Sheep Foot Rot Treatment and Herd Management

Foot rot is a painful contagious disease causing severe lameness in sheep. Effective treatment and prevention through vaccination and culling controls this significant welfare problem.

Key Facts

Foot rot is caused by Dichelobacter nodosus bacteria causing separation of the hoof from the sensitive tissue
Affected sheep are severely lame, often kneel to graze and rapidly lose body condition
Antibiotic injection combined with foot trimming and footbathing treats individual cases effectively
Vaccination provides good protection and can eliminate foot rot from closed flocks over time
The Five Point Plan approach combining treatment, vaccination, footbathing, culling and biosecurity controls foot rot effectively

Welfare Considerations

Foot rot causes severe lameness affecting over 90% of walking ability in some cases. Affected sheep cannot access feed and water normally, losing body condition rapidly and suffering constant pain. Prompt identification and treatment prevents the chronic suffering of long-term untreated infection. Herd-level eradication programs provide lasting welfare improvement by eliminating the bacterial source from the flock.

What You Can Do

Inspect sheep feet regularly and treat any lame sheep within 3 days of identifying lameness
Implement the Five Point Plan for foot rot control including vaccination and footbathing programs
Cull persistently affected carrier sheep that continue to spread infection despite treatment
Maintain biosecurity to prevent reintroduction of foot rot through purchased sheep or shared grazing
Record foot rot treatment data to track herd response and guide management decisions