Footrot in Sheep: Welfare Management and Prevention

Key Welfare Considerations

• Footrot results from infection with Dichelobacter nodosus causing separation of hoof horn from underlying tissue.
• Benign footrot causes interdigital skin inflammation; virulent footrot undermines the hoof capsule causing severe welfare.
• Welfare impacts include intense pain, chronic lameness, weight loss, and inability to compete for feed.
• The Lameness in Sheep five-point plan provides a welfare management framework for footrot control.
• Identification and isolation of lame sheep is the first welfare management step.
• Foot examination in the handling crate confirms footrot versus other welfare lameness causes.
• Antibiotic treatment (parenteral oxytetracycline or procaine penicillin) is the welfare treatment of choice.
• Topical oxytetracycline spray provides welfare adjunctive treatment for mild footrot cases.
• Zinc sulphate footbathing reduces bacterial load and welfare disease prevalence in affected flocks.
• Formalin footbaths harden hoof horn but are associated with welfare skin irritation risks.
• Vaccination with Footvax reduces footrot welfare disease incidence in endemic flocks.
• Culling of persistently lame carriers eliminates the welfare disease source from affected flocks.
• Quarantine of introduced sheep for 28 days prevents introduction of virulent strains welfare risk.
• Dry conditions reduce Dichelobacter nodosus survival — drainage management improves welfare outcomes.
• Eradication programmes using footbathing, treatment, and vaccination have achieved welfare-free flocks.