[Dougal]

With my wee flock (only got about 75 ewes) I've not really got any recurring foot problems. I've cured it by culling out all the culprits!! Works every time and then they can't spread it to any of the other sheep! To get them sound enough to sell the anitbiotics with trimming is the easiest method. Being 'older' ewes it will start to show in their joints that they are lame and they'll become harder and harder to keep right. Sounds a bit harsh but the tough love will make the keeping of the rest of your sheep much easier in the long run.

[andywalt]

hummm yes well i think on this occassion I think the worst one will have to go in the autumn , ive looked back at my book and I have treated her 6 times since last December thats almost once a month. and as I remember when I viewed the sheep last September there were a couple of limping sheep and the owner said that they would get them sorted !!  

[shep53]

Andy you will have to get her ok before you can sell her ,the rule is if lame she must put weight on the foot and not carry it

[Castle Farm]

Most sheep suffer from Newcastle disease...Newcastle is where they used to make steel and steel is what foot shears are made from.

Never ever par a hoof off exposing the white outer rim, as that opens the foot up to infection through that line.

If the sheep in question has turks toes then by all means trim it back but do not cut off the horn that goes underneath the hoof, as thats what protects the foot from the ground. If you cut that off the sheep is walking around with no 'shoes' on.

There are 9 types of footrot, but only 3 you need worry about. Purple spray helps as long as you can hold them off grass till it dries in. Your vet should recommend a vaccination that will stop the problem. I used footvac myself and it sorted the problem out, but there are better vacs on the market now.

[andywalt]

After a week of phone calls the vet and long conversations to get around the all the red tape I got my anti biotics, long acting, and was charged £60.00 for it too !!! mainly a problem that all the farm vets I had met over the last year have left the practice and they didnt want to prescribe the anti biotics without a visit, what madness, after a few strong words they agreed, ect ect   anyway  while I was waiting for it to arrive at the surgery, i caught her every day and alternated a foot bath, zinc sulphate (golden hoof) on one day and the next sprayed with terramycin purple spray, now I given her 7.5ml of the long acting antibiotic and will see in a week what the progress is.

I will try and take a photo later today so you can see what its like and will be nice if anyone else does anything differant

cheers

andy

[andywalt]

here it is

[SallyintNorth]

That's really nasty, poor girl. I hope the antibiotics help her.

[shep53]

ANDY i know it is difficult to know how much to trim away ,you need to understand footrot, it needs a warm moist enviroment to thrive if exposed to air it weakens  and dies ,exposure also allows sprays and footbaths to penatrate. The right side cleet is perfect. the left side has a big hole down the side wall plus there is a hole under the sole both need trimming to stop dirt and infection getting in. once trimmed a simple remedy is to mix iodine and sugar into a paste apply to the foot and bandage

[Anke]

After a week of phone calls the vet and long conversations to get around the all the red tape I got my anti biotics, long acting, and was charged £60.00 for it too !!! mainly a problem that all the farm vets I had met over the last year have left the practice and they didnt want to prescribe the anti biotics without a visit, what madness, after a few strong words they agreed, ect ect   anyway  while I was waiting for it to arrive at the surgery, i caught her every day and alternated a foot bath, zinc sulphate (golden hoof) on one day and the next sprayed with terramycin purple spray, now I given her 7.5ml of the long acting antibiotic and will see in a week what the progress is

Andy - you may need to get yourself a new vet.... 60 quid for one shot of antibiotics? Do they come in a syrringe with a gold needle? Sorry don't mean to be flippant.

Which antibiotic do you use? My vet is now very keen to use Mycotil on recurring footrot rather than just Terramycin/Engemycin, but I have to bring any ewe in as he has to administer the shot, it's deadly for humans if accidentally injected.

[feldar]

mycotil is a fabulous drug and works very well, but we did once have a very expensive ewe die from anaphalactic shock through using it so our vets aren't generally keen on giving it more than once to a sheep.
The person who died using it was injecting cattle in the states and managed to inject himself near his heart hence kneejerk reaction here only vets can administer it.
What if your vet is naff at injecting!!

[andywalt]

It wasnt on injection its for a 200ml bottle and it is a long acting one, usual antibiotics I was charged approx £25 for 200ml ect

I didnt really want to trim any any more away as she wouldnt have much left? this is actually a good improvement as it was stinking and all spongy in side, now after the foot baths and spray it has hardened up and she is putting weight on it and just a small limp now, im hoping the injection will finialise it and get rid  of any infection left.

andy

[shep53]

Fair enough, the antibiotic will work short term so as soon as the withdrawal period is up sell her or she will be a long term source of infection ,any where her foot has touched may have infection for weeks.

[andywalt]

6 days on and can you see any improvement with the last photo ? any comments appreciated

andy

[SallyintNorth]

There does look to be an improvement, yes.  How is she in terms of standing, walking, etc?

[andywalt]

just a slight limp now so I guess its healing up, today I will give her another shot and give her another foot  bath.