FOOT-ROT IN SHEEP

Southland Times, Issue 23182, 24 April 1937, Page 14

FOOT-ROT IN SHEEP

SOUTHLAND FLOCKS AFFECTED CAUSE AND TREATMENT Southland flock-owners have been having a great deal of trouble this year with foot-rot and scald as one result of the abnormally wet season and the heavy growth of grass. It has been impossible to keep sheeps’ feet dry. A correspondent states that he has put his sheep through a foot bath several times and has tried with little success the following washes—formalin, arsenical, bluestone and burnt lime. “Odd cases of foot-rot respond readily to arsenical or formalin washes,” he writes, but not so the scald which in many cases eventually takes the whole sole from the hoof, with the result that the sheep is unable to travel and rapidly loses condition. It might be of interest for your readers to know that we also put the effected sheep through a foot bath of power kerosene. This had a very beneficial effect on hoggets but not nearly such a marked result with adult sheep. The best remedy so far has been a strong solution (pickling strength) of salt and water. This certainly cures the complaint, but the cure is slow and it is necessary to let the sheep stand in the wash for several minutes and to put them through frequently.” A solution of bluestone is the treatment most generally ’ recommended by the Department of Agriculture and it appears to give the most consistent results. It is cheap, safe and efficient whereas arsenical washes are very strong. It is impossible to effect complete cures unless the cause of the complaint is remedied, and this season has put that out of the question. The subject of foot-rot and its treatment was ably discussed by Mr T. A. Blake, M.R.C.V.S., of the Live-Stock Division, in a paper written for the Department’s journal some time ago. Contributing Causes

The cause of foot-rot in sheep is a toxin or poison secreted by certain micro-organisms which have gained entrance to the affected foot, he stated The predisposing or contributory causes are: (1) An injury to the soft tissues between the claws, seen especially when the sheep are depastured on long rank grass, or on ploughed land where particles of grit may easily find their way into the inter-digital space and cause abrasion or injury, however slight, to the soft tissues in the cleft; (2) a weakening of the horny substance of the foot by excessive moisture, seen especially in wet seasons, at periods when heavy dews are prevalent, and on wet land. The methods of treatment of foot-rot may be classed under two main headings—hand dressing and foot-bath treatment; but the essential operation common to both these methods is the proper and thorough trimming of the foot before any medicinal dressing is applied. Trimming of a foot consists in cutting away all overgrown horn, especially that part of the wall which becomes bent inwards over the sole, and in removing all loose or diseased horn, besides any dead or decaying tissue. A pair of cutters is useful in the quick trimming of the overgrown wall. The aim of the operator should be to allow the drainage of puss from the lesion, with as little removal

of healthy tissue as possible, the cutting not being carried deep enough to allow the escape of much blood. Hand Dressing After the feet have been trimmed the application of an antiseptic and astringent dressing should be undertaken. When only, small numbers of sheep have to be treated, hand dressing is usually practised, and for this purpose there are several good drugs available whose successful action has been proved during many past years. Ointments are useful on account of their prolonged action, the one recommended being made up as follows: Over a slow fire mix powdered bluestone, one part; lard, one part; and Stockholm tar, two parts. The foot should be dry for the proper application of an ointment. Other preparations in use are tincture of iodine, carbolic acid (one part to 20 of water), and sheep-dip. For severe cases butter of antimony may be applied with a feather or small brush, taking care in its use because of its caustic properties. This is especially useful where fungoid growths resembling proud flesh are in evidence. When large unmbers have to be dealt with it is necessary to pick out the sheep badly affected, so that more constant attention may be given to them than to the flock generally. For the latter a foot-bath is recommended. This should be built of concrete or wood, either permanently with fixed rails or placed in position with hurdles to act as guides. It should be in the form of a trough 12 ft long, 18 ft wide, and 6in high; or a portion of the yard may be railed off and concreted, with the edges of the concrete raised a few inches to hold the solution. This latter plan is a good one, in that sheep can be stood in the solution for a few minutes while the remainder of the animals are being prepared. A thin layer of wool may be laid on the floor of the trough to prevent splashing. According to the strength and nature of the solution, the time of immersion should range from one to a few minutes—allowing only one minute for poisonous baths, and say five minutes in the bath for the bluestone mixture. There is no need for more solution in the bath than will just cover the feet of the sheep. For poisonous baths it is necessary to provide a yard for drying, in order to prevent mortality from the ingestion of grass contaminated with the poisonous ingredients. Bath Solutions The bath solutions recommended are as follows:— (1) Bluestone dissolved in water at the rate of 4oz to 1 gallon. Double this strength may be used on cases which need a greater caustic action. Bluestone is cheap, non-poisonous, fairly easily dissolved, and has been found quite efficacious. (2) Arsenic dissolved in water in the following manner and proportions: Over a slow fire heat lib white arsenic, lib carbonate of soda, and 1 gallon water until the arsenic is dissolved. Add 5 gallons of water to make the mixture ready for use. When using this solution sheep should be walked through and not allowed to stand in the bath. Arsenic is poisonous, so must be carefully handled, and the possibility of ingestion by stock or human beinss avoided.

(3) The various sheep-dips and footrot cures on the market, made up according to directions, should also be quite successful. Whatever particular medicament is used as a dressing, it must be borne in mind that drainage of the foot is necessary, and, with that object in view, careful and thorough trimming is essential. The frequency of any form of treatment must be decided by the proportion of animals affected and by the severity of the individual cases. Bad cases need attention every second or third day, while once a week is not too often for a walk through the bath when a flock is seriously affected. Having regard to the causes of footrot, it will be recognized that sheep should be put into the driest paddocks available, and especially into such paddocks as will provide an opportunity, for the normal wear of the horny part of the foot. As in other diseases, prevention is better than cure. Trim regularly and use the foot-bath.