Foot rot in sheep

[Sheepshape]

How often do you foot bath them?

I only do them when there is a problem. this summer was the hottest and driest for a very long time, so we didn't have any foot problems (nor any grass to make winter feed!). About a month ago we started to get rain again, so have now been able to grow grass for silage. No foot problems as yet, though. If we have lots of limpers then I'd use the foot bath on two occasions a fortnight apart.

We've had very few foot problems in the last few years as we have adopted a 'very early intervention' strategy for the sheep....i.e if someone's limping, look at the hoof at the first available opportunity. A few years back a large ewe was fine one day and totally lame on a front hoof the following day. She had a fencing staple in her hoof. On another occasion a sharp stone was lodged between the cleats. Since seeing these things as soon as they limp, I look.

 

[mystang89]

How often do you foot bath them?

+1

I've read of people doing this but always thought that you'd have to change out the bath each day because of all the dirt that the sheep put in when they stepped through, which wouldn't be feasible for us cost wise.

 

[Sheepshape]

Yes, the formaldehyde is a one off usage, but it's not very expensive over here. It has to be disposed of very carefully as it cannot be allowed to get into an waterways as it is harmful to aquatic life.

 

[Ridgetop]

Thanks. Unfortunately I already trimmed the hoof before I read this but at the same time I would not have been able to clean out the area which is infected. Would you pack it with a cotton ball to keep debri from getting in? Picture coming in an hour or so when I make my lazy way outta the bed.

For your ram, I think you could soak a cotton ball in antibiotic (we use Coppertox for thrush and hoof rot), stuff it in the hole, then cover the hoof with gauze and vet wrap and then do the duct tape thing. You will have to keep him confined for a week or two, and probably will have to take everything off and reapply every couple of days to check healing. Also do the injectable antibiotics. My mare got a hoof abscess once from a wire. After draining the abscess the vet packed the hoof with antibiotics and put a piece of gauze over the hole, then cut a piece of carpet to fit over the bottom of her hoof, then vet wrapped that on, then duct taped the entire hoof to keep dirt out. I had to keep her in the barn for a week and when the tape wore through, I had to replace the tape. The vet checked her every 3 days.

Is it a front hoof or rear hoof? If you are still breeding ewes, you will need to confine the ewes with him. If it is a rear hoof he may not feel like mounting the ewes. On second thought he is a ram and where there is a will, there is a way. LOL If it is a front hoof, he will have no trouble breeding.

We are in very dry arid climate zone. We only get foot rot when the goats or sheep are confined inside the barn during el Nino conditions for months because we cannot clean out the bedding due to water seepage into barn. We have to layer dry straw on top for weeks or months. Have never had hoof rot except when I missed a goat hoof trimming and they curled under and trapped wet stuff. Since we don't keep our horses in stalls anymore, they are out on 5 acres, they don't get thrush in the winter (rainy stalls) either. My sheep seem to have pretty good feet and don't need much trimming. They are on dry, hard, stony ground though, not nice green grass. I guess it is a trade off - dry ground and no forage but less worms and parasites and no hoof rot.

If we move to an area with more rain we will have to watch for that.