Eryvac Zoetis **

Eryvac is for bacterial arthritis.

. Causes; chronic lameness in lambs & sheep (bacterial infection of the joints).  Swollen joints of lambs, most often seen in the knee joints, but can be all four or a mix – looks a bit like they have a golf ball for a knee or hock. The arthritis will start out swollen and have heat in it as the infection takes hold, then we see the lambs over time stiffen up as the joint calcifies

. Bacterium survives in the environment (animals, soil & water)

. Bacteria infect the lamb via the umbilical cord at birth and by contaiminating wounds.  Once inside the body, bacteria circulate in the blood stream, before lodging in the joints, causing inflammation.

. Specific risk times - shearing, marking, mulesing, dipping and heavy grass seed infestations.

. Lambs can appear depressed, reluctant to stand and walk, hopping gait.  Joints will be swollen and hot due to inflammation and fluid accumulation.

. Bacteria comes from; introduced sheep, feral pigs & native birds, mammals, dogs & foxes.

.Vaccinate under the skin, down the neck line, approx 50mm from ear.  Recommend 18G x 1/4 (6mm) needle.

. Needle Angle; 45deg lambs/short wool  and  90deg adults with wool growth.

. Needles should be changed approx 50-100 sheep.

. Colostrum antibodies protects lambs for 6-8 weeks.

What does a program look like?

. Most of the time, we centre a lamb arthritis program around putting the Eryvac antibodies through the ewes colostrum to protect the lamb for the first 6-8 weeks of life (covering the two major risk periods)

. Therefore most programs centre on the ewe – 2 doses in the first year to set up the Eryvac, and then an annual booster each year after that

. Ewes should receive a dose of Eryvac (or can be GlanEry) anytime timed somewhere either at joining or up to 4 weeks prior to the second (pre-lamb) dose, then receive a GlanEry somewhere 4-8 weeks pre-lambing – this gives them their second Eryvac and provides their annual booster for Glanvac.

. Each subsequent year, ewes should receive a GlanEry @ 4-8 weeks pre-lambing

. Maidens ewes and replacement ewes need two in their first year as above for existing programs

. Lamb can have a dose at lamb marking, but for many producers the ewe dose is enough – this is a plus or minus based on incidence and timing (sometimes given if incidence is high and all the risk is at marking time) – I see the lamb marking dose as a decision with each producer, as it’s not perfect science using just one dose to help protect, however anecdotally it can help to reduce incidence further (assuming discussion warrants it)