Stomatitis in Sheep

Quick Answer
  • Stomatitis means inflammation and sores in the mouth. In sheep, it is a clinical sign rather than one single disease.
  • A common cause in sheep is contagious ecthyma (orf, or sore mouth), but trauma, grass awns, bluetongue, and other infectious diseases can also cause oral lesions.
  • Common signs include drooling, painful eating, lip or gum scabs, weight loss, and reluctance to nurse or chew.
  • See your vet promptly if a sheep stops eating, has fever, severe mouth pain, widespread lesions, lameness, or multiple animals become affected at once.
  • Because some causes are contagious and some can infect people, use gloves and isolate affected sheep until your vet advises next steps.
Estimated cost: $150–$900

What Is Stomatitis in Sheep?

Stomatitis is inflammation of the lips, gums, tongue, cheeks, or other tissues inside the mouth. In sheep, it is not one specific diagnosis. It is a visible problem that can happen with several conditions, including viral disease, oral trauma, irritating plants, and secondary bacterial infection.

One of the best-known causes in sheep is contagious ecthyma, also called orf or sore mouth. This condition often causes crusted, painful lesions around the lips and mouth, especially in lambs. Other diseases can also create mouth sores, so a sheep with stomatitis should not be assumed to have orf without an exam.

Mouth pain matters because sheep may eat less, nurse poorly, lose body condition, and become dehydrated. Ewes with teat lesions may also resist nursing. If several sheep develop oral lesions at the same time, your vet may need to rule out important flock diseases quickly.

Symptoms of Stomatitis in Sheep

  • Drooling or excessive saliva
  • Painful chewing, slow eating, or dropping feed
  • Scabs, crusts, ulcers, or raw areas on the lips and muzzle
  • Sores inside the mouth, on the gums, cheeks, or tongue
  • Poor nursing in lambs or reluctance to let lambs nurse
  • Weight loss, poor growth, or dehydration
  • Fever, depression, or multiple sheep affected at once
  • Lameness, swollen face, or lesions on teats or feet

Mild cases may start with a few lip lesions and some drooling. More concerning cases involve sheep that stop eating, lose condition, or show lesions beyond the mouth, such as on the teats or feet. If lambs cannot nurse, affected sheep become weak, or the flock has fever or widespread mouth lesions, contact your vet quickly. Wear gloves while handling the mouth because orf can infect people.

What Causes Stomatitis in Sheep?

Stomatitis in sheep has several possible causes. A very common one is contagious ecthyma (orf), a parapoxvirus infection that usually affects the lips and mouth of young sheep and can spread through direct contact, contaminated equipment, and dried scabs in the environment. The virus enters through small cuts or abrasions, so rough forage, thistles, and brush can increase risk.

Not every sore mouth is orf. Trauma from grass awns, rough hay, thorny plants, or foreign material can inflame the mouth. Chemical irritation is another possibility in large animals. Your vet may also consider important infectious differentials such as bluetongue, foot-and-mouth disease, and other ulcerative or vesicular conditions, especially if many sheep are affected or there are signs beyond the mouth.

Secondary bacterial infection can make lesions much more painful and slow healing. In severe orf cases, sheep may go off feed, fail to gain weight, and develop deeper infection in damaged tissues. That is why identifying the likely cause matters for both treatment planning and flock management.

How Is Stomatitis in Sheep Diagnosed?

Your vet usually starts with a flock history and a careful oral exam. They will ask when the lesions started, whether new sheep were introduced, what the flock has been eating, and whether any people handling the sheep have developed skin sores. Because mouth lesions can be painful, sedation and a mouth speculum may sometimes be needed for a thorough exam.

In many sheep, the pattern of lesions gives useful clues. Orf often causes characteristic proliferative, crusted lesions around the lips and mouth. Trauma may leave more localized ulcers or embedded plant material. If the pattern is unusual, severe, or affecting multiple animals, your vet may recommend testing.

Diagnostic testing can include PCR on scab or lesion material, which is the preferred confirmatory test for contagious ecthyma. Your vet may also consider other tests if there is concern for reportable or flock-level disease. Early diagnosis helps guide isolation, feeding support, and decisions about whether treatment should focus mainly on supportive care or on managing secondary infection.

Treatment Options for Stomatitis in Sheep

Spectrum of Care means you have options. Here are treatment tiers at different price points.

Budget-Conscious Care

$150–$300
Best for: Mild, localized mouth lesions in a bright sheep that is still eating and drinking, with no fever and no rapid spread through the flock.
  • Farm call or clinic exam for one sheep
  • Basic mouth exam and flock history
  • Isolation from unaffected sheep
  • Supportive feeding plan with softer palatable feed
  • Hydration support and monitoring
  • Topical wound hygiene as directed by your vet
  • Glove use and human safety guidance
Expected outcome: Often good if the cause is mild trauma or uncomplicated sore mouth and the sheep keeps eating. Many orf lesions heal over 1-4 weeks with supportive care.
Consider: Lower upfront cost, but less testing means more uncertainty about the exact cause. If lesions worsen, spread, or interfere with nursing, the plan may need to escalate quickly.
Most Common

Recommended Standard Treatment

$300–$650
Best for: Most sheep with moderate mouth pain, reduced feed intake, nursing problems, uncertain diagnosis, or concern for contagious ecthyma with secondary infection.
  • Full veterinary exam and closer oral inspection
  • Pain-control discussion and prescription plan when appropriate
  • PCR or lesion sampling if diagnosis is uncertain or flock impact is a concern
  • Treatment for secondary bacterial infection if your vet finds evidence of it
  • Nutritional support plan for lambs or thin sheep
  • Teat and udder check in nursing ewes
  • Biosecurity and cleaning recommendations for pens, troughs, and handling equipment
Expected outcome: Good in many cases when sheep receive timely supportive care and secondary problems are addressed. Recovery may be slower if lesions are extensive or if lambs are already losing condition.
Consider: More complete and often more practical for flock management, but costs rise with testing, prescriptions, and repeat visits.

Advanced / Critical Care

$650–$900
Best for: Severely affected sheep, lambs that cannot nurse, animals with dehydration or major weight loss, or outbreaks with fever, lameness, or lesions suggesting a more serious disease process.
  • Urgent or emergency veterinary assessment
  • Repeat exams and close flock-level monitoring
  • Advanced diagnostics to rule out other serious infectious diseases
  • Intensive supportive care for weak or dehydrated sheep
  • Tube or assisted feeding plan for lambs when needed
  • Treatment of complications such as severe secondary infection, myiasis, mastitis, or lameness
  • Possible referral, necropsy, or broader outbreak workup if multiple animals are affected
Expected outcome: Variable. Many sheep still recover, but outcome depends on the underlying cause, how quickly feeding and hydration are restored, and whether complications are present.
Consider: Highest cost and labor commitment, but this tier is often the safest choice when the diagnosis is unclear, the sheep is declining, or the flock may face a contagious disease problem.

Cost estimates as of 2026-03. Actual costs vary by location, clinic, and individual case.

Questions to Ask Your Vet About Stomatitis in Sheep

Bring these questions to your vet appointment to get the most out of your visit.

  1. Does this look most consistent with orf, trauma, or another cause of mouth lesions?
  2. Does this sheep need testing, such as PCR on a scab or lesion sample?
  3. Is there evidence of a secondary bacterial infection that changes the treatment plan?
  4. What can this sheep safely eat and drink while the mouth is painful?
  5. Should I isolate this sheep, and for how long?
  6. Do I need to check ewes' teats, lambs' mouths, or the feet of other flock members?
  7. What cleaning and handling steps will lower spread through the flock?
  8. Is vaccination appropriate for this flock, or would it create more risk on my premises?

How to Prevent Stomatitis in Sheep

Prevention starts with lowering mouth injury and reducing exposure to contagious causes. Check pastures and feeding areas for thistles, harsh brush, and rough plant material that can create small abrasions. Use clean troughs and avoid sharing contaminated equipment between groups when possible. If new sheep are added to the flock, isolate them until visible sore mouth has been ruled out.

If your flock has a history of orf, talk with your vet about whether vaccination makes sense for your situation. Live orf vaccines are available, but they are not used the same way as routine flock vaccines. Because they contain live virus and can contaminate premises, they should be used thoughtfully and with veterinary guidance.

Good handling hygiene matters for both sheep and people. Wear gloves when examining mouths or treating lesions, wash hands after contact, and keep affected sheep separate from unaffected animals when practical. Promptly identifying mouth sores, supporting feed intake, and asking your vet for a flock plan can reduce losses and help prevent wider spread.

Find a Vet Near You