External parasites like ticks, lice, keds, mites and fleas affect sheep and goats. These parasites feed on the animals' blood, causing issues like anemia, skin damage, itching and reduced production. A regular parasite control program through acaricide application, dipping or spraying is important to increase animal comfort, performance and product quality. Common parasites, their effects and treatment methods are discussed.

1. External parasites of
Sheep and Goat
Course Instructor: Dr. Khalid Mahmood
Course Code: SURG-02608
Submitted By: Tanveer Ahmad (Group- B)
Roll No: F20BFVAS1M01038

2. Introduction
• Common external sheep and goat parasites include:
• Ticks
• Lice
• Ked(sheep ticks)
• Mites
• Fleas
 Some parasites feed on blood causing blood-loss (anemia), especially in young animals.
 The result is unthrifty, poor-performing sheep and goats.

3.  External parasites mostly causes:
urticaria(itching), skin Damage, loss of hair, decrease in production (both milk
and wool), Anemia, Allergic reactions and acts as a vector for various
Pathogens.
 A regular program of treatment and prevention of external parasites should
be an important part of a flock health program.
 The benefits of an effective external parasite control program include
• increased comfort for animals
• improved performance,
• and higher quality of products.
This technical bulletin assesses the damage caused by external parasites and
also the prevention, control and treatment measures to minimize the effects
of external parasites on sheep and goat productivity.

4. Ticks
• Ticks are obligate blood sucking ectoparasites.
• It is of two types 1. Hard Ticks 2. Soft Ticks
Morphology:
4 pairs of legs, 2 body parts (cephalothorax and abdomen) and are wingless. Hard ticks have
scutum(a hard covering) while soft ticks lack it. They are present all over the body.
Location:
• Different tick species have different locations of attachment. The location can indicate the
type of tick.
• Mostly present around Ear, eyes, limbs, dewlaps, neck, tail, scrotum, groin, abdomen, udder.

5. Effects:
• greatest economic losses in livestock production.
• Reduced growth, milk and meat production, damaged hides and skins,
transmission of tick-born diseases of various types.
• Vector of various diseases which includes:
 Anaplasmosis Rocky mountain spotted fever
 Babesiosis Dermatophilosis
 Theileriosis African Swine Virus
 Tick Paralysis
 Heart Water

6. Prevention and control
• Acaricide application
• Hand spraying or knapsack spraying in case of small number of animals.
(the sides and flanks, entire length of the back, the brisket, the tail and anal
area, the belly, udder or scrotum, each leg and Finally spray the head,
head, face, neck and ears).
• First treat the new introduced lamb or kid.

7. Sheep ked
• Commonly known as sheep ticks, are adult hairy wingless
brown six legged about 6-7 mm long.
• Both male and female Feed on blood, and transmitted by
direct contact.
• Eggs maggot like larvae adult sheep ked
• Heavy infestation cause severe anemia.
• shearing of woolen sheep and then spraying/dipping in
insecticide kill the ked.
Diagnosis:
Skin Scraping test, Visible on the body of animal.

8. Lice
• Infestation of lice is also known as pediculosis.
• Lice are small wingless insects, head is broad and flat with mouth parts adapted
to chewing.
• There are two types of lice,
Biting lice (Mallophaga)
Sucking lice (Anoplura)
• Present all over the body

9. Effects of lice
• Lice are of minor importance in the transmission of disease.
• severe irritations to the skin.
• General unthriftness, matted, dull fleece with tufts of wool.
• wool or hair loss
• Lameness can result from the foot lice of sheep.
• Diagnosis
• see small oval shaped lice moving within the coat, sometimes in clusters (by
naked eye)

10. Treatment, prevention and control
• Spraying or dipping(Plunge dipping) with insecticides carried out twice.
• First one day and then after 14 days, second treatment should be done.
• Eggs are not affected by insecticides

11. Mange (Mites)
• Mites that affect the sheep and goats are:
• Psorptes (sheep scab)
Demodex mange
Sarcoptic mange
• They have two body segments, four pairs of legs, difficult to
detect ( microscopic). They cause mange. May cause scrapie
in sheep and are found on hairs and hair follicles.

12. Effects
• Burning sensation ,
• Erythema,
• Rough feeling on your
skin,
• dermatitis,
• formation of crust,
• Alopecia,
• pruritus,
• scabies.
Treatment, prevention and control
• Dipping the animal or using a spray-dip machine
with approved acaricides, such as amitraz,
coumaphos, permethrin, or by injection with
ivermectin.
• Benzyl benzoate is a chemical that is effective as
a topical treatment for sarcoptic mange
• Clean stalls between animals and put in new
bedding, disinfect grooming tools

13. FLEAS
Fleas are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of mammals
and birds. They are wingless, body is laterally flattened, 3
body segments
Location:
Abdomen, neck, face and also ears.
Diagnosis:
Presence on body, rubbing , scratching.
Effects:
Irritation, dermatitis, anemia.
Transmits Pasteurella pestis (bubonic form), H. nana,
D. caninum
Treatment & control:
Hygiene measures, Spray, use of flea control shampoo

14. Control of ectoparasites
• Ivermectin injection
• Impregnated ear tags
• Pour on acaricides
• Dipping/ spraying of acaricides
• Use of insecticide

15. Treatment for ectoparasites
• Organophosphates that are highly effective for the control of ectoparasites:
 Diazinon
 Coumaphos
• Chlorinated hydrocarbons
• Cypermethrin and deltamethrin
• Carbamates
• Avermectins (Ivermectin)
These all are effective for all kinds of ectoparasites except Avermectin which is for ticks and mites.

16. Compound Generic name Trade name
Organophosphates
Trichlorfon Seguvon, Neguvon
Pyrethroids
Cypermethrin Ectopor 020 SA
Avermectins
Ivermectin Ivotec, Ivomec