Clostridial Diseases in Sheep: Deep Welfare Guide to Prevention

Clostridial diseases cause sudden death, blackleg, pulpy kidney, and tetanus in sheep — all largely preventable through vaccination programs.

Key Facts

• Clostridial diseases cause some of the most acute and distressing deaths in livestock
• Pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia) kills rapidly, often without premonitory signs
• Blackleg causes gas-filled muscle necrosis with rapid death from toxemia
• Tetanus causes progressive spastic paralysis with severe distress in surviving animals
• The multivalent clostridial vaccine (7-in-1 or 8-in-1) prevents all major clostridial diseases cost-effectively

Welfare Considerations

Clostridial diseases cause some of the most acute, severe, and preventable welfare emergencies in sheep farming. Pulpy kidney kills ewes and lambs so rapidly that often the only sign is a dead animal — the internal suffering of toxaemia before death, while brief, is intense. Blackleg causes painful progressive muscle necrosis and septicemia. Tetanus causes the prolonged suffering of spastic paralysis — affected animals cannot open their mouth, swallow, or breathe normally, and may survive for days in distress before death or euthanasia. All of these diseases can be prevented by a single cost-effective vaccination program that provides 12-month protection. The continued occurrence of clostridial disease in unvaccinated flocks represents preventable welfare suffering.

What You Can Do

• Vaccinate all sheep against clostridial diseases using multivalent vaccines annually
• Boost ewes 4-6 weeks before lambing to provide high colostral antibody levels to lambs
• Vaccinate lambs at 6-10 weeks with a primary course and booster 4-6 weeks later
• Ensure farm staff can recognize tetanus signs: stiff gait, erect ears, tail elevation, difficulty swallowing
• Review vaccination records annually and identify any unvaccinated animals in the flock