by a booster to provide maximum protection. Anti-toxins can be used in disease outbreaks or to provide immediate short-term immunity. In sheep, the tetanus anti-toxin is often give to lambs at the time of docking and/or castration, if the lamb's dam was not vaccinated.
Most vaccines are administered by giving an injection under-the-skin (subcutaneous). A few are administered intramuscularly and occasionally some are given topically (e.g., soremouth vaccine) or intranasally. If there is a choice, subcutaneous injections should be given, as this causes less damage to muscle tissue.
Always followed label directions when giving vaccines. Proper handling of vaccines is important to prevent vaccination failure. Vaccines are sensitive to light and should be refridgerated.
Vaccines labeled for sheep and lambs
revaccinate annually (single dose)
10 ml SQ; for treatment double doses
revaccinate annually
Annual booser
1,500 units for prevention
3,000-15,000 units for treatment
annually or prior to anticipated outbreaks
All USDA labeling and certification programs allow the use of vaccines for disease prevention.
Giving injections
Only clean needles and syringes should be used for giving injections. A clean needle should be used to draw solution out of a bottle. The length and gauge of the needle will depend upon the size of the animal and the thickness of the solution. Generally, use the smallest gauge needle that is suitable. a 5/8 inch 18 gauge needle is ideal for vaccinating sheep and lambs. Needles are inexpensive and should be disposed of after use.
The best place to give subcutaneous injections is in the loose skin of the axilla (armpit) or over the ribs. Intramuscular injections should be given in the neck muscle. When repeating injections, use the opposite side of the animal for the second injection. If the animals receiving the injection will be used for meat, make sure you check the withdrawal times. Slaughter withdrawal times for most vaccines are 21 days.
Learn proper injection techniques ==>
Sharps
Sharps include needles, syringes, scalpel blades, slides, pipettes,and anything else that can puncture. They should be collected on the farm in a rigid, puncture-resistant container with a screw-on or tightly secured lid. Containers should be visibly labeled as biohazardous material. Once full, they should be taken to an approved collection facility for medical or veterinary waste. Expired and unused medicine should be disposed of in the same manner as sharps.
Quality and Safety Assurance
The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) began development of an industry-wide quality and safety assurance program in 1991. Quality assurance programs provide assurances to consumers that products have been produced in accordance with certain standards, including the proper use of animal health products.
USDA and third party certification groups that do not allow the use of antibiotics, anthelmintics, coccidiostats, and other animal health products do so without any scientific basis. As with people, sometimes drugs are necessary to maintain the health and well-being of farm animals. It is safe to consume the milk and meat from treated animals, if proper withdrawal times have been observed.
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