If lambing rapidly starts to go pear-shaped this year due to lamb losses from infectious abortion help is at hand. Every abortion should be investigated with your vet, but if ewes are aborting down to toxoplasmosis, we can in incorporate Deccox into our Ewedale range of sheep cakes provided a veterinary prescription is obtained. Research has shown that a significant decrease in lamb losses due to Toxoplasmosis can be achieved by feeding Deccox during pregnancy. However, Deccox is most effective if it is already being fed to susceptible ewes at the time they encounter infection rather than after infection.
Infection in sheep in early pregnancy kills the foetus and ewes show up as empty. Infection later in pregnancy may result in abortion, still births or weak lambs, often accompanied by mummified foetuses. However, following infection sheep are immune and should not abort again due to toxoplasmosis.
Toxoplasma eggs are produced by cats in their faeces. Sheep become infected if they eat feed (grass or concentrates) or drink water contaminated with cat faeces than contain Toxoplasma eggs. Toxoplasmosis is not directly transmitted between sheep.
Also, please remember, Toxoplasma can cause serious disease in pregnant women and people who have a weak immune system. Be sure to make visitors to your farm aware of the problem and keep pregnant women and immunocompromised people away from lambing ewes and clothing that may be contaminated.