Chronic Pain and Lameness in Sheep: Detection and Treatment

Lameness is one of the most significant welfare problems in sheep farming. Chronic foot pain is underdiagnosed because sheep stoically mask signs of pain, making proactive monitoring essential.

Key Facts

Approximately 3-10% of UK sheep are lame at any given time, but true prevalence is often underestimated
Footrot caused by Dichelobacter nodosus is the most common cause of severe lameness in UK sheep
Scald (Fusobacterium necrophorum interdigital dermatitis) is extremely common and frequently untreated
Lame sheep show altered feeding behaviour, reduced body condition and compromised reproductive performance
The Five Point Plan for sheep lameness provides a structured approach to achieving less than 2% prevalence

Welfare Considerations

Sheep are prey animals that strongly suppress pain responses to avoid appearing vulnerable. This means that by the time lameness is visibly detectable at normal inspection distances, significant pain has typically been present for some time. Chronic foot pain in sheep reduces lying time, grazing time and social interaction. Affected ewes are less able to compete at the feed face and produce less milk for their lambs. Treatment within 3-5 days of lameness onset dramatically improves outcomes compared to delayed treatment, but many sheep receive treatment only after prolonged lameness. Welfare-focused flock management centres on proactive inspection, rapid treatment and eradication rather than repeated treatment of endemic disease.

What You Can Do

Support sheep welfare standards that require regular mobility scoring at specific intervals
Choose lamb and mutton from farms participating in recognised lameness eradication programmes
Advocate for inclusion of lameness prevalence targets in farm assurance standards
Support research into pain assessment tools for sheep that can detect subclinical lameness earlier
Engage with sheep industry bodies to promote adoption of the Five Point Plan for lameness control