Guest PrairieFire Posted July 31, 2002 Report Share Posted July 31, 2002 Didn't take all the sheep to the Jordan trial, left about 60 here... Rounded 'em all up for a general inspection this morning and found one limping - so Flo and I cowped her and took a look. She had a strand of that godawful plastic baling twine wrapped around and between her hooves and it had cut pretty deeply over the last few days...and it was, luckily, quite infested with maggots. After some pretty extreme "surgery" of cutting the string, unwinding it, cutting away hooves, cutting some more twine, and the poor girl suffering quite well, I think I got it all, but it was pretty awful. I'm just thankful for the maggots that kept the wound clean since last wednesday night (?)...in this heat and humidity, I imagine things could have gone badly pretty quickly if it wasn't for "nature's way". By the way, it was nice meeting some of you folks at the trial - Suelee, wished we could have visited longer - and thanks Laura H. (L & M Stockdogs) and Donna May for all the hot, sweaty work at the setout. I don't have any results, maybe Donna can post 'em...I was too busy getting the stock home in the heat to write things down... ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Wolf Posted July 31, 2002 Report Share Posted July 31, 2002 Bill, your attitude about maggots and mine are quite different--I detest the darn things, but in some cases they can help. Learned more than I care about dealing with the squirmy white things when we were having bobcat troubles several years ago. Glad it's you dealing with those things, not me. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajarrel Posted July 31, 2002 Report Share Posted July 31, 2002 I'm right with Pam - uck. I woke this morning to find tiny maggots crawing in the partially amputated foot of one of my ducks (close encounter with a snapper). This has been a horrible year for flies here - maggot-producing and biting. It's miserable moving the sheep . . . I end up covered with welts. I've got to get a better handle on fly control around here. Kim ------------------ Black Dog Farm http://www.blackdogfarm.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted August 1, 2002 Report Share Posted August 1, 2002 I have always understood that maggots are great for cleaning wounds in the early stages of infestation, but that if the maggots are allowed to remain in the wound for longer periods of time then their waste products actually exacerbate the damage rather than helping it. Having worked for several different vets at various times in my life (and having seen some pretty nasty maggot infestations), I have to say that while maggots can provide some cleaning of injured tissue, they can also do a lot of damage if allowed to remain for too long. J. [This message has been edited by juliepoudrier (edited 08-01-2002).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted August 1, 2002 Report Share Posted August 1, 2002 I guess I hadn't meant this to be a general discussion of maggotude (maggotination?)... For the several days my poor ewe suffered from her injury, I'm glad the maggots chomped away the bad stuff and kept it clean enough that gangrene didn't set in...she may recover enough to join the flock... For the flies, Kim, I don't know if you have a problem with them and your dog's ears - but my prick eared dogs all have a major problem with them getting chewed on - I found a combination product called "Swat" that is an antibiotic ointment and fly repellent that seems to work fairly well...look for it in the horsey stuff... ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com [This message has been edited by PrairieFire (edited 08-01-2002).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajarrel Posted August 1, 2002 Report Share Posted August 1, 2002 Ears and noses - it's really bad. I'm sure you're aware, but probably others aren't since I think this is mainly a "rural" problem - they bite out a chunk of skin and then leave a welt. I think this is the worst year of the last 10 or so I've lived in NYS. I should have known that something bad was going to happen when we had so few black flies this spring. Funny that the dogs, for the most part, work right on through the aggrevation but it drives me NUTS! I've been a total bear every evening after I've done my chores. Wonder if I can use the SWAT too? Kim (very hot and very irritable in Central NY) ------------------ Black Dog Farm http://www.blackdogfarm.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Suelee Robbe Posted August 4, 2002 Report Share Posted August 4, 2002 Kim, Swat is a permetherin based product. Not recommended for human skin. The best thing for us is to use mechanical barrier like netting. Look in a fly fishermans catalog. They make some great hats with netting. They really aren't a bother at all. Bill, It was nice to meet you and see some good dogs run. That is a very pleasant trial to watch!! I snuck up to Bud's place this last Thursday. He had a range fire come very close to his house Wed nite and he and Sarah spent until 3 am in the morning shoring up the fire line with his dogs and nags loaded up ready to high tail it. He is a little nervous about leaving for any more trials. He really is a very good handler and I always learn so much. He said he would be very disappointed if I don't enter your trial. We have never even made an attempt a practicing a trial course, I just use her to move our sheep from pasture to pasture and do chores. But... I would hate to disappoint Bud (grin) and I think it would just give me an opportunity to learn more so I will try to make it. Do you still have room??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted August 4, 2002 Report Share Posted August 4, 2002 You bet I do. Be pleased to have you. Tell Bud and Sarah they need to come as well... ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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