Lameness is one of the most significant welfare problems in sheep farming, with footrot being the leading cause. Prevention and prompt treatment dramatically reduce welfare impacts.
Sheep lameness causes chronic pain that significantly degrades quality of life for affected animals. Because sheep are prey species that hide vulnerability, lame animals may continue to move and graze until pain becomes severe, making detection and treatment timing challenging. The welfare impact extends beyond the primary pain of lameness to include secondary effects on nutrition, reproductive performance, and social status. Prevention through footbathing, good pasture management, and genetic selection is more effective than treatment alone. Prompt treatment when lameness is detected, including pain relief, is an ethical obligation that many sheep operations currently fail to meet.