Delayed treatment can cause failure to gain weight or even weight loss.įigure 2. Prompt treatment ensures there is no impact on growth rate. Scald causes severe temporary lameness which interferes with grazing although sheep become sound one to two days after appropriate treatment. Many outbreaks of lameness in lambs are caused by scald There is no under-running of the hoof wall or sole.įigure 1. The skin between the claws is red and swollen and covered by a thin layer of white discharge. ![]() At grass, the prevalence is much greater in lambs than in ewes, but scald can become problematic in housed ewes, when straw bedding becomes wet and warm. Scald is the most common cause of lameness in lambs and occurs most commonly when underfoot conditions are wet, often in late spring. Inappropriate trimming increases the risk of bacterial spread and long term hoof injury. The important risk factors for foot lameness are damage to the skin between the claws by exposure to moisture and mechanical abrasion, and transmission of bacteria from infected sheep due to poor biosecurity and / or delayed treatment of clinical cases. Less common causes of lameness are non-infectious and include toe granulomas, white line or toe abscesses and shelly or overgrown hoof. Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis (CODD) is associated with Treponeme bacteria which enter flocks on infected sheep but many CODD lesions also contain footrot bacteria. Scald (interdigital dermatitis) and footrot are caused by Dichelobacter nodosus which can spread rapidly in the UK's temperate climate. Most outbreaks of lameness in sheep are caused by bacterial infections. ![]() The industry has produced the Five Point Plan for sheep lameness to provide evidence based advice for farmers and vets to follow to achieve this target. A target for flocks of less than 2% lameness by 2021 has been set by the Farm Animal Welfare Council. The sector has identified lameness reduction as a key area in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. In addition, two thirds of antibiotic use in sheep is thought to be used in treating lameness. It creates serious welfare implications and negatively impacts public perception of sheep farming with three million UK sheep thought to be lame at any one time. ![]() Lameness in sheep is a significant cause of financial losses with an estimated cost to the UK industry of £28 million per year.
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