The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Lorrie66 on April 15, 2014, 11:22:23 am

Title: GFD keeps going lame
Post by: Lorrie66 on April 15, 2014, 11:22:23 am

Hi there

I have a GFD that is coming up to one year old. Back at the end of Feb he started limping so I treated with antibiotic spray and checked his feet – nothing seemed too wrong though and I thought a little bit of scald maybe.
By early march he was still limping and I also noticed he had caught his ear tag on the same side at the same time so treated that with spray.
Still limping a week later so called the vet out. Nothing too untoward , a little heat in the foot,  so gave some anti inflamms & antibiotics and he seemed to improve ( not limping as much)
By end of march was limping again more pronounced ..... could see no issues with feet so re-called vet.
Checked shoulder and leg in case of other damage but showed nothing . Gave another anti inflamm and another shot of long lasting antibiotics to see if that knocked whatever it is on the head.
Again he improved for a short while.
We are now Mid April and he has got worse again – the same leg.

I only have 4 sheep  to keep grass down for my horses. A couple have suffered this winter with scald & a little foot rot due to continued wet – but now the ground has improved and they are in a new paddock

I have called vet to pop out tomorrow ... but anyone have any other ideas what this maybe ? I wonder if it is the anti inflamms that seem to work for a while and then wear off?

Title: Re: GFD keeps going lame
Post by: Big Light on April 15, 2014, 12:23:16 pm

Try footvax

Title: Re: GFD keeps going lame
Post by: Marches Farmer on April 15, 2014, 02:18:08 pm

Footrot wil lshow up as a whitish, cheesy base to the foot, once you clean off any mud.  There's also a distinct smell.  Heat in the foot suggests perhaps a grumbling inflamation that's suppressed but not eliminated by the doses of anti-inflammatory and a/bs.  Are the a/bs something like Alamycin LA or 5 days of Pen & Strep, to maintain the level of a/bs in the system for a worthwhile period?

Title: Re: GFD keeps going lame
Post by: Me on April 15, 2014, 03:59:27 pm

I have given repeated Micotil injections on cases such as these with success. One of these was a GFD too

Title: Re: GFD keeps going lame
Post by: Lorrie66 on April 28, 2014, 01:50:33 pm

Thanks all - tried Micotil this time -   fingers crossed seems to have done the job at last.... Rhubarb was racing about the paddocks this last week and its been 2 weeks now since injection