Ringworm is very serious in sheep and the worst time of the year for it is in the summer.
Ringworm is very contagious and can be spread animal to animal or animal to person. This fungus becomes most dangerous when it begins to spread among the flock.
Ringworm can cause severe skin lesions and if severe enough can cause scarring.
Sheep exhibitors should prepare for summer shows by examining your sheep before showing. According to Purdue’s Sheep Management Shearing and washing removes all the natural suint and lanolin that helps protect the sheep from ringworm.
Symptoms:
- Round areas of hair loss
- Light flaky scabs
- Thick, crusty lesions
- Pustules
- Thickened, red, and “weepy” skin
- Affected areas may be up to 2 inches in diameter
- Scarring may occur
- Hair re-growth may be black
If your animal(s) have any of these symptoms seek out help immediately! Ringworm will usually heal on it’s own but may take a couple months to fully heal which could impact your show season!
If your animal has ringworm quarantine it right away and clean your barn by spraying Ring Out or ProH in the areas that your animal has contacted. If possible, shampoo the animal with Ring Out shampoo and then start spraying the affected area with Ring Out concentrate twice daily.
The area will usually start clearing up within 7-10 days with consistency.
Mike Harbour, Chad Charmasson, Kirk Stierwalt and many others use Ring Out because of how well it prevents the spread of ringworm and other fungi. This spray will save you money as you only have to mist over the sheep a couple times and it will not harm the sheep or the person spraying it.
Click here for more information on Ring Out and watch a video of Chad Charmasson demonstrating how to spray a sheep
