Vet corner: Understanding facial eczema signs in stock

Facial eczema is a disease which commonly affects cattle, sheep and alpacas

Have you heard of facial eczema but not sure what it is?

Facial eczema is a disease which commonly affects cattle, sheep and alpacas. It occurs when animals eat fungal spores found at the base of the pasture.

These fungal spores release toxins which can cause liver damage and skin peeling (photosensitisation). Once the liver is badly damaged it cannot regenerate and this can lead to death or chronic wasting. The risk season usually runs between January and May, but is dependent on moist warm soil temperature.

Some key signs to look for with your animals include shade-seeking or animals separating themselves away from herd mates, loss of condition, head shaking, sitting down and looking sad, jaundice (yellowing gums), sunburn and skin peeling.

Not all animals who have liver damage from facial eczema will display these signs. They will have a higher risk for next season.

Prevention is the only way to combat the risk of facial eczema.

Prevention methods involve treating animals with zinc or spraying the pasture to reduce the spore production. Zinc boulsing is the method that we recommend for sheep and cattle.

This involves administering a bolus down the animal's throat using special applicators. Depending on product used this then provides up to six weeks of protection, and can be boostered to give additional protection depending on the season. For young lambs and calves under 25kgs a zinc liquid can be given weekly.

Alpacas can be given a premixed pellet formulation every day. This is currently the only available method for alpacas.

We can monitor the spore production on your farm and risk by taking grass samples to count spores. Grass samples can be submitted to the clinic from your farm for in house testing. Regional spore counts are carried out once a week from set sites and results are able to be emailed out or viewed in clinic.

Currently the spore counts are in the dangerous levels so we recommend that, if you haven't already, to begin zinc dosing your animals.

If you have any questions at all regarding facial eczema feel free to call us or pop into the clinic to talk to us about how we can help you protect your farm this season.