Thank you for such good, understandable advice. I have 2 Saanen goats and just caught that the hooves are overgrown and have some spots where they show rot, yet between the toes looks fine! My goats have no limp, so I think I found them in time. The weather is slushy snow up here in New England, so there will be no dry paddock until spring, but I am thinking of making a chipped wood area by the shed to dry things out there. WOuld that help?
Hi Kristen, glad you found it useful. Yes absolutely any dry area will help if you can keep it dry. For goats, wooden pellets and rocks large enough for them to jump and stand on can be really helpful. helps them get up out of the wet and helps to keep hooves worn naturally
Thanks, is it possible that having dry rocky or concrete areas for the goats to play or explore thus cleaning wearing down and abrading hooves would help? I ask because I have harvested feral goats from many places in the North Island so have seen good and bad cases and noticed its a problem of wetter muddier areas also goats given the choice will be higher up the slopes of the hills.
Great video Sez and some great tips. We have Suffolk and there is a mild problem but recently one footrot ewe also had the hooves fly blown. Bad news. Have a ewe lying down, foot looks dry, but may need some iodine or something. Thanks for your videos
I thought the bad bacteria only survive for 2 weeks in the paddock. What do you think about treatment with Tilmovet to get rid of footrot in a sheep flock?
Thanks so much for your comment :) Tilmovet is an antibiotic called Tilmicosin, which would do the job, but this class of antibiotic (Macrolides) is considered a restricted, or "Red" antibiotic now. This just means that it is really important to keep it safe for human use, so should only be used when you have no other choice. Both bacteria implicated in foot rot are very easilly killed, even just with penicillin and oxytetracyclines (which are "green", super low risk antibiotics), so I dont think we could ever really justify using a macrolide. Just not necessary :) Thank you for picking up the bacteria typo! I found the glitch, my captions can slotted in the wrong away around, I've had to delete that bit :( bummer. But yes, the primary, more MILD bacteria (Dichelobacter Nodosus, I believe this is the one you're reffering to) can last for as short as a few days. But when the environment is warm and wet can last usually about 2 weeks, sometimes a little longer. I tell clients to go with 4 to be safe :)
Hi Sez. Our three pet Valais Blacknose have scald, and their hoof walls are coming away. We have been treating with iodine and some times an antibacterial spray. We will try the footpath, thank you for that info. Does scald require pain relief? And would you suggest a vaccine for scald? Their hooves don’t smell bad so it must not be hoof rot yet. Thank you! Ruby :)
Hi ruby, yes scald is very painful. But scald doesn't cause the hoof walls to come away, thats a foot rot situation. It may be that you have some scald between the toes with a condition called Shelly hoof on top. I have done a video on that, check it out.
You mention that foot rot bacteria encourages roof growth which seems counter intuitive. Could you explain that? I had a case of foot rot (I think) which I treated and I noticed that the hoof grew like crazy (which I thought was good and not a sign of continued infection)
Hi, thanks for your question. Yes it does seem counterintuitive doesn't it. Which is why for the longest time people thought that long toes predisposed to foot rot. Many studies have now confirmed that the length of the toe makes no difference to the incidence of footrot, but that the length increases after infection has set in. The causes has been theorized to be due to 1. non weight bearing, so less abrasion and 2. increased growth of diseased tissue. It is likely a combination of the two. Increased growth of diseased tissue isn't uncommon in the body, we call it hypertrophy. Of course it feels counterintuitive because the foot rot bacteria also produces proteases, which are enzymes that break down keratin. But keratin only makes up the outter layer (the horny portion) of the hoof wall. I'm rambling a bit now, but hope that answered your question :)
penicillin is perfect for the foot rot bacteria, yes. I usually give 3 to 5 days, but if the foot is damaged then of course length would differ, and you will need a multimodal approach, as in the vid. but as the antibiotic component, yes it's fine.
Separation of hoof wall. No odor, but hoofs a misshapen.mess. :(. I've trimmed away what I could, but didn't overdo. I've been giving oxytetracycline injects every other day for 3 treatments so far and hoof and heal on foot. Even wrapped foot with hoof wall separation. :( My fault, makes it even worse....
Sorry Seaurchin, I'm not totally understanding the whole message here, but I'm sorry to hear you're having to deal with this. It can certainly take a while for the hoof to regain it's normal shape
Just found out that one of our pregnant ewe is limping and she seems to have an inflammation in between her hoof, maybe a scald. Can we give her an antibiotic shot?
if the cause is for scald then it is treated by antibiotic, but ABs certainly shouldn't be given it it is not the cause, eg sprains, hoof abscesses, lax ligaments in pregnant and nursing sheep. keep in mind as well that inflammation between the toes could be other things like cellulitis or joint infections, which can require different types of antibiotics and for different lengths of time. These things all need attention, but you would need to get your vet out ASAP to give a proper diagnosis.
I only have two sheep in my backyard. Is it possible to have a Case of foot rot with them being that it’s just them and I don’t travel to other farms to introduce the bacteria in my yard?? Isn’t it more likely to have foot rot if it’s introduced by an already infected animal??
Hi Chelsea, great question. Yes it is possible. It you mean foot scald, as in dichelobacter bacteria, then yes this one needs to be introduced, usually by a contaminated animal. But the more severe bacteria called Fusobacterium, which causes that foul rotting smell and underruns the hoof wall, well that one is always there. it is found in general in soil and is shed in the faeces of animals so its everywhere. That second nasty one, however, is a secondary invader, meaning it will generally only jump on the bandwagon after there is always a bit of damage already there. Which is why it is so commonly working alongside the first one that causes scald. But the nasty fusobacterium could do damage in an individual with already diseased feet, for example wounds or damaged hoof wall. Ie on a flock wide basis, we would tend to say you need dichelobacter introduced before seeing outbreaks of foot. but for the individual animal it is possible. hope that makes sense! Would recommend getting it checked out though, tonfindnout the underlying cause. we do have a nasty disease that is ment to be exotic to NZ, which could be confused with foot rot, so always best to run it by your vet.
Thanks so much! I am in North Carolina (USA). One of my sheep’s front hoof Is kind of dangling exactly like a hang nail in a human. My other sheep has a red bloody like wound above her hoof. Not on it or between toes. We have had some rain so I assumed the broken hoof was from moist environment causing her hoof to just be wet and break off. They are not lame at all and are running and eating normally. It is hard to find a large animal near me. It seems unlikely to me to be foot rot or scald because I just don’t see how that would be present in my environment but I’m really just unsure! You’re saying foot scald bacterium must be introduced and the other “nasty” bacterium is naturally occurring is soil and feces. But to have foot rot I must have BOTH bacteria correct? I’m just trying to figure out what I should do first.
oh dear, have a look into Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis. Another bacterial cause that would require antibiotics. Would definitely recommend the vet if this resonates. good luck!
My goat not even go any field but her hooves are so long and smelling 4 months ago and he can't walk but no infection there but we give painkiller and antibiotics then smell was gone and its age 2 years but now problem is that her hooves grown unexpectedly and she can't walk even she is on her knee... What can I do now????
Thanks for this. I run 2000 ewes on my ranch and I put this advice to practice. Saved my herd. Thanks again.
I'm so glad, and you're very welcome :)
I m happy for this educative teachings
Thank you. I've been researching for a week.
Glad I could help
Thank you.
No worries!
Thank you for such good, understandable advice. I have 2 Saanen goats and just caught that the hooves are overgrown and have some spots where they show rot, yet between the toes looks fine! My goats have no limp, so I think I found them in time. The weather is slushy snow up here in New England, so there will be no dry paddock until spring, but I am thinking of making a chipped wood area by the shed to dry things out there. WOuld that help?
Hi Kristen, glad you found it useful. Yes absolutely any dry area will help if you can keep it dry. For goats, wooden pellets and rocks large enough for them to jump and stand on can be really helpful. helps them get up out of the wet and helps to keep hooves worn naturally
Thanks, is it possible that having dry rocky or concrete areas for the goats to play or explore thus cleaning wearing down and abrading hooves would help? I ask because I have harvested feral goats from many places in the North Island so have seen good and bad cases and noticed its a problem of wetter muddier areas also goats given the choice will be higher up the slopes of the hills.
Great video Sez and some great tips. We have Suffolk and there is a mild problem but recently one footrot ewe also had the hooves fly blown. Bad news. Have a ewe lying down, foot looks dry, but may need some iodine or something. Thanks for your videos
I thought the bad bacteria only survive for 2 weeks in the paddock. What do you think about treatment with Tilmovet to get rid of footrot in a sheep flock?
Thanks so much for your comment :) Tilmovet is an antibiotic called Tilmicosin, which would do the job, but this class of antibiotic (Macrolides) is considered a restricted, or "Red" antibiotic now. This just means that it is really important to keep it safe for human use, so should only be used when you have no other choice. Both bacteria implicated in foot rot are very easilly killed, even just with penicillin and oxytetracyclines (which are "green", super low risk antibiotics), so I dont think we could ever really justify using a macrolide. Just not necessary :)
Thank you for picking up the bacteria typo! I found the glitch, my captions can slotted in the wrong away around, I've had to delete that bit :( bummer. But yes, the primary, more MILD bacteria (Dichelobacter Nodosus, I believe this is the one you're reffering to) can last for as short as a few days. But when the environment is warm and wet can last usually about 2 weeks, sometimes a little longer. I tell clients to go with 4 to be safe :)
What about in temps that get to -25 will that kill the hoof rot bacteria ?
Hi Sez. Our three pet Valais Blacknose have scald, and their hoof walls are coming away. We have been treating with iodine and some times an antibacterial spray. We will try the footpath, thank you for that info. Does scald require pain relief? And would you suggest a vaccine for scald? Their hooves don’t smell bad so it must not be hoof rot yet. Thank you! Ruby :)
Hi ruby, yes scald is very painful. But scald doesn't cause the hoof walls to come away, thats a foot rot situation. It may be that you have some scald between the toes with a condition called Shelly hoof on top. I have done a video on that, check it out.
What type of lime should be used in the yards? A hydrated lime?
hydrated is fine. or agricultural lime (calcium carbonate). both have a the same effect of altering pH in the soil.
You mention that foot rot bacteria encourages roof growth which seems counter intuitive. Could you explain that? I had a case of foot rot (I think) which I treated and I noticed that the hoof grew like crazy (which I thought was good and not a sign of continued infection)
Hi, thanks for your question. Yes it does seem counterintuitive doesn't it. Which is why for the longest time people thought that long toes predisposed to foot rot. Many studies have now confirmed that the length of the toe makes no difference to the incidence of footrot, but that the length increases after infection has set in. The causes has been theorized to be due to 1. non weight bearing, so less abrasion and 2. increased growth of diseased tissue. It is likely a combination of the two. Increased growth of diseased tissue isn't uncommon in the body, we call it hypertrophy. Of course it feels counterintuitive because the foot rot bacteria also produces proteases, which are enzymes that break down keratin. But keratin only makes up the outter layer (the horny portion) of the hoof wall. I'm rambling a bit now, but hope that answered your question :)
I think of it as the cheeky little buggers are encouraging hoof growth so they have something to hide under 😀
Thank you for this! Does long acting penicillin work well for treating foot rot?
penicillin is perfect for the foot rot bacteria, yes. I usually give 3 to 5 days, but if the foot is damaged then of course length would differ, and you will need a multimodal approach, as in the vid. but as the antibiotic component, yes it's fine.
Separation of hoof wall. No odor, but hoofs a misshapen.mess. :(. I've trimmed away what I could, but didn't overdo. I've been giving oxytetracycline injects every other day for 3 treatments so far and hoof and heal on foot. Even wrapped foot with hoof wall separation. :( My fault, makes it even worse....
Sorry Seaurchin, I'm not totally understanding the whole message here, but I'm sorry to hear you're having to deal with this. It can certainly take a while for the hoof to regain it's normal shape
Just found out that one of our pregnant ewe is limping and she seems to have an inflammation in between her hoof, maybe a scald. Can we give her an antibiotic shot?
if the cause is for scald then it is treated by antibiotic, but ABs certainly shouldn't be given it it is not the cause, eg sprains, hoof abscesses, lax ligaments in pregnant and nursing sheep. keep in mind as well that inflammation between the toes could be other things like cellulitis or joint infections, which can require different types of antibiotics and for different lengths of time. These things all need attention, but you would need to get your vet out ASAP to give a proper diagnosis.
I only have two sheep in my backyard. Is it possible to have a Case of foot rot with them being that it’s just them and I don’t travel to other farms to introduce the bacteria in my yard?? Isn’t it more likely to have foot rot if it’s introduced by an already infected animal??
Hi Chelsea, great question. Yes it is possible. It you mean foot scald, as in dichelobacter bacteria, then yes this one needs to be introduced, usually by a contaminated animal. But the more severe bacteria called Fusobacterium, which causes that foul rotting smell and underruns the hoof wall, well that one is always there. it is found in general in soil and is shed in the faeces of animals so its everywhere. That second nasty one, however, is a secondary invader, meaning it will generally only jump on the bandwagon after there is always a bit of damage already there. Which is why it is so commonly working alongside the first one that causes scald. But the nasty fusobacterium could do damage in an individual with already diseased feet, for example wounds or damaged hoof wall. Ie on a flock wide basis, we would tend to say you need dichelobacter introduced before seeing outbreaks of foot. but for the individual animal it is possible. hope that makes sense! Would recommend getting it checked out though, tonfindnout the underlying cause. we do have a nasty disease that is ment to be exotic to NZ, which could be confused with foot rot, so always best to run it by your vet.
Thanks so much! I am in North Carolina (USA).
One of my sheep’s front hoof
Is kind of dangling exactly like a hang nail in a human. My other sheep has a red bloody like wound above her hoof. Not on it or between toes. We have had some rain so I assumed the broken hoof was from moist environment causing her hoof to just be wet and break off. They are not lame at all and are running and eating normally. It is hard to find a large animal near me. It seems unlikely to me to be foot rot or scald because I just don’t see how that would be present in my environment but I’m really just unsure! You’re saying foot scald bacterium must be introduced and the other “nasty” bacterium is naturally occurring is soil and feces. But to have foot rot I must have BOTH bacteria correct?
I’m just trying to figure out what I should do first.
oh dear, have a look into Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis. Another bacterial cause that would require antibiotics. Would definitely recommend the vet if this resonates. good luck!
My goat not even go any field but her hooves are so long and smelling 4 months ago and he can't walk but no infection there but we give painkiller and antibiotics then smell was gone and its age 2 years but now problem is that her hooves grown unexpectedly and she can't walk even she is on her knee...
What can I do now????
it sounds like she needs her hooves trimmed?
That's meas u suggest that I want to trim her hooves???
Then my goat can applicable for walk???
You speak too fast.