Sorry to hear about your sheep. What did she have for injuries for the attack? I have had trouble with domestic dogs in the past but have never lost a sheep to a dog. I run Corriedales and my big rams top out near 300lbs. This time of year they are well armored with 3-4â of fleece. Only vulnerable spot would be the neck but thatâs why they always keep their heads down when threatened. Stupid things would be more than a match for a dog if they just put their minds to it. Cripes, you should see the action when butt heads. You can almost feel the crunch. I have had several knock each other out. They usually are fine the next day but occasionally stagger about for several days.
Sheep are pretty tough and have good immune systems. If your ewe was bitten, she probably would have been OK with some antibiotics and some rest. Foaming at the mouth was probably due to an upset stomach(s) when/if the dog rolled her. Did you call the vet after the attack? I have been using the same vet for years and they can often give you needed advice over the phone at no charge. Mine is always âon callâ and help is just a phone call away.
Regarding your suspect. Be very careful about accusations unless you have an eye witness or catch the animal in the act. Living in a state of war with you neighbors is something you want to avoid and people usually think of dogs as members of the family. I have seen neighbors involved in âfeudsâ over things and the results are often very disruptive for both parties.
The rabies virus is a rather interesting pathogen but it is a horrible disease that, once symptoms appear, is 100% fatal. In an infectected mammal the virus lives primary in the cells of the brain and nervous system. As the pathogen takes over, destroys the brain cells and nerve cells. The results are animals that âdonât act normalâ. In later stages of the disease the virus can be found in most of the major organs including the blood and saliva. The swallowing reflex becomes impaired and the animal can no longer swallow its own saliva and it just foams out of the mouth. The rabies virus has a long incubation period (8 weeks to 6 months) before the symptoms manifest themselves. The virus is very fragile and needs to be transmitted with saliva to blood or blood to blood transmission. Aerosol transmission in caves full of bats has been suggested but never proven.
If you are not already, you should vaccinate your animals for rabies. We do all of our sheep, once a year at the same time as shearing. Needles and syringes cost more than the vaccine. Keep a logbook, with dates and ear tag numbers. Could save you flock, if you ever found a rabid animal in you field/barn.