After a bushfire many factors must be considered
when assessing burnt livestock. Furthermore those animals not killed directly
by the fire or destroyed due to injuries, must be repeatedly assessed on a
daily basis after the bush fire event. Continued support for the owners will
need to be considered and/or provided.
While it's a great relief for owners when their
livestock survive a bushfire, factors that need to be considered when assessing
burnt livestock include: immediate and long term welfare of the animals,
severity of burns or injuries, impact of injuries on productivity, availability
of feed and water, what facilities are available for sustained care of the
animals, what is the owners capacity and willingness ( physically, emotionally
and financially) to provide ongoing care and reassessment of burnt animals.
Livestock showing signs of obvious distress should
be immediately treated by a veterinarian or humanely euthanased. If an animal’s condition should deteriorate
they will need to receive veterinary treatment or be humanely destroyed. Sheep
particularly need to be closely examined and turned up for close inspection.
The face, ears, lips, anus, vulva, teats, penis, prepuce, scrotum, axilla
(armpits) inguinal areas, legs and feet must be closely examined. Be aware that
singed wool is not always a good indicator of severity of a sheep’s wounds.
Any animal that was exposed to smoke inhalation
is at risk. If your animals start to show signs of breathing difficulty, seek
veterinary advice immediately.
Burns to feet can result in lost hooves or
separation of the hoof from the Coronary band in livestock. This results in
pain and predisposition to flystrike. Stock
in this condition require costly nursing and may take a long time which again
can impact on the owner financially, physically and emotionally. Stock will need to be placed on the softest
most level ground available to facilitate healing. High protein foods such as
lucerne should be provided to the animals.
Great care will be required to ensure that
flystrike is treated early. Any wound from the fire is a risk for flystrike and
the risk is much greater with any animal that has a fleece (ie sheep, angora
goats or alpacas). Because of the increase in wildlife and/or domestic animal carcasses
around after a bushfire, the number of blowflies is likely to increase.
Daily re-examination and reassessment will be
required for at least the first week after a fire. Then inspection at least 2-3
times weekly for a further 2-3 weeks will be required.
Due to confinement internal parasites may also be a
problem especially after rain.
The supply of clean water and quality feed is
essential for post fire recovery of burnt animals.