Prepared for 2015 Alberta Sheep Breeders Symposium

1. BEING A GOOD SHEEP VET
PROVIDING CLIENTS WITH INFORMATION AND SERVICES
THEY WILL VALUE
SUSAN SCHOENIAN
SHEEP & GOAT SPECIALIST
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION
SSCHOEN@UMD.EDU - WWW.SHEEPANDGOAT.COM

2. WHAT DO PRODUCERS AND VETERINARIANS WANT?
Producers
 Timely access to
information and services.
 Access (legal) to drugs.
 Value for their dollar.
Veterinarians
 To be put in situations where
they can help their clientele and
patients.
 Ensure legal and proper use of
animal health products.
 To be fairly compensated for
their services.

3. CURRENT SITUATION (US, CANADA?)
 A veterinary education is very expensive.
 Only a small percentage of graduates from
US veterinary schools go on to work with
food animals.
 Many graduates have limited knowledge
and experience with large animals,
especially small ruminants.
 Many sheep producers do not utilize the
services of veterinarians, especially in the
area of whole flock management.
 We need more veterinarians who are willing
to work with sheep producers and who are
knowledgeable about sheep health and
production.

4. WHY THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE
 Sheep producers can benefit from
the veterinary-client relationship.
 Producers can’t (shouldn’t) do
everything where animal health is
concerned.
 Without the services of a
veterinarians, animal welfare may be
compromised.
 Sheep producers are potential
untapped client-base for many
veterinarians, especially mixed-
animal practitioners.

5. WHY THIS HAS TO CHANGE: DRUGS
 Few drugs are approved for use in
sheep.
 Extra-label drugs are often required to
treat and manage disease in a sheep
flock or feedlot.
 Only a veterinarian can use and/or
prescribe drugs extra-label.
 Laws and policies regarding drug use in
livestock are only going to get stricter.
 Both producers and veterinarians are
harmed by illegal use of animal health
products.

6. WHY THIS HAS TO CHANGE: PUBLIC
 The public is demanding stricter control
of antibiotics and other animal health
products.
 The public is demanding that their food
be produced with fewer drugs and
chemicals.
 The public is increasingly interested in
how their food is produced, including
how animals are raised.
 It will take partnerships between
producers, government, veterinarians,
and other service providers to
successfully manage animal health in
these changing times and ensure that
reasonable policies are enacted.

7. PARTNERSHIP: DIFFERENT ROLES
Producer
 Deworming and injections
 Vaccinations (except rabies)
 Docking and castrating
 Obstetrics
 Simple disease diagnosis
 Sample collection
 Simple “surgeries” and treatments
 Rx treatments as prescribed by
veterinarian
 Field “necropsy”
Veterinarian
 More advanced obstetrics, especially for new
and less experienced producers.
 More complex disease diagnosis
 Conduct, suggest tests for disease diagnosis
 Prescribe drugs for treatment
 Surgeries, such as caesarian section
 Necropsies
 Emergency care

8. FLOCK HEALTH MANAGEMENT VS. EMERGENCY
Emergency treatment
 Producer calls veterinarian at last
minute.
Animal dies – it is vet’s fault or
veterinarian is not available
 Veterinarian may not have
specific knowledge of farm and
enterprise.
 Some emergency calls are
necessary.
Flock health management
 Veterinarian is part of
management team; visits farm
periodically.
 Veterinarian is familiar with
enterprise: nutrition,
management, etc. – can make
better recommendations.
 Places emphasis on prevention
rather than treatment.
 Cost savings in the long run.

9. KNOW THE GOAL OF THE SHEEP ENTERPRISE AND FARM
 Pets
 Grazing management
 Hobby
 4-H or youth project
 Small farm - for profit
 Large farm - for profit
 Diversified farm

10. KNOW THE PRODUCTION EMPHASIS AND END PRODUCT(S)
 Seedstock - show
 Seedstock - commercial
 4-H and youth projects
 Commercial - lamb (feeder or
slaughter)
 Commercial - lamb + wool
 Commercial - dairy
 Commercial - feedlot or lamb
grazing

11. KNOW THE PRODUCTION PHILOSOPHY
 Low input
 Intensive
 Organic
 Natural
 Animal-welfare
 Grass-fed, pasture-raised, free-range
 Zero grazing (confinement)
 Certifications

12. ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT FEEDING & NUTRITION
 Feed is the largest cost in a sheep operation,
especially feedlot.
 Good nutrition is the foundation of animal health.
 Does the farm test feeds and forages?
 Does the farm weigh feed and animals?
 Does the farm feed balanced rations?
 What is the suplementation program?
 Does the farm grow or buy feed?
 Where does the farm buy feed?
 Has soil and water been tested?

13. FIND OUT WHAT MOST COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE
 Internal parasites
Worms (which specie?) and/or coccidia
Clinical or sub-clinical?
 Foot problems
Foot rot or scald
 Mastitis
Clinical or sub-clinical, hard bag (OPP)
 Metabolic
Pregnancy toxemia, enterotoxemia, other
 Respiratory
 Other

14. LEARN CURRENT ANIMAL HEALTH PRACTICES
Parasite control
 Deworming practices
 Use of fecal egg counts
 Use of FAMACHA©
 Use of coccidiostats
 Other parasite control strategies
Vaccinations
 Clostridial diseases
Enterotoxemias, tetanus, others
 Soremouth (orf)
 Abortions
 Pneumonia
 CL
 Rabies
 Other

15. OTHER ANIMAL HEALTH PRACTICES
 Footrot/scald
 OPP - Maedi Visna
 Scrapie
 Johne’s disease (OJD)
 Caseous lymphadenitis
(CL)
 Other

16. ASK ABOUT BIOSECURITY
 Flock status
Closed, mostly-closed (only rams introduced), frequent
introductions, showing/exhibiting
 Quarantine practices
Place, duration, animal health practices (re: hoof health, internal
parasites)
 Disease status(es): scrapie, OPP, CL, JD, footrot, orf
 Visitors
 Other practices

17. ENCOURAGE PRODUCERS TO SET BENCHMARKS
 Pregnancy rates
# ewes exposed / # ewes lambing
 Lambing percentage
# ewes exposed / # lambs
marketed
 Pre-weaning death losses
 Post-weaning death losses
 Ewe replacement rate
 Other performance measures

18. ENCOURAGE PRODUCERS TO DO TESTING
 Necropsies
 Tissue analysis /
cultures
 Disease - OPP, scrapie
 Forage, feed, water,
and soil

19. TALK LIKE A SHEEP PRODUCER
 Correctly identify sheep
breeds.
Don’t have a “favorite”
breed
 Learn market
terminology.
 Complain about weather
and prices. 

20. WHAT PRODUCERS NEED TO DO
 Value role of veterinarian in flock health
management.
 Be willing learn from veterinarian(s).
 Commit to use drugs properly and legally
 Commit to a high level of animal welfare.
 Provide proper handling and restraint of sheep
during on-farm consultations and treatments.
 Be willing to transport individual animals to
clinic,
 Share knowledge and experience
 Follow-up on specific cases.

21. WHAT VETERINARIANS NEED TO DO
 Keep up-to-date on sheep health and
management.
 Take advantage of continuing education
opportunities.
 Be available
 Follow-up with clients
 Be visible in industry.
 Be willing to learn from producers.
 Demonstrate that having a veterinarian as part
of the sheep management team improves
profitability.

22. REACH OUT TO SHEEP PRODUCERS
 Social media
 Newsletters
 Open house
 Host educational
programs
 Speak at educational
programs
 Interact with industry
 Raise sheep 

23. CONSIDER OFFERING ADDITIONAL SERVICES
Parasite control
 Fecal egg counting
Monitor pasture
contamination
To select resistant animals
To determine drug efficacy
 Larvae ID
Reproduction
 Breeding soundness exam
semen evaluation
 Pregnancy testing
 Assisted reproduction
Artificial insemination (AI)
Embryo transfer (ET)

24. THANK YOUR FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
SUSAN S CHOENIAN
Sheep & Goat Specialist
sschoen@umd.edu
www.sheepandgoat.