The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Anke on August 21, 2013, 06:17:55 pm
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One of my ewes (should have been 2nd time lamber, so 3 years old, but was barren) has a fairly big growth of extra skin in between her toes on both hind legs. Never been anything wrong with it, but she had footrot (and flystrike) in one of her front feet recently and I don't know why but now both her hindfeeet are extremely sore (from rubbing) and the skin is raw in between her toes. To top it she has also foot rot in these feet too, but no flystrike (yet).
Options of treatment seems to either be removing these extra flaps of skin by operation (somewhat outside my budget for a ewe that may not be producing lambs anymore) or culling now. She is not a pedigree of any kind, but an easily biddable ewe that will come readily and as such I really like her. Has anyone dealt with these in some way? I just want to get her sound on her feet again to at least be able to sell her as cull if nothing else...
I can bring her into pen every day and spray preventatively against flystrike, but wondering what else I could do help healing? Or is it just the knackerman?
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I haven't come across this, just wanted to wish you luck coming up with a solution for her :hug:
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If it is either a Fibroma or Granuloma the only way is to cut out under local or sell fat as you have said , most sheep seem to manage with no or only slight problems , rams can be very prone to fibroma . Anti biotics for the foot rot , i have tried succesfully ( some times ) a paste made of iodine and sugar applied and bandaged in place given to me by an old vet
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I have a ewe that had a couple of growths similar to what you describe in between her toes. I soaked her feet in nettex lameless made up in a jug of water and the results were superb. She went from being unsound on her feet to not having any trouble since and has not had any lameness or sore feet for circa 2 years now. She is an old ewe and I am quite fond of her, so wanted to try my best to see if I could sort her. I soaked each foot for about 3 mins in the solution and made sure that when she put her foot back down afterwards it was on a dry surface - not muddy/wet. Will need two people to do the job as you need one hand to hold the foot and the other the jug and be prepared for a bit of leg jerking when you first put the hoof in the water solution. The growths also seem to have shrivelled up so I am keeping my fingers crossed that they do not return.
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Thanks for the Lameless solution. Will try and get some (I was looking for a footbath solution for my goats for over winter anyway), and she will get another shot of antibiotic (again).
If I had to have her taken by the knackerman it just feels like such a waste... she's only given me one set of (very nice) twins so far...