[Dougal]

most foot rots in sheep are caused by infections that like anaerobic conditions (low oxygen levels) The best way to stop the infections is to get the air in. I'm glad that your ewe is getting better but i'd have pared back a bit more of teh hoof to expose the rot more so that the healing can advance faster. No need now though when she is getting better. I'll probably reignite the debate of how hard to trim feet but when I know there is rot in the foot I trim really very hard to expose all the rot. Where I'm just giving over grown feet a trim I try and pair as lightly as I can.
Hope the two old girls continue to get better.

[andywalt]

Thanks thats good advice, I will post another photo soon and hopefully we can see more improvement, its  a good debate for me as I am only really in my second year and a very common problem !!

[TheCaptain]

I had one girl that was misdiagnosed with a toe granuloma and the vet wouldn't touch it. I got the senior partner to have a look as I wasn't happy; a really bad case of the rot which he pared right back, put zinc sulphate(? I think, possibly something else) on it to burn back all the rotten flesh and 7 days of penicillin. Good as new!

[andywalt]

todays photo, looks like its healing nicely, LA antibiotics was given again today

[Bright Raven]

Really interesting thread. Thanks for the photo's Andy, I am pleased she is on the mend.

[andywalt]

This was a bad case for me, the worst I have had and couldmnt believe that there was such a hole appear, Im sure some of you guys have had worse, I think I will keep her and keep a very close eye on her this winter and if she needs constant attention then next year I will cull her .

Its nice to see how long she takes to heal totally with a foot bath once a week, anti biotic spray twice a week and long acting anti biotics one jab of 8ml  every week, 3 jabs so far.

[Dougal]

Sounds bad i know but I'd be selling her as soon as she is sound. The price of culls just now is enough to take your breath away! Better cashing in and buying in younger fresher stock which will hopefully last much longer with half the work load.
Although I'm the worlds worst for sentimental, I've one ewe that is at least 7 crop, no teeth left and only brings up one lamb a year... but she was my first ewe and i brought her up on the bottle, she'll die at the most inconvient moment and cost me another £13.50 to dispose of cousre, but she's a pet!

[SallyintNorth]

Sounds bad i know but I'd be selling her as soon as she is sound.

BH is of the opinion that once they've had a bad case of footrot they get some immunity, so it's rarely the same girls again.  With 300 or so of them we don't keep tabs on the ones we've done chiropody on so I can't refute or prove his theory!

[andywalt]

well it will be interesting to keep an eye on her, see what happens this winter when the constant wet weather comes

[andywalt]

Well................. it just gos to show you.......3 weeks of LA antibiotics and a week later shes showing signs of the foot rot returning !! so a week monday unfortunatley she will be going to see our local abottoir    at least I tried my best !!

[SallyintNorth]

Well................. it just gos to show you.......3 weeks of LA antibiotics and a week later shes showing signs of the foot rot returning !! so a week monday unfortunatley she will be going to see our local abottoir    at least I tried my best !!

You certainly did as much as you possibly could, andywalt.    Sometimes they just can't be cured. 

I'm sure you will have checked the withdrawal period on the antibiotics?  Just most of the ones I use are 31 days (from last injection.)

[andywalt]

withdrawl period is 9 days only !!

[jaykay]

Although I'm the worlds worst for sentimental, I've one ewe that is at least 7 crop, no teeth left and only brings up one lamb a year... but she was my first ewe and i brought her up on the bottle

Good to hear it's not just me  I'm having to sell all my sheep but my favourite ewe I'm giving to my Dad (also a smallholder) - she's a 5 shear and too old to be going up the fell but too good to be selling as a cast. He'll 'retire' her for me, he's had others of his own he's kept forever 

Andy, sorry about your ewe with foot rot - sounds like you gave her the best chance possible 

[andywalt]

Ive actually managed to sell her to friends for mutton, £80  hope I dont sound like I am heartless person 

[SallyintNorth]

Not at all heartless andywalt - her feet clearly are never going to clear up; it would not be kind to keep her on when she is going to continually suffer the discomfort.  And her discomfort would be worse if you kept her on for breeding.  So you are doing the right thing and you have tried very hard to get the problem sorted before coming to this.