Make note of their behavior, activity level, and general appearance. Being trained to rapidly distinguish healthy conditions from abnormalities can be crucial in early health issue detection and effective treatment!īefore beginning individual health checks (and, if possible, before entering your residents’ living space The indoor or outdoor area where an animal resident lives, eats, and rests.), it’s a good idea to take a few minutes to observe the group. Prior to regularly conducting sheep health checks, you should have a veterinarian or compassionate care expert give you hands-on training in order to be the best sheep health advocate possible. Fly treatments or deterrents (during fly season).Clippers (to remove patches of wool if needed).Thermometer and lubricant (good to have on hand in case you suspect someone is ill based on health check findings).Sheep-safe ointments or creams such as a triple antibiotic ointment or silver sulfadiazine cream 1% (SSD). Sheep-safe topical disinfectant (such as dilute chlorhexidine).Gauze squares (non-sterile is typically fine, but there may be times when sterile gauze is necessary).Hoof trimmers/shears and/or rotary tool.Otherwise, supplies to have on hand during sheep health checks may include: If you are performing a health check on someone with a known health issue or detect signs of a certain health condition during the health check, you may need additional supplies besides those listed below. Having everything you will likely need nearby can make the process go more smoothly and will reduce the amount of time the individual must be restrained. If you are conducting an initial health evaluation on a new resident, check out our intake evaluation resource to learn about what you should check for and document! Suppliesīefore conducting a health check, it’s helpful to gather any supplies you may need and have them arranged nearby for easy access. New Resident? Conduct An Intake Evaluation! A monthly health check is recommended for these individuals until they exhibit signs that they feel safe, and you are confident that close daily observation is possible. If you care for individuals who came from a challenging background, it is imperative to make time to foster a bond of trust so careful observation is possible. Challenging backgrounds may include individuals who are not socialized, have lived feral, or were abused or malnourished. They may be more likely to hide signs of illness or injury, or they may not allow you to come close enough to them to thoroughly assess their well-being on a regular basis. You can read more about daily observation for sheep health and well-being here.Ĭlose daily observation can be difficult with certain individuals or groups who come from challenging backgrounds. Thoughtful observation plays a crucial role in catching health issues before they progress into more serious situations. Caregivers should be trained to observe animals both for behaviors that are abnormal for the species and also behaviors that are abnormal for each individual, keeping in mind issues that are common in a particular species and their warning signs. Our recommendation to conduct routine health checks every six to eight weeks must be done in conjunction with daily observation. *A Health Check Every Six to Eight Weeks Means Daily Observation Be prepared to check them over every six to eight weeks*! For more information on why regular health checks are important, check out our resource here. Not only will this help you get to know what all aspects of a healthy sheep look and feel like, it can also help your sheep residents become accustomed to gentle human handling which might help them remain calm during other scenarios where restraint or handling are necessary. rather than waiting until a sheep is showing signs of distress or illness. While regular health checks are an important part of animal care, they are not meant to be a replacement for a physical exam performed by a licensed veterinarian. Much like the common advice given to humans, it’s important to regularly check the health of sheep with a routine health check The Open Sanctuary Project uses the term "health check" to describe health evaluations performed by caregivers who are not licensed veterinarians. Check out more information on our Veterinary Review Initiative here! This resource has been reviewed for accuracy and clarity by a qualified Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with farmed animal sanctuary An animal sanctuary that primarily cares for rescued animals that were farmed by humans.
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