Foot rot is one of the most common and painful conditions affecting sheep globally, causing lameness that severely impacts welfare and productivity. Effective prevention and treatment significantly improve sheep wellbeing.
Foot rot causes significant and prolonged pain in affected sheep. Lame sheep must navigate terrain to reach food and water while in pain, and may lose body condition rapidly. The welfare impact extends beyond individual pain - ewes with foot rot may abandon lambs, and affected rams struggle to perform normal mounting behavior. A welfare-centered approach prioritizes rapid identification of lame animals through regular mobility scoring, prompt treatment with appropriate pain relief, preventive footbathing, and when available, vaccination. Culling chronically affected animals while breeding for resistance improves flock welfare sustainably.