Mylon E. Filkins D.V.M., M.S
Bakersfield Veterinary Hospital

The attending veterinarian for the Ewephoric! Dorset Flock is Dr. Mylon E. Filkins. We are extremely excited to have him offer his expertise to you, in hopes to help you better understand the medical aspects of raising sheep, and general sheep health. Dr. Filkins will answer only LARGE ANIMAL questions such as sheep, goat, cattle, hog, horse, etc. Please direct your cat, dog, and other small animal questions to your local veterinarian. Thank you.

1. To ask Dr. Filkins a question, just complete the form below and press: Ask The Vet.

2. Dr. Filkins will respond to your questions in a timely manner and you will receive his reply via email.

3. Important Note: No telephone calls, please! The veterinarian cannot accept any calls from our web site visitors. He will only respond to questions e-mailed through the Ewephoric web site only.

4. Emergency Questions: At times we all have emergency situations. Emergencies should be tended to by your local veterinarian whenever possible. Make every effort to solve your emergency questions quickly. Early detection and treatment are your best lines of defense!

Dr. Filkins is here to help you. If you are stumped on health issue questions regarding Sheep. He Is The Vet To Ask!

(above) Dr. Filkins during the semiannual Ultrasounding of the Dorset Flock

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I am a shearer and get asked questions a lot. Often I see animals, mostly angora wethers, that get what some call "pizzle rot." They seem to have very acidic urine that literally burns the skin and seems to cause perpetual wetness and inflammation. What is the cause and how can people avoid it? Thank You! J. Nemnich, Arlington, WA

A: In my practice I see pizzle rot the most in rams that are housed and fed high nitrogen diets such as alfalfa hay. The condition resolves when the rams are turned out and are off the legume hay. The therapy is symptomatic and I sometimes use a spray-on product called "granulex" that is used in wound treatment on horses. Any treatment success may depend on dietary change.

Q: We have had an outbreak of coccidiosis and have decided to treat all the sheep that are not affected due to almost losing one last night. I have gotten Sulmet drinking water solution and I need to know if I have to give it to them individually or can I give it to the flock in the joint trough. If so, how much should I allot and how do I know if they all received the correct dosage that day? It only gives individual information. If I have to give it to them individually, can I mix it with some grain, or manually squirt it in their mouths all at once or will it affect them adversely by an all at once dose per day? Please Advise. C. Novelo, Shingle Springs, CA

A: I would medicate all the drinking water for all the sheep and follow the directions on the label. The sheep will drink enough water in hot, dry weather to provide the sulmet treatment. I often advise the use of Corid for sheep as a water based treatment for coccidiosis. The use of Deccox in trace mineral salt is also helpful for treatment but a better a preventative. A fecal test at an animal lab can confirm coccidiosis if you have a question in diagnosis.

Q: Is it harmful for sheep to lamb in cold weather, January and February in states as cold as Wisconsin? D. Poindexter, Oak Creek, WI

A: Sheep can successfully lamb in cold weather if they are provided with a dry area to lay and have a wind break. Wet conditions along with severe cold can cause rapid hypothermia in newborn lambs.

Q: I am buying three Lincoln ewes (5-6 year olds). The man I'm buying them from said that one of them had a rupture right in front of it's hind leg about the size of a grapefruit. He says if I still want her he'll give her to me. What can be done for her? Is it possible that she could still get bred this fall and have a lamb or should I not take her and just get the other two ewes and their lambs? He says it's not a cyst or something contagious. Thanks B. Barnett, Plainfield, IA

A: You are probably describing a hernia which is a rupture of the abdominal wall. A pregnancy could be complicated by the hernia and the hernia could become much larger or lead to total failure of the abdominal wall. Although there may be a small chance of normal pregnancy and delivery, I think the odds are against it and would advise you not to take the ewe.

Q: I have a small flock of Dorsets. This lambing year has been nothing but troubles. We just lost 4 lambs that were 1 day old. All the lambs couldn't walk right from birth. They would walk with their hooves turned under and in return they would not be able to get milk from mom. The other problem is that these ewes didn't have much milk. The ewes were not given anything prior to lambing. Any suggestions? T. Zimmerman, Manheim, PA

A: Congenital flexor tendon contratures can occur for several reasons. The most common causes are nutritional disorders i.e. mineral deficiency such as selenium, and viral infections during early pregnancy. I suggest you evaluate what has been different in your management this past season. Extensive veterinary consultation may be required to sort out your problem. Good Luck.

Q: We have had problems this year with some of our lambs being born with weak backs, or their back end not working (like it is paralyzed). Is there any kind of disease that does this? We thought that maybe they were getting stepped on because it is in the older lambs we turn out. We have had 5 or 6 like this and we have never had this before. J. Hanson, White Sulphur Springs, MT

A: I would consider a deficiency disorder like Selenium, Vitamin E and Vitamin A. These may require a review of the feeding program for the pregnant ewes. Selenium injections can cause problems in pregnant ewes so oral supplementation is safer. I would suggest that you have your veterinarian send a couple of the affected lambs to your stat veterinary diagnostic laboratory for necropsy and histopathological examination for a specific diagnosis.