Parasitic otitis in sheep associated with psoroptes infestation: a clinical and epidemiological study

Parasitic otitis associated with psoroptes infestation was diagnosed in a small pedigree flock of sheep with aural haematomas, abscessation and cauliflower ears. Thirteen of the 15 lambs were affected but the clinical signs were mild; small, discrete, crusty lesions on the inner aspect of the ear at the junction of its anterior and posterior borders were typical. Nine of the 20 adults were affected but the lesions were more severe. Eighteen of the 64 members of the breed society who responded to a telephone survey reported sheep with similar clinical signs in their flocks. The proportion of animals affected ranged from 1 to 60 per cent with a median value of 16 per cent.