Managing posthitis (pizzle rot) in male sheep — a painful condition with significant welfare implications.
Pizzle rot causes significant chronic welfare impairment in affected rams and wethers. The infection begins with ulceration of the skin around the preputial opening. Without treatment, scabbing and scarring progressively narrow the preputial orifice. Urination becomes painful and difficult. In severe cases, complete urethral obstruction causes the same life-threatening welfare emergency as urethral obstruction in cats — bladder rupture, uraemia, and death.
The chronic pain associated with moderate to severe pizzle rot is significant. Affected animals are reluctant to walk, show reduced grazing, and lose body condition. The constant discomfort of impaired urination causes distress and behavioural change.
Prevention is primarily dietary — reducing protein intake during risk periods and avoiding overly lush, high-protein pasture. Shearing or clipping the wool around the prepuce improves hygiene. Regular inspection of rams, particularly before breeding season, allows early detection and treatment.