Use of food enrichment for medication delivery in large groups of sheep

Authors: Wilson-Welder, Jennifer; Frank, Ami

Submitted to: Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2021
Publication Date: 5/20/2021
Citation: Wilson-Welder, J.H., Frank, A.T. 2021. Use of food enrichment for medication delivery in large groups of sheep. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. p. 40-43.

Interpretive Summary: Digital dermatitis studies with the sheep model require delivery of daily pain medication for alleviating the pain and lameness associated with digital dermatitis. Typically, this involves daily catching the animals and administration of oral medication by oral balling gun. We were able to adapt the use of a food treat for daily medication delivery in a large group (approximately 40 animals) of sheep enrolled in digital dermatitis experiments. After two to three days of conditioning the animal to the food treat- fig bars, the sheep readily accepted the medicated treat. Sheep were weighed for dosage accuracy and color coded with livestock marking chalk for easy identification of dosing level. Sheep were eager and compliant in daily medication. Animal cooperation along with easy to use pre-printed record sheets and color-coded dosing decreased time and increased dosing accuracy and increased caretaker enjoyment of a necessary daily task.

Technical Abstract: Sheep are naturally very suspicious of new people and not always willing to accept novel food items. Voluntary acceptance of a food-treat from a new human’s hand was met with little success. Sheep enrolled in a digital dermatitis experimental protocol were used to test the feasibility and use of a food-treat (fig bars) for daily medication delivery. After an adjustment phase in which the food-treat was placed in the sheep’s mouth, 35 of 39 animals would voluntarily accept medicated food-treat when caught and segregated as needed for record keeping. Color coding animals by dosage and increasing the animal cooperation and acceptance with the food-treat had the added benefits of reducing the time required to complete daily medications, increase accuracy of medication delivery and increase caretaker job satisfaction.