PART VIIL 



DISEASES. 



There are those among enthusiastic sheep breeders and fanciers 

 who claim their favorite breed to be immune to certain diseases, 

 but the writer is not in a position to verify their contention, but 

 rather shares the opinion that many diseases that play havoc with 

 our flocks would be less common were better methods employed 

 in their management, for in nine cases out of ten such troubles 

 may be traced to neglect on the part of the shepherd. While this 

 work would be incomplete without a chapter on the more com- 

 mon diseases of sheep, in describing and prescribing for same the 

 author will be as brief as possible, but at the same time not so 

 brief as to introduce vagueness. 



FOOTROT. 



Footrot is a highly contagious disease, although at times it 

 makes its appearance through other channels than by direct con- 

 tagion. Low wet land, filthy yards and barns, neglect in trim- 

 ming the feet, are all causes of footrot. Where footrot breaks 

 out spontaneously, as it were, the first symptoms that attract the 

 shepherd's notice are limping of the sheep and a soreness between 

 the digits of the foot. This is commonly called "foot-scald," 

 which in reality it is. Foot-scald, however, if neglected, will turn 

 into the most virulent type of footrot, but treated properly at its 

 first appearance it is easy to cure. Footrot is far harder to deal 

 with than scab for about three thorough dippings with a properly 

 prepared dip will usually eradicate the latter, but when footrot 

 has once got a thorough hold on a flock the shepherd has fearful 

 odds to contend with. Where the feet become so bad that they 

 are almost entirely rotten, time has to be reckoned with in curing 

 this terrible scourge, time enough, in fact, after the first treat- 

 ment to allow of a new foot growing. 



Of all the diseases that the flock is heir to, in the author's 

 experience, footrot is the one to be most dreaded, for when it 

 has once established a footing it means long, faithful and hard 

 work on the part of the shepherd to bring the flock back to its 

 normal standard of health. The most serious and annoying prob- 

 lem of this trouble is that although we are always 'curing it, ap- 

 parently, it is always breaking out anew. For instance: Today 

 we might have effected a cure of one or more feet of a diseased an- 

 imal when in a few days after we find to our chagrin that what a 

 few days before appeared perfectly healthy are now affected, and 



