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Sheep Lameness Diagnosis, Treatment and Control HOW MUCH IS LAMENESS COSTING THE UK SHEEP INDUSTRY? The Cost of Lameness • Financial losses • Compromised welfare • A poor image The Cost • With an estimated 3 million sheep lame each year the industry is losing at least £20,000,000 a year How does lameness affect your profits? • Poorer performance lower lambing percentage lower growth rates • Increased labour • Increased vet and medicine bills For a typical 600 ewe flock • With a 10 % incidence of lameness losses would be around £7 per ewe or £4200 per year Lameness in lambs • Severe scald can stop lambs growing • Twin lambs growing at 350 g/day reach 40 kg in about 14 weeks • Scald could slow finishing by 3 or more weeks - on a falling market this could mean £5.00 per lamb or more The Main Causes of Lameness • Scald • Foot rot • White line disease • Fibromas and granulomas • Strawberry foot rot (orf) • Laminitis Other Causes of Lameness • Contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD) • Post-dipping lameness • Injury - e.g. soil balling, foreign bodies • Arthritis – old age, joint ill • Tick pyaemia • Foot and Mouth Disease Causes of lameness 4% 4% 2% 5% 2% 1% Foot Rot Scald Foot Abscesses Post Dipping Lam eness 43% Sw ollen Joints 39% Soil Balling Fibrom a Other Foot and Mouth Disease White Line Disease Injuries - Puncture Wounds Injuries - Soil Balling Strawberry Foot Rot Toe Fibroma Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis 80% of lameness is due to Foot rot and Scald 4% 4% 2% 5% 2% 1% Foot Rot Scald Foot Abscesses Post Dipping Lam eness 43% Sw ollen Joints 39% Soil Balling Fibrom a Other Scald • Caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum • Occurs in wet,warm lush grazing conditions • Causes a dermatitis between the claws • Non-invasive • Sporadic outbreaks • Foot bathing controls Foot Rot Caused by F. necrophorum AND Dichelobacter nodosus 10 strains of D.nodosus • 7 Benign strains • 3 Virulent strains • Does not live on pasture for more than 10 days Foot Rot Clinical signs depend on • Strain of D. nodosus • Genetic predisposition • Environment / Season Foot Rot Treatments for Foot Rot Paring Foot bathing Antibiotics Vaccination All treatments work best in non-transmission periods Foot Paring • Inspect all feet • Only trim if necessary • Never draw blood! • Use minimum cuts • Use clean sharp tools • Disinfect between feet • Destroy clippings • Isolate infected sheep Foot trimming Foot Bathing Foot bathing • Only worth doing if under the right conditions and according to recommendations • Zinc sulphate (10% solution) • Formalin (3 % solution) - 3 pints in 12 gallons of water • Proprietary products Effective foot bathing • Choose a dry day • Run sheep through water bath to clean feet • Follow manufacturer’s recommendations • Let sheep stand on dry clean surface for up to an hour • Turn out to fresh, dry pasture Foot bathing Cost of foot bathing • 3 % formalin - 86 litre bath - £1.30 • 10 % zinc sulphate - 310 litre bath - £24 But Zinc sulphate is 1) more effective and 2) re-usable Formalin Pros Cons Cheap Toxic Effective Tends to harden the hoof Quick Some feet missed Not re-useable Zinc sulphate Pros Cons More effective More time in foot bath Re-usable Need a larger foot bath More pleasant More expensive Non irritant Antibiotics • Infectious disease • Use in severe cases • Use correct dose • Treat before trimming • Check 1 week later • Trim foot • Cull non-responders Vaccination • Promotes improved foot health • Must continue with routine foot care • Timing important • Short-term protection • Warning - local reactions Other Control Measures • Attend to lameness cases promptly - a serious welfare issue • Diagnosis essential(CODD), consult veterinary surgeon if necessary • Cull persistently lame sheep • Breeding - select replacements from ‘resistant’ families • Seek veterinary advice for the best approach • Consider eradication in ‘closed’ flocks Foot Rot Eradication Highly contagious - A flock problem BUT • D.nodosus does not live on pasture for more than 10 days THEREFORE • Pasture not grazed by sheep for 10 days is foot rot free Foot Rot Eradication Day 0 – Examine all of the flock. • Footbath all sound sheep and turn out onto clean pasture • Treat all lame sheep and segregate from main flock Day 5 – Re-examine infected group and re-treat Day10 – Re-examine all of the flock and footbath. Day 15 – Re-examine infected group and re-treat Day 25 – Re-examine all of the flock and footbath. • Cull all chronically lame sheep in the infected group Flock Disease Security • Try to source foot rot free stock • Isolate all oncoming animals for 4 weeks • Examine every foot of every sheep • Treat foot rot cases and keep isolated • Mix with resident flock only when completely free of disease Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Sheep • A written health and welfare programme should be prepared for each flock • Developed with appropriate veterinary and technical advice • Should include foot care • Review and update annually