Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
TREATING FOOT SCALD
Treat foot scald by trimming hooves and then spraying them with
hydrogen peroxide. If there is no improvement, treat with a zinc
sulfate footbath — the same kind as for foot rot. If you do not have
footbath facilities, you can do the following:
1. Purchase special booties, place them on the sheep's feet,
and fi ll them with the footbath solution. Alternatively, you
can use a large fruit-juice can fi lled with 2 inches (5.1 cm) of
the footbath solution.
2. Soak the affected foot for 5 minutes.
3. Repeat if necessary.
Foot Abscesses
Foot abscesses occur within the hoof structure, often as a complication
from ovine interdigital dermatitis. The dermatitis is an infection of the skin
between the toes, and if it doesn't spread to the joint, it is not terribly seri-
ous, but when it does move into the hoof, it causes much greater problems. It
usually affl icts only one foot, and though it is considered infectious, it is not
extremely contagious like foot rot.
The infection causes formation of thick pus, and as internal pressure
increases, the sheep becomes more and more lame. Sometimes you can see
swelling above the hoof. When compared with the other foot, the infected
foot will be warmer. The disorder is caused by bacteria (
Fusobacterium necro-
phorum
and
Arcanobacterium pyogenes
are the most common bacteria) in
manure and dirt, which enter through cuts or a wound, infecting the soft tis-
sue. There is usually a reddening of the tissue between the toes. This infection
may become advanced if not treated and can move into the joints and liga-
ments. If that occurs, it is almost incurable because it is impossible to reach
— early treatment is defi nitely called for. The abscess is lanced to drain and
then cleaned with an antiseptic. Animals should be treated with antibiotics.
An abscess is particularly dangerous in pregnant ewes, as they will fail to
graze, be slow to feed on grain, and not get enough exercise, which can bring
on pregnancy toxemia. Insuffi cient nutrition also leads to low birth weight of
lambs and having insuffi cient milk for them.
