Foot rot is one of the most painful and economically significant diseases in sheep, causing lameness that reduces grazing, welfare, and production. Systematic flock management can prevent and eradicate it.
Foot rot causes severe, chronic pain that fundamentally compromises sheep welfare. Lame sheep cannot compete for grazing, lose body condition rapidly, and suffer psychological distress. Kneeling to graze — a distinctive sign of foot rot — indicates lameness serious enough to prevent normal weight-bearing. Despite the severity, foot rot is frequently undertreated on farms, with lameness accepted as normal background morbidity. Welfare standards and farm assurance schemes increasingly include lameness targets (below 2-5% at any inspection). Systematic footbathing, prompt identification and treatment of lame sheep, vaccination, and culling of chronically affected individuals constitute best practice. Early treatment reduces both pain duration and spread within the flock.