The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Womble on March 27, 2015, 01:10:31 pm
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Ace (or Jeremy, as he's better known on the internet :innocent: ) is bobbing his head as he walks today, and one of is front hooves has a nasty vertical split in it right down the front edge, with the 'toenail' coming away from the inner hoof. I can almost fit my finger in the gap between the toe and the toenail, so it's not good - a bit like the shelly hoof one of the others had, but affecting the front of the hoof and not the outside edge.
Any ideas on treatment?
Also, to help make sure this is that foot that's causing him the bother, when he bobs his head, will it go up in time with the sore foot, or down? He's not holding it up or anything, so it makes it hard to tell.
Thanks! :thumbsup:
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head will go up as bad foot comes to the ground (taking some of the weight off it)
I would clean the foot, removing any mud and dirt, give it a spray with purple spray and a jab of a/bs.
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We're getting a fair bit of this sort of problem (a bit depressing). I'd follow pooks' suggestion. I'm not for trimming on every occasion, but when the hard shell is detached I might trim up to the crack, simply to prevent the pocket filling up with stuff and causing infection/abscess....
I'm coming to the view that with their four legs, it probably hurts us more than them when we watch them limping around ... :fc:
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Picture ?
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I would definitely trim off the detached flap to avoid dirt etc getting tapped under it but also to prevent it being ripped off any more. Clean the whole foot with water (I use a bottle brush between the cleats), dry it and spray with a/b.
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Maybe a jab of Metacam as he's probably in pain?