What does a healthy sheep look like?
A healthy sheep is alert, stays with the flock, grazes or chews cud with interest and carries herself evenly. Her eyes are bright, her nose is clean, and her droppings are firm pellets. Her wool or hair coat looks even, without patches.
Watch the flock from a distance before you walk in. A sheep standing apart, head down or lagging behind often has a problem you cannot see yet.
Learn what normal looks like for each animal, and write it down. Your notes make small changes easier to notice. Body condition matters too. Ask your vet or extension office to show you how to feel for condition along the back and ribs, since wool can hide a thin sheep.
Which signs mean something is wrong?
Watch for loss of appetite, a dull or rough coat, isolation, limping, coughing, scours, swelling under the jaw, grinding teeth, bloating or a sheep that stops chewing cud. Many problems share the same signs, so only a vet can tell them apart.
Pale color inside the lower eyelid can point to blood loss from internal parasites. Extension publications describe how to check eyelid color, and your vet can show you in person.
Do not give any medicine or try home procedures without veterinary direction. Drug choices, doses and withdrawal times are decisions for a professional.
- Not eating or not chewing cud
- Lagging behind or standing alone
- Limping or sore feet
- Coughing or noisy breathing
- Scours or dirty tail end
- Pale inner eyelids
Why are internal parasites such a concern?
Internal parasites are a major health problem in many sheep flocks. Wet, overgrazed pasture and crowded animals raise the risk. Good grazing management, rest periods for pastures and attentive monitoring all help.
Resistance to dewormers is a known problem in sheep and goats, so treatment should be guided by testing and veterinary advice rather than routine guessing. A fecal test is one tool your vet may suggest.
Ask your extension office what parasite pressure is typical in your region and which pasture practices help most.
How do I keep feet and fleece healthy?
Hooves need regular trimming, and wet ground makes foot problems more likely. Learn proper technique from an experienced keeper or your vet before you start, and keep tools clean.
Check fleece for signs of skin trouble, flies or pests, especially in warm, damp weather. A sheep with an unusual smell, matted wool or constant scratching needs a closer look from a professional.
Dry, well-drained lots and clean shelters reduce many of these problems before they begin. Flies are a seasonal risk, and your vet can explain prevention that fits your flock and region.
When do I call the vet?
Call promptly for a sheep that is down, bloated, straining, unable to stand, struggling to breathe or off feed for a day. Problems around lambing, such as a ewe straining without progress, are urgent. Do not wait, and do not attempt home surgery.
Have your vet's number and after-hours instructions posted. Keep a clean pen for isolating a sick animal, and keep records so you can describe the history clearly.
If you lose an animal unexpectedly, ask your vet whether testing makes sense and how to handle the carcass safely and legally. Have a safe way to hold and move a sheep, such as a small pen with solid sides, before you need one in a hurry.
How do I prevent disease from spreading?
Quarantine new sheep apart from the flock for the length of time your vet recommends. Wash hands and boots between groups, clean shared equipment and limit visitors who keep their own livestock.
Disease reporting rules and biosecurity requirements vary by state, and some diseases of sheep are reportable. Ask your state veterinarian's office or your extension office what applies to you.
Keep records of every animal's health, including treatments your vet directed, so patterns are easy to see.
How can records help me spot problems?
Keep a page for each animal with birth date, source, weights or body condition notes, hoof care, any illness and any treatment your vet directed, with dates. Records turn vague memories into patterns you can act on.
Review the notes each month, and bring them to vet visits. A ewe that keeps showing up with the same complaint may need a closer look, or may need to be removed from breeding. Your vet can advise on that decision.
Key takeaways
- Observe the flock daily from a distance and up close.
- Pale eyelids, scours or a lagging sheep deserve a call to the vet.
- Parasite control needs management and veterinary guidance.
- Quarantine new animals and ask your state veterinarian about reporting rules.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Homestead & Small Farm Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.